Patrick Heneise· @patrickheneise.com· Posted Aug 2026

West Coast Adventure

A 21-stop road trip: Boulder · Round trip. Planned with Roadbook.

  • 21 stops
  • ~3,792 mi
  • ~3d 4h drive
  • 2 nights
  • 7 national parks
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The route

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The itinerary

21 stops on this route.

  1. 1

    Boulder

    City / TownRound trip · start & end

    CO

    A college town at the foot of the Flatirons, where the Rockies meet the plains and trailheads start at the edge of downtown. Walk Pearl Street's pedestrian mall, hike Chautauqua Park, or ride the Boulder Creek Path. The mix of students, climbers, and tech keeps the energy high and the coffee strong.

  2. 196 mi· ~3h 57m
  3. 2

    Dinosaur National Monument

    CO

    Deep canyons and the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers define this stretch of high desert. You can walk right up to dinosaur fossils embedded in the rock walls or track the history of local outlaws and Indigenous petroglyphs along the riverbanks.

  4. 253 mi· ~5h 5m (Long driving day)
  5. 3

    Bonneville Salt Flats State Park

    State Park

    UT

    A state park in Utah.

  6. 135 mi· ~2h 43m
  7. 4

    Great Basin National Park

    National Park

    NV

    Wheeler Peak rises sharply out of the sagebrush desert, offering high-altitude hiking and ancient bristlecone pine groves. You can spend your days wandering through limestone caves or watching the stars from some of the darkest skies in the country.

  8. 303 mi· ~6h 5m (Long driving day)
  9. 5

    Lake Tahoe State Park

    State Park

    NV

    Lake Tahoe State Park in Nevada is a state recreation area.

  10. 285 mi· ~5h 44m (Long driving day)
  11. 6

    Crater Lake National Park

    National Park

    OR

    Deep blue water fills this massive volcanic caldera left behind by the collapse of Mount Mazama. You can drive the rim road to catch views of the depth and clarity that only rain and snow provide.

  12. 182 mi· ~3h 40m
  13. 7

    Multnomah Falls

    OR

    Two massive tiers of water drop 620 feet down basalt cliffs along the Columbia River Gorge. You can walk across the old Multnomah Creek Bridge to get a close look at the spray.

  14. 171 mi· ~3h 26m
  15. 8

    Olympic National Park

    National Park

    WA

    You can drive from glacier-capped peaks and wildflower meadows straight down into old-growth temperate rainforests. The peninsula also features seventy miles of wild Pacific coastline that's perfect for anyone looking to trade mountain trails for sea stacks.

  16. 161 mi· ~3h 14m
  17. 9

    Tillamook Cheese Factory

    City / Town

    Oregon

    Stop by the Tillamook Creamery off Highway 101 to see how they turn local milk into cheddar and ice cream. It is a solid pit stop for grabbing fresh dairy snacks before you head further down the coast.

  18. 348 mi· ~7h 1m (Very long driving day)
  19. 10

    Avenue of the Giants

    CA

    This stretch of State Route 254 winds through massive coast redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. It follows an old alignment of US 101, offering a slower drive through the thickest part of the forest.

  20. 92 mi· ~1h 51m
  21. 11

    Elk

    City / Town

    CA

  22. 89 mi· ~1h 47m
  23. 12

    Sonoma State Historic Park

    State Park

    CA

    Sonoma State Historic Park in downtown Sonoma preserves six historical sites including Mission San Francisco Solano, the Sonoma Barracks, and period buildings that trace the town's Spanish and American frontier heritage.

  24. 145 mi· ~2h 55m
  25. 13

    Big Sur

    City / Town

    CA

    The Santa Lucia Mountains drop straight into the Pacific here, creating a narrow strip of highway carved between redwood forests and steep cliffs. You will find plenty of hiking trails and coastal views, but expect tight roads and very limited parking once you hit the coast.

  26. 165 mi· ~3h 19m
  27. 14

    Yosemite National Park

    National Park

    CA

    Granite cliffs and massive waterfalls define this stretch of the Sierra Nevada. You can spend your days hiking through giant sequoia groves or driving up into the high wilderness to find quiet alpine lakes.

  28. 163 mi· ~3h 17m
  29. 15

    Death Valley National Park

    National Park

    CA,NV

    You will find massive salt flats and deep basins sitting well below sea level across the California and Nevada border. It is a land of extreme temperature swings where you can catch wildflower blooms after a rare rain or find shade near a desert oasis.

  30. 155 mi· ~3h 7m
  31. 16

    Giant Rock

    Scenic Viewpoint

    CA

    You will find a massive, 5,800-square-foot boulder sitting alone in the middle of the Mojave Desert near Landers. It is a strange, heavy landmark that draws people off the highway to see the largest freestanding rock in North America.

  32. 231 mi· ~4h 39m
  33. 17

    Castle Hot Springs

    City / Town

    AZ

  34. 140 mi· ~2h 49m
  35. 18

    Grand Canyon National Park

    National Park

    AZ

    Deep red rock layers and the winding Colorado River stretch for hundreds of miles across this Arizona landscape. You can hike down to the riverbed or drive along the rim to see the scale of the erosion firsthand.

  36. 149 mi· ~3h
  37. 19

    Petrified Forest National Park

    National Park

    AZ

    You will find massive deposits of colorful petrified wood scattered across red badlands and wide grasslands. It is a great place to pull off the highway to see ancient fossils and walk through old Puebloan sites.

  38. 125 mi· ~2h 31m
  39. 20

    Bisti Badlands

    City / Town

    New Mexico

    You will find miles of steeply eroded badlands and strange rock formations scattered across this 45,000-acre stretch of New Mexico desert. It is a desolate landscape best navigated on foot if you want to see the odd shapes left behind by erosion.

  40. 305 mi· ~6h 8m (Long driving day)
  41. 21

    Boulder

    City / TownRound trip · start & end

    CO

    A college town at the foot of the Flatirons, where the Rockies meet the plains and trailheads start at the edge of downtown. Walk Pearl Street's pedestrian mall, hike Chautauqua Park, or ride the Boulder Creek Path. The mix of students, climbers, and tech keeps the energy high and the coffee strong.

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