Road Trip from Phoenix to Portland

what a trip

I just got back from an amazing road trip with my friend starting in Phoenix, AZ and ending in Portland, OR. We went to some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen and did so many fun and exciting things along the way. Below you’ll find our itinerary, what we did each day and my recommendations if you decide to go on a similar trip yourself!

Day one: Phoenix, Arizona

We flew into Phoenix around 1 pm, picked up our rental car, checked into our gorgeous Airbnb and went to Joyride for tacos. It turned out to be happy hour by the time we arrived and we had margaritas on the patio and enjoyed the lovely Arizona sun. We then went back to our Airbnb, spent some time hanging out in the pool and hot tub and then met up with some friends for dinner at Diego Pops, where we had more margaritas and Mexican food. Diego Pops is a very popular place in Scottsdale, so get there early to put your name in!

We didn’t have the time, but if I had another day in Phoenix, I would have driven 1 1/2 hrs south to Saguaro National Park to see the cool cactuses.

Day two: Sedona, Arizona

We woke up and drove 2 hours north to Sedona. As we drove into Sedona, we could not believe the absolute beauty of the red rocks. It is like nothing I had ever seen before. I can’t believe I waited until now in my life to see Sedona! We had a Pink Jeep Tour scheduled, so we drove right into town to their Sedona location. This is touristy but honestly so much fun and I highly suggest doing one when in Sedona. It is a magnificent way to learn about the history and culture of Sedona, and to see the town from a different perspective. We did the Scenic Rim 2.0 tour, which is one of their most popular tours and lasted 2 hours. Sedona is such a phenomenal place, you just have to see it for yourself.

After the jeep tour, we drove to the Devil’s Bridge trailhead and hiked the 4.2 mile trail to see the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area of the Coconino National Forest. We saw breathtaking views of red rock country and got some very distant photos of us on the Devil’s Bridge.

After our hike, we checked into our cute Airbnb overlooking red rocks and drove back into Sedona to walk around. We went to SaltRock Kitchen for some craft margaritas and then met up with friends closer to our Airbnb for dinner and drinks.

day three: Grand Canyon National Park

We woke up early to try and hike the Cathedral Rock trail, but the parking lot was packed full and we didn’t really have the time to wait. When I go back to Sedona one day, I definitely want to hike this short trail. It’s only 1.2 miles, is rated moderate on Alltrails (my favorite hiking app) and is supposed to have great views of Sedona. After our failed attempt at hiking, we went to get some groceries for our next few days of camping, got Sedonuts before they completely ran out for the day and headed toward the Grand Canyon. It was only a 2 1/2 hour drive from Sedona to the Grand Canyon and the drive on 89A was beautiful. We used my America The Beautiful Pass to get into the famous national park for free (the pass pays for itself after visiting 3 national parks in a year) and drove to the Yavapai Point trail to walk along part of the rim trail of the Grand Canyon. It really is one of those parks you have to see in your lifetime. Next time I go, I plan on hiking to the bottom!

So every trip has it’s low points and things that just don’t work out. The rest of our day in the Grand Canyon was one of those low points. We blindly followed the GPS to get to Lake Powell like we planned. After 2 hours of driving, we got to the east entrance, only to realize it was closed. There was no other option but to drive back 4 hours toward Flagstaff. By time we got up to Page, AZ/Lake Powell area, it was 8 pm. We had originally planned on camping at Lees Ferry Campground in Glen Canyon by Lake Powell, but with it getting so late and not wanting to set up a tent in the dark, we got a hotel for the night. Page, Arizona looks like Mars and was a really cool place. I would love to go back and kayak in Lake Powell.

Day four: zion national park

We woke up early and caught the sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. It’s a 1.5 mile walk roundtrip to get to and is very picturesque. From there, we drove 2 hours north into Utah to Zion National Park. If you have time, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is on the way but it’s down a rather rough road that we didn’t have the time to drive on. We got to Zion around 10 am, just in time for our shuttle tickets to begin. Tickets for the Zion shuttle are required and must be purchased in advance or you will be forced to walk to 8 miles to the hiking areas.

