Southwest U.S.A. National Parks

20 days across all the best southwest USA parks on the road

“Have you ever thought of driving around the USA? The American dream! An amazing, adventurous trip by car, where you stop anytime, anywhere. What about if you like photography and like me, plan your trip based on the most scenic spots to take beautiful pictures?

An amazing photography journey through all the best national parks in the southwest of U.S.A.

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Introduction

Hello everyone and thank you so much for reading my blog, hope you find it interesting and helpful.

My trip was based on 20 days holiday (or vacation as Americans say), moving roughly every 3 days (depends on the location), across all the best cities and National Parks in the southwest USA. Of course, it was a bit stressful but definitely, it was worth it. I gonna describe my experience so you can take advice to plan your American trip, moreover, this blog is based on photography so all my advice will ease your life as a photographer there, for example, what to take with you in the Antelope Canyon, how to take a beautiful picture of the Golden Gate bridge e so on.

You can see a complete and very accurate map of the American southwest national parks clicking on the link below: South west American parks map

Before we start a few advices…

We tried to book and rent everything in advance in order to avoid the queue and get the spot, some places are very busy and you have to book well in advance;

When you pick up the car you rented, take some pictures inside and outside so when you return it no one can claim any damage you didn’t cause, make sure to understand what is the deal with the petrol when you return the car, do you have to return full tank? Do they do it for you? What does your car insurance cover? How many people can drive a car?

We didn’t rent sat navigator or use our sim card to call, we simply bought an American sim card with 50 Gb data and used google map to move around all the time, it worked very well and it was very accurate, also we used “Whatsup” to text and call home.

For European tourists it is easy and quick to get a touristic VISA, is cheap and everything is done online in one day, just google ESTA USA touristic VISA and you can apply online (link ->) VISA application website

It is not expensive (around 20 American dollars per person), and remember to print the certificate they send you by mail, you will need it before you board the plane at your local airport. 

It is not expensive (around 20 American dollars per person), and remember to print the certificate they send you by mail, you will need it before you board the plane at your local airport.

Day 1: San Francisco

San Francisco is a beautiful city in California and even if you are not into big cities it is worth visiting, moreover if you, like me, love photography you can take beautiful pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, Lombard street, etc…

Public transports are ok but for the whole trip to the USA I highly recommend you rent a car online when you plan your holiday and pick it up at the airport, it gives you the freedom to go anywhere, anytime and the petrol (or gas) is very cheap. If you want to take a breathtaking photo you cannot rely on public transport… When you are going to plan your holiday I recommend you to go to the Rock, the Alcatraz island. It is now a national park and you can take beautiful pictures inside and outside the prison. You are going to take the ferry from pier 33, the price is around $45 pp, anyway, you can find all the info at the official website Alcatraz tickets. Try to book a ticket for the first trip, around 9 am, so you can avoid the mid hours where the light is too strong and shadows too hard and the prison is not overcrowded. You are going to need a wide-angle lens (better if very fast for the indoor pictures) and a telephoto, a plus would be a tripod and ND filter for the outdoor pictures if you get a part cloudy day. Alcatraz is busy all the time so it is going to be difficult to use the tripod inside the area of the cells. It is a really nice place to visit with a lot of history, so peaceful and away from the noise and chaos of city life.

Alcatraz island, view from the ferry

Back on the mainland, you can have lunch at Pier 39 located in Fisherman’s wharf. There are many shops and restaurants for all tastes… The area itself is vibrant, colorful, full of life, and offers many opportunities for nice pictures.

After lunch you can take some pictures of the sea lions peacefully resting at the end of the pier, posing for tourists with their big cameras (you are going to need a telephoto lens), and for the pier itself a wide-angle lens. Afterward, you can go to Lombard street, to be honest, it was quite difficult to take a good picture here due to the crowd and traffic, also it was very sunny so I wasn’t very happy with my pictures, but the place is worth seeing. You can finish your day at the Golden Gate Bridge to take pictures of the sunset with the bridge in the background. At the Golden Gate bridge, you can stop at the viewpoint or go down the bay to take pictures from the classic point of view.

Day 2: Mission District

The day after I advise you to go to the mission district, the art district of San Francisco, where you can take some beautiful photos of graffiti. When taking graffiti pictures you have to shoot multiple pictures to include the whole length of it, so think at post-production, try to include part of the street and the sky because you are going to lose something when you merge all the photos in Photoshop (or any other editing software). Try to look for an interesting angle, don’t always take pictures of the whole graffiti, a portion of it can also be very interesting. Once in the mission district stop at tapas restaurant for lunch, you are not going to regret it, they serve the best tapas in the world.

