How to Use This Guide

How to Use This Guide

This guide is designed to take the guesswork out of planning your Southwest trip — including destinations across Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Western Colorado, with a strong focus on Southern Utah.

Inside, you’ll find clickable entries for my favorite hikes, overlooks, scenic drives, parks, restaurants, and more — all organized so you can easily build out your days without spending hours researching where to go next.

You can navigate the guide in a way that works best for you — search by keyword, map location, or specific trail/spot name to quickly find exactly what you’re looking for. You can also save your favorite spots and filter by tags or regions to start building your itinerary.

Each section includes travel tips to help you prepare ahead of time — from water needs and road conditions to packing lists, navigation and timing. Don’t skip these. They’ll make a big difference in how smoothly your trip goes.

Whether you’re mapping out a full Southwest road trip, focusing on Southern Utah, or adding in surrounding states, you can use this guide to plug and play locations based on your route, time, and interests.

If you’re looking for something more specific, I also offer dedicated guides for Colorado fall colors, non-technical slot canyons in Utah, and Western Colorado specific locations.

What’s Included for Each Hike

Every hike in this guide includes a quick, easy-to-read breakdown so you know exactly what to expect before you go:

STATISTICS AT-A-GLANCE
🥾 HIKE NAME:
🗺️ DISTANCE: (roundtrip)
📈 ELEVATION GAIN:
🚽 RESTROOMS:
🐾 DOG FRIENDLY:
🎟️ PERMIT:
💰 FEE:
🚙 VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS: (2WD vs 4WD)
📍 TRAILHEAD COORDINATES:
🧭 MAP PROVIDED: (Gaia or AllTrails link) - the majority GAIA links are my own personal recordings

Custom Itineraries

If you’re looking for a more personalized plan, I also offer custom itineraries tailored to your timeline, interests, and travel style.

These itineraries include detailed recommendations, route planning, and guidance on permits, timing, and logistics — but all bookings (hotels, permits, tours, etc.) are your responsibility to secure.

If you still want help pulling everything together, I’d love to create a custom itinerary tailored to your trip.