Desert Southwest National Parks
Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas, United States
About this quest
Red rock, slot canyons, and high desert: the national parks of the American Southwest, from the Grand Canyon and Zion to the white gypsum dunes of New Mexico. Built for cooler-season travel.
Quick facts
- parks
- 12located
- shape
- passport
- total distance
- not yet measured
- best season
- Spring, Fall, Winter
- days
- not yet measured
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Map and places
Choose a place. Visit in any order.
- PlaceBig Bend National Park, Texas, United States
Location not mapped
- PlacePetrified Forest National Park, Arizona, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceSaguaro National Park, Arizona, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceWhite Sands National Park, New Mexico, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceZion National Park, Utah, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceGuadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceCanyonlands National Park Visitor Center, Moab, Utah 84532, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceGrand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceCarlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceCapitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceBryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Location not mapped
- PlaceArches National Park, Utah, United States
Location not mapped
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12 places are not mapped yet: Big Bend National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park, White Sands National Park, Zion National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park.
Overview
This collection brings together the national parks of the desert Southwest across Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and west Texas. It includes the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau, the dunes of White Sands, and the caves of Carlsbad and Guadalupe.
why it matters
The Southwest parks are clustered tightly enough to chain together, especially the Utah parks, and they share a season. Summer heat makes many of them punishing, so a grouping that signals spring, fall, and winter as the right windows is genuinely useful for planning.
Who it is for
It is for travelers who want a canyon-and-desert focused project, and for anyone planning the classic Utah loop and wanting to extend it into Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Desert Southwest National Parks: common questions
When is the best time to do Desert Southwest National Parks?
The best season for Desert Southwest National Parks is Spring, Fall, Winter.
How many checkpoints does Desert Southwest National Parks have?
Desert Southwest National Parks has 12 checkpoints to log on the way to finishing it.
Plan your journey.
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