Carlos Santana graffiti mission district

San Francisco is a big city so it’s your call how long you gonna stay, anyway, I think 3-4 days would be enough. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that much time but I recommend you to see Golden Gate Park, Oakland and Dolores Park.

If you have some spare days or if you planned to stay longer and most important if you love wine, consider a tour to the famous wine yard outside San Francisco, and remember don’t drink too much if you are going to drive 🙂

San Francisco – Yosemite Park 3h 11 min (167,3 mi) via I-580 E and CA-120 E

Day 4: Yosemite National Park

Yosemite national park is the main reason I visited the USA, it is absolutely beautiful, every spot is a great picture, you can shoot landscape, wildlife, astrophotography, play with ND filters while shooting waterfalls and rivers. Bear in mind is a national park, you have to walk a lot, so choose carefully which gear you want to carry with you. I would spend 2 days in the valley where you can walk to the mirror lake, waterfalls and take some iconic pictures of the El Captain and Half Dome. The nighttime is great for astrophotography, you are going to need a remote controller, tripod and a wide, fast lens (I used a Sigma 24mm 1.8 Art), a torch. No light pollution also means pitch black, a torch is going to help you find and set up equipment, moreover to come back home and to look around and find something to do…

Yosemite valley glacier point landscape

Outside the Valley, you can drive to Glacier point to watch a spectacular sunset, unless you want to hike for 12 hours… Bear in mind during the busy season (June, July, August) some streets are closed but there is a replacement bus service (free), just be prepared, it is going to be very busy and you are not going to be the only photographer… 

Yosemite National Park Key Advices

Book the hotel inside park or as close possible at least 6 months in advance.

This is a crucial point which is going to heavily affect your experience, you want to stay as close as possible to the park in order to:

1. Flexibility. Wake up early and catch sunrise;
2. Don’t drive in and out the park, it takes time and after the whole day going around you are going to be very tired and don’t want to drive a lot to reach your hotel, it’s a waste of time and dangerous (I almost fell asleep while driving) . Unfortunately I made this mistake and if I could I would come back in time, spend $300 more and stay in a hotel inside the park;
3. Time wasting. Have a designated parking spot (during peak time parking gets full very early and very quickly) you don’t want to waste time going around looking for it;
4. Save energy. Have a rest during the peak time, too many people around, too hot and the light is not the best for photography. If you are not really into photography, use these hours of the day to rest along the river, pic nic with your family or in general relax;
5. Night photography – Astrophotography, stay up for the night a take some astonishing pictures of El Captain and Half Dome with a spectacular sky full of stars;

Any hotel inside or nearby the park is significantly more expensive but the alternative is to drive every day 2/3 hours to go to the park and then back home… not the best.

Watch this video you will understand how beautiful is Yosemite National park

Yosemite National Park official video, Youtube video.

Yosemite Park to Bishop 1h 30 min (75.8 miles) via US 395S

We left the park quite late after the sunset so we chose to stay in a nice town just outside the park, Bishop. After walking the whole day we thought it was a good idea to drive as little as possible. The city is quiet and nice. We had dinner then drinks and a pool game (my girlfriend destroyed me) in a nice bar close to the motel where we found really nice and friendly people. Chat and laugh the whole evening before heading back to the motel.

Bishop to Las Vegas 4 h 21 min (266 miles) via US-95 S

The journey between Bishop and Las Vegas is mainly in the desert, there are some interesting spots to stop for a picture, plus you will have plenty of time being almost alone. Have a look at the street sign, I noticed most of them have bullets holes…

Monument Valley desert street

Day 7: Las Vegas

Las Vegas is an amusement park for adults… Photography wise during the night offers great opportunities for city skyline photography, long exposure, and lights trails, obviously, you will need a tripod and a shutter release (or delay the shoot by 2 sec). Find some high spots where you can take amazing photos, for example, the Stratosphere hotel is a good option, anyway, even those bridges to cross the street are good spots to catch the cars' light trails and create beautiful pictures. 

Las Vegas to Page 5h (275 miles) via I-15 N and US-89 S

This is the only motel I will mention, just because is in a great, convenient location and cheap: Motel 6 Page. Address: 637 South Lake Powell Boulevard, Page, AZ 86040, USA

Phone: +1 928 645 5888

Laundry facilities are available on site. Free parking is provided. WiFi. No breakfast

Day 10: Page, The Antelope Canyon

Page is a city in Coconino County, Arizona United States, near the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell.  Page was founded in 1957 as a housing community for workers and their families during the construction of the nearby Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River.

