Itinerary Feedback Needed
I'm not sure where to post this bec it covers some areas outside of the CA desert but I figure this is as good as any. I would love feedback on the itinerary that AI created when I asked it to build an 18 day trip to include DVNP, Mohave NP, JTNP, Anza Borrego Desert SP, Palm Springs, Alabama Hills, and a couple of UT state parks east of LV. We are hikers who love nature, art, gardens, culture. We will have a car. There are a lot of diff overnights - not sure if any can be combined. Maybe leave some places out - like Alabama Hills, ABDSP, or the Utah parks? Is this too ambitious? All feedback welcome. Thx!
Date Route / Drive Overnight
Feb 24 Arrive Las Vegas Las Vegas
Feb 25 Las Vegas → Mojave National Preserve (120 mi / 2.5 h) Mojave area (Kelso/Nipton)
Feb 26 Mojave → Joshua Tree NP (115 mi / 2.5 h) Joshua Tree / Twentynine Palms
Feb 27 Joshua Tree NP Joshua Tree
Feb 28 JT → Anza-Borrego Desert SP (80 mi / 2 h) Borrego Springs
March 1 Anza-Borrego SP Borrego Springs
March 2 Anza-Borrego → Palm Springs (85 mi / 2 h) Palm Springs
March 3 Palm Springs Palm Springs
March 4 Palm Springs → Alabama Hills (Lone Pine) (250 mi / 5 h) Lone Pine
March 5 Alabama Hills Lone Pine
March 6 Lone Pine → Death Valley NP (120 mi / 3 h) Furnace Creek
March 7 Death Valley NP Furnace Creek
March 8 Death Valley → Red Rock Canyon SP (CA) (120 mi / 2.5 h) Ridgecrest / near RRC
March 9 Red Rock Canyon SP → Valley of Fire SP (240 mi / 4 h) Overton / Valley of Fire
March 10 Valley of Fire → Snow Canyon SP (UT) (150 mi / 2.5 h) St. George
March 11 Snow Canyon SP St. George
March 12 Snow Canyon → Las Vegas (120 mi / 2 h) Las Vegas
March 13 Depart Las Vegas –
Your 18-day itinerary covering the California desert parks, Palm Springs, Alabama Hills, and a few Utah state parks is ambitious but certainly doable if you enjoy a full pace of exploration. You’ve structured the trip with reasonable driving distances, which is key when visiting multiple desert and park areas. Here’s some detailed feedback on pacing, overnight stays, and potential adjustments.
Overall Impressions:
- The itinerary balances nature, hiking, and some cultural stops. Each park has at least one full day, which is good for seeing highlights without feeling too rushed.
- Some of the driving days are longer (e.g., Palm Springs → Alabama Hills at 5 hours). This is manageable but might be tiring, especially after multiple days of hiking.
- Multiple consecutive nights in towns like Borrego Springs and Palm Springs are a good choice to reduce packing/unpacking and allow for exploration at a slower pace.
Potential Adjustments / Considerations:
- Alabama Hills: This is beautiful, especially for photography and short hikes, but if your priority is hiking and parks, you could skip it to reduce driving and add a longer stay in Death Valley or Palm Springs.
- Anza-Borrego Desert SP: Two nights here is reasonable if you want to explore multiple trails and the desert landscape. If time is tight, one night could suffice, but you’d miss some of the farther trailheads.
- Utah Parks: Snow Canyon SP is manageable, but traveling to multiple Utah parks could make the itinerary tight. Consider limiting Utah stops to just one or two if you want a more relaxed pace.
- Red Rock Canyon & Valley of Fire: These are both close to Las Vegas and could potentially be combined with the return to Las Vegas to reduce overnights. For example, stay one night near Valley of Fire or return directly to Las Vegas after visiting Red Rock.
- Pace Consideration: You’ve included some back-to-back driving days. If you prefer a slower trip, you might combine or skip one location, such as replacing Ridgecrest/RRC with a direct drive to Valley of Fire.
Suggestions for Streamlining / Enhancing:
- Combine Red Rock Canyon SP and Valley of Fire SP into a single Las Vegas-area overnight to reduce hotel changes.
- Consider skipping Alabama Hills if photography is not a top priority; this will shorten the long driving day to Death Valley.
- Use Palm Springs as a rest day after Anza-Borrego before tackling the longer drive to Lone Pine / Alabama Hills.
- Ensure you check desert park conditions for February/March—some trails in Death Valley or Mojave can be colder or sandy, so prepare for flexible timing.
- For hiking enjoyment, prioritize at least one full day in each major park (Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Anza-Borrego) to allow for short and moderate trails without rushing.
In summary, your itinerary is exciting and feasible for active travelers who enjoy driving and hiking. Slight adjustments—such as combining nearby overnights, reducing very long drives, or skipping one lower-priority location—could make the trip feel less rushed and more enjoyable, especially with varied hiking and sightseeing interests.