The shuttle took us to Angel’s Landing first. This trail is a strenuous 5 mile long trail with steep drop-offs and very narrow sections - it is also the most popular hike in Zion. The hike featured gorgeous views and we met some fun people along the way. There are anchored support chains toward the top and it can get rather steep, so if you fear heights this may not be the hike for you. Although we did meet two people along the way that were scared of heights and both made it all the way to the top - so anything is possible! Angel’s Landing probably look us about 4 hours in total as we spent about an hour at the top. The view of the main canyon at the top was a perfect place for lunch before we headed back down to catch the shuttle to our next hike. We got off at the Zion Narrows Riverside Walk, went all the way to the end and hiked some of The Narrows in our hiking gear. A lot of other hikers had waders on, which I would suggest renting if you want to do the entire hike. The water was cold, but we had a lot of fun!

After drying off a bit, we set up our tent at the Watchman Campground in Zion. It is $20 for one night and needs to be booked in advance. The Watchman mountain overlooks the campground and the site was well taken care of.

day five: Bryce canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, canyonlands National Park

We woke up at 5 am to start our day exploring the rest of the national parks in Utah. We drove 2 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park and hiked the Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden Trail. It is a 2.9 mile loop that offers some insane views of the canyons. Bryce Canyon looks otherworldly and is highly underrated for how gorgeous it is. If we had more time, we wanted to do the scenic drive through all the parks scenic overlooks. Some points of interest along Highway 63 include: Swamp Canyon Trailhead, Farview Point, Aquarius Plateau , the Kaiparowits Plateau, Molly's Nipple, Natural Bridge, Agua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon, Rainbow Point, and Yovimpa Point.

We then drove 2 hours to Capitol Reef National Park, where we went to Panorama Point, Sunset Point and did a bit of the scenic drive. If we had more time, we planned on doing the 1.8 mile Hickman Bridge Trail. Capitol Reef was not my favorite national park I’ve ever been to, but it is still a beautiful part of nature that deserves a visit!

From Capitol Reef National Park, we drove 3 hours to Moab, Utah to see Canyonlands National Park. The scenic drive featured some lovely views of the canyons and plateaus with snowy mountains in the far distance. We did the Mesa Arch Trail, a short 0.7 mile hike to see the views of Canyonlands through the Mesa Arch. We then did the Grand View Point Trail, a 1.8 mile hike with some panoramic views.

To end our day, we drove 1 1/2 hours to Arches National Park around 5 pm so we would have time to set up camp before dark. We drove through all of the phenomenal national park and camped at Devil’s Garden Campground. The red canyons and rock formations surrounding our site were amazing and our site was nice and secluded. It was $25 for the night and although the wind was loud, it was a good night’s sleep.

day six: Arches National Park

For this big day of hiking, we woke up at 5 am, packed up camp and then drove a minute down the road to the Devil’s Garden and 7 Arches Loop Trail. We started the hike right at sunrise and did the primitive part of the loop first. We were mesmerized by this national park and it easily became on of my favorite hikes. The Devil’s Garden and 7 Arches trail was 7.8 miles, but it is easy to get lost and a little turned around while following the cairns, so we clocked about 9 miles. We saw all 7 arches and a variety of terrain. After returning to the car, we drove down the road to the Delicate Arch Trail and completed the 3 mile roundtrip hike to see the famous arch featured on the Utah license plate. It is even more amazing in person and a must see.

After a long day of hiking, we drove almost 4 hours to Salt Lake City, Utah, where we stayed with a friend.

Day seven: Salt Lake City, Utah

We started off our morning in Salt Lake City by getting breakfast at Pig & a Jelly Jar. It was amazing food and we loved the vibe of the place. From there, we drove up to Snowbird and Alta to see the ski resorts. Having only skied Park City in Utah with my EPIC pass, I decided I might just have to get the Ikon pass next year so I can ski Alta - it’s beautiful.

Our friend took us on a tour of the city, where we went to some Mormon monuments and learned about the Mormon’s important part in SLC’s history. We got some beer at a pizza place called Pi by The University of Utah, then went to Piper Down for their Wednesday meatloaf special - only $6 for a massive plate of food. As we were still in a huge calorie deficit from hiking the day prior, we ate e v e r y t h i n g. From there, we saw some more sights around SLC, including Mrs. Backers for some cookies, and then started bar hopping. Some of the bars recommended to us by our friend were Beerhive Pub, Bar X, Beer Bar, Whiskey Street, Bodega and Cheers. The Tabernacle was closed while we were there, but that is something I would like to see next time I go to Salt Lake City!

