As soon as I hear the West, everyone is talking about Los Angeles, San Francisco, Highway 1, Highway 66, but the most desirable thing in the West is the most magical desert national parks in the world, which is why every year Thousands of people came here. The memory of this place is more like a western movie than a photo.
Escape routes for lonely patients
The West American Desert National Park Group is one of the famous self-driving routes in the United States. It starts from Las Vegas and passes through the Grand Canyon National Park, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park along the way. Zion National Park, the whole journey is about 1200 miles, which lasted 8 days.
If you love the outdoors, love freedom, love the wild, love hiking, and love to climb high and look far, then this self-driving trip will definitely make you unforgettable for a lifetime.
Although the journey is long, but driving in the desert, walking in the desert, you will forget who you are and where you are, only the wind whistling past your ears beats you from time to time, your body and mind seem to be integrated with nature .
- Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is not only listed as a World Heritage Site, but also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is one of the must-see places in this lifetime. The Grand Canyon National Park is divided into two parts: the north and the south. The southern rim is open all year round; the northern rim is slightly higher in altitude than the southern rim, the snow is thicker in winter, and it is only open in summer. There are many waterfalls, rapids, beaches, small canyons, etc. in the canyon, which are not only suitable for young ALICE friends who are energetic and love mountaineering, but also suitable for lazy people who only like to drive and walk to see the beautiful scenery.
It is recommended to enter the Grand Canyon National Park from the east gate. There are two main advantages of entering the park from the east gate: one is that the canyon landscape on the east side is the most spectacular, so you will have a shocking feeling as soon as you enter the park; the other is in the park. There is no need to look back when visiting. The Desert View Watch Tower, near the East Gate, is a must-see. From here, you can not only see the magnificent scenery, but also overlook the multi-layered visual feast of the entire canyon. Under the sun, the Grand Canyon presents different colors from different angles, like a fairyland.
It is about a 40-minute drive from the East Gate along the Desert View Drive to the South Rim Visitor Center. Viewpoints along the way include Desert View, Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Moran Point, Grand View Point, Yaki Point, and Pipe Creek Vista, etc.
The West Rim of the Grand Canyon does not belong to the category of national parks, but there are also many tourists who stop by, mainly to take a look at the sensational skywalk (glass bridge) and feel the excitement of standing in the sky.
One of the seven wonders of geological photography in the world, the erosion of torrents and strong winds over millions of years has formed the most unique cave in geological history, which is the famous slot canyon. Antelope Canyon is a psychedelic world of color and light. It used to be a herd of antelopes, and it was also a spiritual place for Navajo people to communicate with the gods. Antelope Canyon is a gully formed by floods on red sandstone for thousands of years. The top curve is very beautiful and smooth. The incredible soft curves, coupled with the minerals contained in the rock itself, show orange, yellow, red, purple, blue and other colors under the refraction of sunlight. As blurred as being in another planet, and like a twisted and tossing abstract painting, it attracts infinite reverie.
Antelope Canyon is topographically divided into two separate parts, the Upper Antelope Canyon and the Lower Antelope Canyon.
The Upper Antelope Canyon peaks at 10:30PM and 1:00PM every day. During this time, strong sunlight will enter the valley, forming beams of light, which contrast with the smooth and smooth sandstone. All visitors to Antelope Canyon must take their own vehicles and enter under the guidance of their local guides, and the vehicles driven by tourists can park at the visitor center for free.
The Lower Antelope Canyon is located underground. It is necessary to climb metal stairs to go deep into the ground. You may also need to rely on some ropes in the middle to complete the Lower Antelope Canyon. The difficulty of entering is relatively high, the valley changes more, and there are fewer tourists. The difference between it and the Upper Antelope Canyon is that it does not have a light column formed by sunlight, but because the Lower Antelope Canyon is located underground and the terrain is steep, it is favored by many friends who like adventure.
- Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bend is a U-shaped river channel of the Colorado River in Arizona, and it is also a small section of the Glen Canyon. It is called “Horseshoe Bend” because the giant rocks surrounding the river bend are shaped like horseshoes. When you walk on the trail leading to Horseshoe Bend, you are full of red sandstone like Glen Canyon, a flat river. As the footsteps approached, it seemed as if a crack had suddenly opened from the ground, and the river water at the bottom of the valley showed a charming emerald green color under the sunlight, which was ingenious. Overlooking from the steep cliff, the solitary rock surrounded by the lake stands steeply, as if to tell the unyielding life of thousands of years. This desert in the west of the United States has a magic power that makes you meditate quietly. Thank you for taking away a lot of time, but leaving behind the lens The most beautiful scenery in.
- Monument Valley
Monument Valley is a typical western desert in the United States. Red flat-topped mountains stand in the desert with bright colors, mainly including peculiar sandstone landforms, Indiana Wajo tribal fields and four-state border monuments. Traveling here can explore the history of the American West and learn about the history of the American Indians. A large number of Westerns and blockbusters are keen to use this location as a location, the most famous being “Forrest Gump” and “Transformers 4”.
- Arches National Park
Arches National Park, located in the small town of Moab, Utah, covers an area of 309 square kilometers and preserves more than 2,000 natural rock arches, including the world-renowned exquisite arch. As a symbol of Utah, the Delicate Arch has stood for tens of millions of years and is visited by tourists every year.
For Chinese tourists, although Arches National Park is not a popular attraction, once you get in touch with it, you will be deeply attracted by its unique landform, and no amount of refined pictures can show its magnificence. The most worthwhile attractions in the park are located in the areas 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the picture below.
No. 1: Visitor Center. After entering by car, follow the main road of the park all the way forward. The road signs of the scenic spots are simple and clear. Road conditions are also good.