Antelope canyon rainbow effect

The Antelope Canyon is part of the Navajo’s natural reserve and considered by the native Americans a sacred and holy place. If you want to visit it you must book it through one of the online Navajo websites. There are many options but my experience was great and Nick, our guide, has been very helpful and kind, so I feel to recommend his services. 

Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tour.

Navajo canyon tour   Phone:(928)380-1874 Email: aacptreserve@gmail.com

As always book your tour in advance as the Antelope Canyon gets really busy during the high season. Each website offers different packages but essentially you can choose between a normal tour and a photography tour. The difference is that on the normal tour you can’t use the tripod and you are surrounded by people (depends on the period, winter is less crowded), so it is very difficult to get a clear shot.

In the photography tour you can bring a tripod, which is crucial in order to expose correctly the pictures without pushing too much on the ISO, (is quite dark but it is beautiful to play with shadows, light rays, and colors) and also your guide will hold all the other people in different sections of the canyon, so in each one, you will have roughly 3-4 minutes to shot almost alone, your guide will give you tips for composition and settings. 

Antelope Canyon hourglass effect

There are some rules you have to respect, remember is a sacred place, so respect them if you don’t want to be kicked out:

• no backpack (any tour), so choose your gear prior start the tour. My advice is to pick a fast wide angle lens (min f2.8). Don’t take any other lens with you as the canyon is very dusty (look after your camera sensor…), and you have limited amount of time, so don’t wast it changing lens. Take a cleaning lens kit (just brush and air blower) as your front lens will get dusty;
• no water, spill water in the canyon is offensive and can cause the canyon to shut;
• no toilet, so do your stuff before you enter, don’t even think to do it there…
• no children;
• you have to stay with your guide all the time, you can’t go around on your own;

It is a beautiful experience and a dreamy place for photographers, I highly recommend you to go for it and book the photography tour. It’s such a fascinating place where your creativity can produce amazing pictures, you can play with light rays, rocks shapes, sand, I advise you to look for some pictures online and have an idea of what to do, unfortunately, you have a limited amount of time. 

The Lake Powell

Lake Powell cruise in the afternoon

Lake Powell is located at the border between Utah and Arizona, is a cool place to visit for a few hours cruise. When you book the cruise you can choose between a short trip and a longer trip which includes an excursion to the Rainbow Bridge national monument. On the boat, you will need a telephoto lens with a polariser filter, when you go for the excursion a wide-angle lens would be better. Here is the link to the official web page for the Lake Powell cruise: Lake Powel official website

Lake Powel cruise

If you have some spare time you can spend the day there and wait for the sunset, it is really easy to reach and has a small restaurant in case you get hungry.

Powell Dam is on the Colorado River in northern Arizona. It is worth a visit, with nice views and a really interesting tour inside the dam, I wouldn’t spend too long in there but it is a really nice place to visit once you are around.

Powel dam

The Horseshoe bend is one of the most scenic views in the USA. Still, in Page the Horseshoe bend is very close to the hotel I stayed and in general, it’s a few minutes away from the town. It is accessible via hiking from a park area just off the main street. If you can, try to go for the sunset, is a breath-taking view. In this place, I would recommend you to bring a tripod, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens. You can go around and take pictures from different angles and different subjects but for the sunset, I would definitely suggest you use HDR, take multiple shots in order to capture all details, the light conditions are very difficult and HDR is the only way to get a correctly exposed picture.

Horseshoebend website

Before you leave Page bear in mind that some of the tours for the Grand Canyon start from here, so plan your journey carefully.

Day 11 Page to Monument Valley 2 hours via AZ-98 E and US-160 E (122 miles)

Day 11: Monument valley

Monument Valley (valley of the rocks) is located on the border between Arizona and Utah within the Navajo reserve. It’s been a location for many American western movies, so you will probably recognize some spots. Once you reach the visitor centre you have to sign a register, so in case you get lost they come to rescue you… Bear in mind in the summertime it gets really hot, so don’t forget a bottle of water. From the visitor centre you can take an astonishing picture of the whole valley and I suggest you to stay after the sunset to take some pictures during the nighttime, the sky full of stars is a show!!! In this case, a tripod and a fast wide lens with remote control are a must.

During the day you can drive around the valley but you need a 4×4 car because the ground is quite irregular and a normal car will get stuck or worst damaged. Being able to drive through the valley allows you to carry more gear, so take everything with you because you will have the opportunity to take amazing pictures.

