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After finishing our large (14 Leisure Travel Vans) caravan tour of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in August 2023, we began planning a much smaller scouting tour of the national parks in Arizona and Utah, slated for May 2024. This year’s tour would consist of three Leisure Travel Vans–our Unity FX, a Unity Murphy Bed, and a Serenity. In the planning stage of the trip, we first decided which states we wanted to go to and which national parks in those states we wanted to explore.
The next step in our planning process was deciding on the best route and in what order to visit each park. Our phone apps, Roadtrippers, Campendium, and Allstays, made trip planning a little easier. Roadtrippers made the choice of routes easier. Allstays and Campendium made choosing where to spend each night easier, especially since we knew we would spend several nights during the trip unplugged (boondocking) in the national forest. We also used the app “NPS” (National Parks Service).
We left home in southern Arizona on April 29, giving us a few days to get to Page, Arizona. Although this part of the trip could be done in about 8-10 hours, we prefer to take our time on the road. Page, Arizona, is where we planned to meet with the rest of the people on our scouting tour. The first stop on our National Parks Tour was in Phoenix, Arizona, at Luke Air Force Base Family Campground, about four hours from our home. We like this campground because it’s brand new and very close to our son’s home. The campground is conveniently behind the Base Exchange, and the price per night includes free laundry. The nightly rate for full hookups is $40. However, a military ID card is required to enter.
Our next stop as we continued north through Arizona was Fort Tuthill Recreation Area, a campground connected to Luke Air Force Base. A military ID is required to enter, and the cost is $35 per night.
The next day, we planned to meet with one of the other couples traveling with us on our National Parks Tour, Jim and Linda from California. They travel in a Unity Murphy Bed. We met at a Walmart parking lot in Flagstaff. It was also an excellent place to stock up and continue our trip north to Page, Arizona, where we would meet up with the third couple joining us for this tour, Tai and Jane from Nevada.
National Park Number One: Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a lava flow and testimony to the power of volcanos. This particular volcano is no longer active, a thousand years ago it was a very different situation. This monument tells the story of how this volcano permanently changed the landscape of this area and the lives of the people who lived here at the time of its eruption.
Along the way, we stopped at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, located on Route 89 just north of Flagstaff, Arizona. The views of the mountains are spectacular, and the remains of the volcanic activity in the area remind us of Big Island, Hawaii.
On May 1, we met up with Tai and Jane, the third couple on our tour, who travel in a Serenity, at Wahweap Campground in Page. We were able to get three campsites right next to each other with no hookups for half the price of full-service sites, normally $60 per night. Wahweap will be the official beginning of the National Parks Tour.
Wahweap Campground, Page, AZ. From the front: Jim and Linda’s Unity Murphy Bed, Middle: Our Unity FX, Last: Tai and Jane’s Serenity.
On this tour, we plan to visit eleven national parks and monuments in Arizona and Utah, which would take 23 days/nights. However, by the time we finish this trip, we will visit fifteen parks and Colorado. The first part of this four-part travel story will include five of the parks we visited, including Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
National Park Number Two: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area covers an area of 1.25 million acres in Utah and Arizona. Created by the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, Lake Powell is the center of the attraction here at this park. Everything from boat rentals and boat tours to back-country hiking is available. One thing is certain: the views of the geologic wonders are breathtaking.
We took a boat tour of the southern end of Lake Powell, situated on the Arizona side of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. This boat tour takes about three hours.
National Park Number Three: Horseshoe Bend National Monument
Horseshoe Bend is not considered a national monument. It’s part of the Navajo Reservation and managed by the Navajo. The Colorado river created this iconic geologic phenomenon. It’s also always been on my bucket list as a must-see in person.
National Park Number Four: Monument Valley
Monument Valley is also a place that is not a national park. It’s situated on the Navajo Reservation. It is maintained and managed by the Navajo.
We parked for the night on a horse ranch on the Navajo Reservation called Mustang Valley Campground, with a perfect view of Monument Valley. (Dry camping costs $25 per night for each of us.)
The woman who owned the property was amiable, stopping by our coach to visit and share some information about the area. Initially, we had planned to be plugged in with water and electricity. However, when we arrived at that location, the services promised to us were unacceptable. Fortunately, we ensured our fresh water tanks were full, and black/gray water tanks were empty before leaving the last location.
We continued northeast on Route 261 through the Navajo Reservation to the Four Corners Monument. This is a very scenic drive, and we recommend adding it to your bucket list.
National Park Number Five: Four Corners Monument
We had actually planned on going south from Monument Valley to Canyon de Chelly National Monument but decided to continue northeast to the Four Corners Monument instead. We will have to save Canyon de Chelly for another time.
There has been some confusion over the exact location of the Four Corners Monument in the past, but we think they have it right now. Four corners is where the corners of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado meet. It’s a unique place where you can have your feet in four states at the same time. People line up to get their picture taken while standing at the Four Corners Monument.
We continued northeast to Cortez, Colorado, and hunkered down at Cortez RV Resort by Rjourney. The weather was bad, with high winds, snow, and freezing temperatures. This late winter storm would last several days.
Next, in part two of the National Parks Tour, we will explore Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado; Hovenweep National Monument, Utah; Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah; and Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.
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