No. 2: Balanced Rock, it stands only a few hundred meters away from the main road. The two boulders that stand on top of each other maintain a delicate balance. here.
No. 3: Double Arch and North Window & South Window, the first fork on the main road is to the right, two easy walks will lead you to these two arches. Double Arch has a unique beauty, looking up at a corner of the sky under the staggered arches; the north and south window arches are much simpler in contrast, and are more magnificent and magnificent.
No. 4: Delicate Arch (Delicate Arch), the symbol of Arch Park, the most famous and most worth seeing attractions. You can choose the Delicate Arch Viewpoint for a long view, or the Delicate Arch Trail for a close view. The round-trip distance is about 3 miles and takes about 2.5 hours. Be sure to bring enough drinking water (2 per person). liter or more). At the end of the trail, the Linglong Arch suddenly appeared in front of you. The kind of surprise and shock is beyond words. Most tourists will stop here for a long time to appreciate the beauty of the Linglong Arch created by nature.
No. 5: Landscape Arch, the largest and longest arch in the world (88 meters). Located in the Devils Garden area of the park, about a 0.8 mile walk. The Landscape Arch is hidden in the deep mountains, and has a sense of vicissitudes of independence.
- Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is the smallest national park in Utah, located in southwestern Utah, United States. Although its name has the word canyon, it is not a real canyon, but a huge natural amphitheater formed by erosion along the east side of the Ponsa Gaunt Plateau.
4 must-see points for tourists in Canyon Park (as shown in the picture below): No. 1 Sunrise Point (Sunrise Point), No. 2 Sunset Point (Sunset Point), No. 3 Inspiration Point (Inspiration Point) ), Bryce Point, No. 4, stand at the highest point and look at the stone pillars that have been eroded by tens of millions of years of wind and rain on the cliff walls of the canyon. The sword is straight into the sky, and some are like a young girl standing tall, making people have to sigh at the magic of nature. Whether summer or winter, you can find a good angle to take amazing pictures and capture the majesty of nature. For the specific time of sunrise and sunset every day, you can check at the visitor center in the park.
Hiking advice:
- Navajo Loop Trail (marked in purple in the picture above): The total length is 1.3 miles, and the round trip takes about 1.5 hours. This trail is a closed loop, winding in a zigzag shape among the stone forests near the sunset point. It is an excellent way to view the stone forest landscape from the bottom.
- Queen’s Garden Trail (marked in orange on the picture above): 3 miles in length, it can be walked in about 2.5 hours, first overlooking the stone forest from a high place, and then winding all the way to the bottom of the canyon, the scenery from top to bottom is completely different Lots of fun. It is highly recommended to start from Sunrise Point, take a half-circle of the Navajo Loop Trail, and finally return to Sunset Point to form the “Best 3 Mile” Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop (Queen’s Garden & Navajo Loop Trail).
- Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in Utah, in the southwestern United States. It is different from the wilderness beauty of other surrounding national parks. Zion National Park is a beautiful scenery, with gurgling streams and birdsong, as if it is a beautiful gallery composed of nature. One step at a time, never get tired of seeing it.
Hiking advice:
- “Angel’s Landing Trail”: One of the top ten trails in the United States. It is famous for its steepness and can reach the highest point in Zion National Park. Most of the trails are located on the cliff, and hikers need to climb up with the help of iron chains on the cliff, which consumes a lot of physical strength. After conquering this precipitous trail, what awaits you is the magnificent top of the angel, surrounded by majestic red rocks 360 degrees, and the blue and green streams meandering along the mountain, the scenery is full of shock.
- “The Narrows Trail”: Most of the trail needs to be in the water. You can rent waterproof shoes near the visitor center at the entrance of the park. Professionals can go the top-down route, which requires a climbing license. Ordinary tourists can choose the Bottom-up route, which takes 8 hours to go back and forth. The scenery along the road is unparalleled. Between the colorful rock walls and deep valleys, the clear Virgin River roars down with joy, and the banks are lush and green.
Tips for self-driving in the West American Desert National Park
- Each park has a Visitor Center, which is the first place to go after entering the park gate! Detailed information on the park, maps, recommended tour routes, and information on parking spots in the park can be obtained from here. The visitor center also has friendly service staff who can answer your questions. At the same time, you can also buy all kinds of exquisite souvenirs of the park here.
- Be sure to prepare enough water and some snacks in the car. Many places on the road are no-man’s land. If you are thirsty and hungry, you may have to drive for several hours to reach the next supply point. Likewise, be sure to fill up your gas before leaving every day, and don’t take chances and think that there may be a gas station on the side of the road.
- If you go to these national parks in summer, be sure to carry plenty of water in your backpack. In summer, the weather is hot, and the desert is extremely dry, and it is easy to suffer from heat stroke and dehydration.
- The climate in the park is fickle, and the temperature difference between morning and evening is very large. It is recommended to wear a pair of non-slip hiking shoes, as well as a rain and sun protection jacket.
- Since the road is basically an endless desert highway, it will drive very fast inadvertently, but still pay attention to the speed limit! There’s a good chance that uncle cops are hiding on the side of the road, and if they catch you speeding, they might chase you with their lights on. caution! If there is a police car flashing lights behind you, be sure to slow down immediately and pull over to the side of the car. After the car is parked, sit in the car without moving, prepare the relevant documents, put your hands where the police can see, and wait The police come.
- Last point! You can rent a GPS when you rent a car so you don’t get lost. In addition, if you have a calling card with Internet access in the United States, then you must use the Google Map APP! A must-have for self-driving! It can accurately calculate the best route from point to point and the arrival time according to the traffic conditions at that time.