Day Eight: Idaho/Driving day

Every road trip has at least one long day of driving, and this was it. We drove about 10 hours in total to get to Bend, Oregon. Since we drove through Idaho, we stopped off at the Twin Falls area to see the Shoshone Falls, about 3 hours north of SLC. Our next stop was potatoes. Westside Drive-In, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is in Boise, Idaho and really does make a good baked potato. We also got the ice cream potato that came highly recommended on Google review. We were fully anticipating a potato with ice cream on it, but it was really ice cream shaped like a potato. Boise seems like a very fun city and I would like to come back one day! If you’re in the area, get the potato at Westside Drive-In!

Anyway, we eventually got to Bend, Oregon and checked into our Airbnb - a little cabin in the woods.

Day Nine: Bend, Oregon

We woke up, got breakfast at Chow in Bend, then drove to Clear Lake - about an hour away from Bend. We found the Clear Lake Resort and rented kayaks for $15 for “as long as we wanted.” Since it was off season, we were some of the only people on this magical lake. It has a visibility of up to 200 feet and the water is around 43 degrees Fahrenheit year round, so no bacteria can survive and eat away at the forest that was once where the lake is now. The ranger told us some of the trees we were kayaking over have been there for over 3,000 years! This was on my bucket list for many years and I am so glad we happened to be there virtually alone to enjoy the immense serenity of the lake.

After we returned our kayaks, we drove back to Bend to hang out in town and try some of their famous breweries. We went to Deschutes, Bend Brewing, Crux Brewing and Avid Cider. Bend is a wonderful town - the people are so friendly and outdoorsy. I will definitely be returning!

Day Ten: Hiking in southern oregon & portland

Once again, we woke up at 5 am to meet up with some friends and hike to the Tamolich Blue Pools. It’s a 3.4 mile hike that leads to a gorgeous blue lake and resides right around the same area as Clear Lake. We then attempted to go to Terwilliger Hot Springs, which is $15 a person to get into and a 2 hour max - but the line was too long. Instead, we drove to Portland and checked into our awesome houseboat Airbnb. We got lunch at a place on the marina with a nice view of the boats. For dessert, we got the famous VooDoo Donuts followed by a nearby brewery before heading back to the houseboat to hang out on the water. The secret to getting the best Airbnbs is to BOOK IN ADVANCE. We booked all our Airbnbs in October for our trip in March. It pays to plan in advance!

day eleven: oregon coast & portland

We took a day drip from Portland to Cannon Beach and got breakfast at Wayfarer Restaurant overlooking the beach. It was a rainy day, but the coast is magnificent in all types of weather. It was about a one and a half hour drive to the beach and since it was raining, we opted to not do the Clatsop Loop Trail from Indian Beach. I have done this trail before and it is beautiful, so I highly suggest it. It’s only 2.8 miles long and rated as moderate on Alltrails. From Cannon Beach area, we headed an hour south to Tillamook to the Tillamook Cheese Factory where we learned about how to make cheese curds! You’d think growing up in Wisconsin I would know this information by now, but here I am at the age of 25 learning about how cheese curds are formed. After learning about cheese, eating cheese and talking about cheese for an hour - we drove back to Portland. After some driving around and stopping in different stores, we went to the McMenamin’s Kennedy School for dinner. This was one of the coolest restaurant concepts I’ve ever heard of. It’s an old primary school from 1915 that was renovated into a hotel, bar, restaurant and pool. It has eclectic décor and interesting paintings covering the hallways, plus it’s pretty inexpensive and they have happy hour!

Day Twelve: Portland

On our final day of our road trip, we spent the day exploring Portland and the surrounding area. We went to breakfast and then drove out to Multnomah Falls on the Columbia River Gorge. The entire area is lovely and worth the short drive from the city! If we had more time, we wanted to stop at Ponytail Falls outside of Portland - but maybe next time. We got amazing ramen at Ramen Ramoya for dinner and called it an early night for our 5:30 am flights the following day.

Some other things that were recommended to us to do in Portland that we didn’t quite make it to were HunnyMilk for weekend brunch, Jake’s Favorite Crawfish for happy hour, Yuzu Ramen, Cheese and Crack, Hale Pele Tiki Bar,  Cascade Brewing for sour beers and Great Notion Brewing.

Overall, this trip was phenomenal. If you’re thinking about taking a road trip with one of your best friends - this is your sign to do it.