Description

America's Wild West is home to some of the most impressive desert and mountain scenery in the world. The top destinations are the Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion and Arches National Parks, but others are just as amazing. Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Natural Bridges are conveniently located within a stone's throw, by American standards, of their mighty and famous grandfather the Grand Canyon, tucked into a compact region of southern Utah. The parks and monuments detailed in this guide are known locally as part of the 'Grand Circle'. Being geologically interconnected on the Colorado plateau formation, these parks nonetheless exhibit very different characteristics. We have set out the Grand Circle, starting from Las Vegas and heading clockwise through Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde, Natural Bridges, Monument Valley and finally the Grand Canyon. Other national monuments such as Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon, Grand Staircase Escalante and the Glen Canyon/Lake Powell area along the route add to the visual overload.