Monument Valley sunset

Day 12: Grand Canyon

Kayenta to Grand Canyon 2 hours 50 min via AZ-64 E/Desert View Dr and US-160 E

For the Grand Canyon same recommendations as for the Monument Valley, beautiful experience, but this time going through the canyon is not easy as in Monument valley, you gonna watch it from the rim and walk alongside a pathway, pretty long and busy, take water and don’t overload your backpack, there is a lot to walk… I would say you gonna need a wide-angle lens for panorama pictures and a telephoto lens to catch some details of the canyon, if you stay after the sunset don’t forget a tripod and remote control for some astrophotography. We stayed in Williams a beautiful town, very picturesque crossed by the famous Route 66. The journey from Williams to the Grand Canyon is roughly 30 minutes, so very convenient location.

Grand canyon landscape panorama

Williams reminded me a lot of Bishop in California, it’s a really cozy town where everything is about Route 66 and the Grand Canyon. People are very nice and I felt very safe. Unfortunately, I stayed here just over a day, but if I could I would have stayed more, especially because the Grand Canyon takes more than one day to be fully appreciated. But let’s put it this way, it’s an extra good reason to come back…

Day 14: Los Angeles

Grand Canyon to Los Angeles

Los Angeles was the final stop of this amazing journey. We stayed some extra days because the city deserves it… Here in LA, you gonna have plenty of options for photography, is a great city with endless photogenic spots. Do your research and select what you want to see, a year would not be enough to see everything so prioritize, but if you need inspiration keep reading and have a look at my must-see list in Los Angeles!

Must see in Los Angeles

1 – The Griffith Observatory. As the official website states: “Southern California’s gateway to the cosmos”. I have seen it in movies, TV series, documentaries and now I have seen it myself. Griffith Observatory official website

Weekdays (Tuesday – Friday): Open 12:00 noon – 10:00 p.m.

Weekends (Saturday – Sunday): Open 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Mondays Closed

Even if you are not into science and you don’t want to visit the observatory I strongly advise you to pay a visit. The view is breathtaking, the whole city is at your feet, you can watch the sunset (if you find a spot, it gets really busy and not just tourists), and potentially you can spend the whole day here, you can visit the Observatory in the morning, have a picnic in the park and then walk to the Hollywood sign, watch the sunset there or come back to the observatory. There is a car park around but it gets very busy and after a certain hour, it is difficult to find a spot. There is a bus to the observatory but we preferred to call an Uber.

The Observatory offers a planetarium, exhibits, public telescopes, cafe, bookstore, and the admission is free except for Samuel Oschin Planetarium ($7 for adults). Once inside, you can look through telescopes, explore exhibits that are very engaging even if you are not a genius… I could write a whole article just about the observatory, writing about the movies shot in there, the history, the beauty of the building itself, exhibits, science and so on but you can find all this information online, or on the Griffith Observatory official website.

Photography wise I would recommend you to take a tripod, a flash, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto, a bit of everything, the views are beautiful and you gonna spend a lot of time taking pictures, the flash will be very useful to take portrait once the sunset starts, and after why not.

2 – Hollywood sign. Since 1923 the Hollywood sign has become a city icon, every year thousands of people hike on Hollywood Hill to reach this city landmark, for curiosity or to admire the view that it offers. There are 3 trails to the Hollywood sign: MT Hollywood trail (Easy);

• MT Hollywood trail (Easy);
• Brush Canyon trail (Medium);
• Cahuenga Peak trail (Hard);

You can find more information on the official website (link below) under the section “Seeing the sign/Hiking the sign/

We reached the sign starting from the Griffith Observatory due to lack of time. We combined the two activities on the same day. Ideally, you want to reach the sign from a different starting point, in-fact if you start, like us, from the Observatory you are going to end up at the back of the sign. There is a better trail where you park the car down the hill and hike for roughly 30 minutes, it’s a bit tough but it offers a better view.

If you decide to combine Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign and you want to use public transport here is the link for the Bus Company:

Bus to the Griffith Observatory

3 – Warner Bros Studios. I am a big movie fan and Warner Bros for me means Friends. I loved that sitcom, I watched it many times and I loved all its characters. I visited the Studios because I wanted to see the locations where it was filmed, seat in the Central Perk Cafe, feel part of something that made happy and laugh so many times.  Honestly, this is the main reason why I booked this tour. When they took us to the Central Perk Cafe they shot a sequence of a Friends episode and they used the crowd as actors, I played Ross… It was very funny, I loved it, I also realized that I can’t be an actor, I didn’t feel natural reading the lines, but I had fun anyway. Obviously, there are many more attractions for all tastes and it was very interesting to find out some of the film maker’s secrets, wonder around fake buildings and go inside houses that, only later I realized were the scenes of famous movies and sitcoms that I didn't recognize straightaway.

