Grand Canyon: Day Trips

Bryce Canyon National Park Not unlike a mini Grand Canyon, Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park is a maze of mesmerizing slot canyons, natural arches, and the famous limestone “hoodoos” rocks. 435-834-5322; www.nps.gov/brca
family | national park | outdoors

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park You’ll recognize the landscape from films like Stagecoach and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Located on Navajo land, the park has only one road. Guided tours are available. 200 miles northeast of Grand Canyon Village; 435-727-3218; www.navajonationparks.org
culture | outdoors | adventure

Sunset Crater National Monument Between 1040 and 1100 A.D., a mountain in the San Francisco range exploded, forming this crater. Hiking trails surround the 1,000-foot peak, and several shaded picnic areas provide respite. 95 miles southeast of Grand Canyon Village; 928-526-0502; www.nps.gov/sucr
hiking | outdoors | adventure

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument This remote, 294,000-acre monument includes the Paria Plateau and Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness – a camper's delight, as it has seen almost no development and little visitation. 135 miles north of Grand Canyon Village; 435-688-3200; www.blm.gov/az/vermilion/vermilion
hiking | outdoors | camping

Wupatki National Monument Four cultures – the Hohokam, Sinauga, Cohonia, and Anasazi – overlapped at these 800-year-old castle-like ruins. Reconstructions demonstrate what daily life here might have been like. 95 miles southeast of Grand Canyon Village; 928-679-2365; www.nps.gov/wupa
family | culture | outdoors | history

Zion National Park Over 10,000 years ago, Zion was home to pueblo-dwelling Native Americans. Today, hikers appreciate the beautiful topography, waterfalls, and natural arches of Utah’s first national park. 254 miles northwest of Grand Canyon Village, Zion National Park; 435-772-3256; www.nps.gov/zion
family | national park | outdoors