Page 28 - The Magazine of AAA Ohio – January 2020

Visit 17 sites in the National Park System while driving this loop through western states.
By John T. Garcia
Contact your AAA Ohio Travel Counselor by stopping in your local office, calling 888-222-6446 or clicking on AAA.com.
Ask about Trafalgar’s Best of the Canyonlands Tour.
There are 49 national parks in the continental United States and five of these can be found in Utah.
In this nearly 3,500 mile loop, starting in Las Vegas,
Nevada, you can visit 11 national parks, four national monuments, one national historical park and one national memorial. And along the way, we’ll point out some Destination Detours, interesting distractions on or near your route.
Some of these roads are seasonal and others are susceptible to weather, so check before starting your drive. Your best bet would be to get one of AAA’s famous TripTik Travel Planners, which provides comprehensive driving directions. Our journey begins in Las Vegas, and airline tickets to “The Entertainment Capital of the World” are relatively inexpensive.
You also should consider purchasing a National Parks Service Annual Pass, which you can buy at certain NPS locations or online at nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.
Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah
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Horseback riding, rock climbing and hiking are among the many things offered at Zion. Its vast array of nature will captivate you.
Destination Detour: A Washington, Utah, resident has an 81-foot pole in his yard covered with license plates from all 50 states.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, Utah
Hoodoos (pillars of rock) are found on every continent, but the most significant concentration on earth is at Bryce Canyon.
Capitol Reef National Park, Torrey, Utah
Besides hiking, this treasure filled with cliffs, canyons and domes, also can be explored by vehicle, with much of the park being seen from the road.
Golden Spike National Historical Park, Brigham City, Utah
Visit the location of where the first transcontinental railroad across the United States was completed in 1869 and the Last Spike was placed.
Destination Detours: On your way here, check out the
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