We bought the tickets online while we were in Los Angeles, but just to be sure I recommend you to buy yours online in advance. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit the Universal Studios as well, but if you plan it well I think you can do both on the same day, half-day into the Warner Studios was enough to see everything (we started in the early morning with the first admission).

You can take your camera with you, it is allowed to use it, just don’t overload your backpack, a 24-70mm or 35-150mm with a flash will cover all your needs. Don’t take the tripod you won’t be able to use it. Just enjoy the day and take some beautiful pictures to remember the day.

4 – Staples Centre. When I thought about going to Los Angeles first things that came into my mind were Warner Bros Studio, Friends, Santa Monica, and many other things, but my girlfriend’s first thought was the Staples Centre. She loves basketball and after this experience, I have to say, so do I. The whole experience was amazing, it’s not just the match itself, the shows among the match breaks, the building itself, the people, the atmosphere, the surrounding area, I absolutely loved it, I will never thank my girlfriend enough for taking me there. If you manage to find a ticket (buy it online well in advance), go for it, even if you are not a big basketball fan.

Photography wise, big professional cameras are not allowed into the building, moreover, you have to leave your backpack at the entrance, also to be able to photograph players you will need a big telephoto lens and even if you only take the camera with one lens I don’t know if they will let you use it, I didn't risk it, I left my camera at home and enjoyed the show. You can always come back the day after to take some pictures outside the Staples, the area is vibrant and there are a lot of statues of famous former Lakers players and more…

Staple Centre official website

5 – Santa Monica beach and Pier. The Santa Monica Pier is a large pier located at Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica. It contains a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel, areas for views and fishing, aquarium, restaurants, pubs, arcade video games, and a lot more. The area is very vibrant and busy, being able to find a car park wasn’t easy if you can use Uber for a stress-free experience. After the whole holiday wonder around deserts, national parks, casinos, and highways, we finally took a day off on the beach to relax and enjoy the sun of California. In the afternoon we moved to the Pier, walking among street artists, shops and tourists when we suddenly passed by a hot dog kiosk and I realized that during the whole holiday I didn’t have a simple, pure and original American hot dog… done! A nice walk on the Pier and afterward along the beach and it was already sunset time, beautiful.

Photography-wise, according to your plan you can split the experience into 2 days, the first enjoy the area, the second take pictures. Honestly, I wanted to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean without worrying about my backpack being left unattended on the beach. The area is worth a day taking pictures, the opportunities are endless, street photography, landscape, the portrait you name it. A simple piece of advice, travel light, take one lens and the flash, that’s it.

Santa Monica pier website

6 – Walk of fame. I always thought that this was something I would never have been interested in, but you know what, I was in LA, I couldn’t miss a walk in Hollywood. The fuzzy area and the hundreds of street artists impersonating the stars made the walk much more interesting. Yes, it’s nice to read the name on the stars but after a while, you get bored of starring the pavement… Along the street, there are a lot of famous buildings, including the Chinese theatre and the Dolby Theatre where Oscar’s ceremony is hosted, and yes you can buy yourself a ticket, visit it and take a picture with the Oscar! It was nice and I would do it again but it’s just a relaxing nice walk.

We have reached the last day in Los Angeles and I felt like I just arrived. The city has so much to offer that you should have a whole year available to do everything properly, unfortunately, I had 5 days… So here is my list of things to see next time I am going to visit the city of angels:

• The Getty Center
• The Universal Studios
• The Petersen Automotive Museum
• The Broad Museum
• The Walt Disney Concert Hall
• The Dodger Stadium
• The National History Museum
• The Forever Cemetery

And of course next time I gonna watch a baseball and football game!!!

Conclusions: The end of my journey

This was my first time in the USA and I must say I absolutely loved it, every bit of it, everything I saw, everyone I met, every single mile I drove, every meal I had. It’s a unique experience that any European should live. I started to miss it the moment I boarded the plane and while flying I was already thinking what to see next time I would have come back. The USA is a great country so different in terms of lifestyle and habits that we are used to, somehow is a different world where everything is bigger, the cars, the streets, the shops, and the meals… I am looking forward to coming back, there is so much to see.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience and you found it useful my advice, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me, let me know if you liked it, share your experience with, let me know if I should have mentioned something regarding any aspect of the journey, any criticism is welcome… Thank you very much and enjoy the USA!!!!

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