Western US National Parks Road Trip: Our Family’s Big, Beautiful Adventure to California

Two years ago, our family took our first big “trip of a lifetime” road trip to celebrate our daughter’s high school graduation. This year, it was my son’s turn! He also has a great love for the outdoor adventures in our US National Parks, but his main goal was quality, not quantity.

We visited 8 National Parks and 2 State Parks in 4 different states for my daughter’s trip — you can read about that trip starting with this introduction post. And though we spent the same amount of time, we only visited 4 National Parks on this trip. When someone tells you that California is [[BIG]] trust them… those National Parks look so “driveable” on a map until you really start to see how many miles and how much time the commute between them would be… then, you pivot and rearrange your trip a thousand times to find the perfect plan.

For this trip, we were a traveling family of 5 – with our kids’ ages being 19, 17, and 11 – and two parents in their 40’s just hoping we could keep up with our adventurous kids.

✨ Quick Trip Recap

This trip, I walked/hiked a total of 60 miles (the older two kids did even more!) — Pretty sure the kids were trying to kill me. We triple-checked our mileage (mostly because I didn’t believe it!). The hiking pushed me way beyond what I thought I could do. It showed me I am stronger than I think… just not as strong as I want to be. And that’s okay. Growth lives in the middle. Here’s the recap…

11 Days + 2 states
4 National Parks
1500 miles driven
60 miles walked + hiked
3,000+ pictures/videos
Priceless memories

✨ I learned that…

with enough determination, you can focus on joy and enjoy the moment, even when multiple things go off track and cause inconveniences (ie. last minute flight changes, no AC and no water for 2 days, TSA–need I say more?, strains and pains…)
Austin and Katie can (and likely will) turn on high-level beast-mode on hiking trails.
I can push myself harder than I thought (even if I’m slower and wearing a newly-acquired knee brace, and survive.
Promises of ice cream can motivate and re-energize even the most exhausted hiker (yes, Addison, that’s directed at you…)
Pictures don’t do it justice… even “real” cameras (they are better, but still no comparison). If you are able, take the trip and see them for yourself!
You’re never too old to explore America’s National Parks.

✨ The Heart of the Trip

This trip was a mix of big scenery, tiny moments, and the kind of family chaos that becomes your favorite story later. We flew from Nashville to Las Vegas to Fresno, and spent the next 10 days exploring Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Death Valley — four wildly different landscapes that somehow felt like chapters of the same book — and then flew back out of Las Vegas to Nashville.

Yosemite — waterfalls, granite giants, and the kind of views that make you forget your legs are tired

Kings Canyon — quiet, untamed, and full of “how is this real” moments

Sequoia — ancient giants that make you whisper without meaning to

Death Valley — otherworldly, hot, surreal, and unexpectedly amazing

✨ Our Travel Plan

Here’s how our route unfolded:

Day 1: Nashville → Las Vegas → Fresno → Drive to Yosemite

Days 2–4: Yosemite National Park → Fresno

Day 5: Fresno → Kings Canyon National Park

Day 6-7: Kings Canyon National Park

Day 8: Sequoia National Park → Ridgecrest

Day 9: Ridgecrest → Death Valley National Park

Day 10: Death Valley National Park → Las Vegas

Day 11: Las Vegas → Nashville

It was a loop that made sense on paper and (mostly) made sense in real life — with enough flexibility built in for weather, exhaustion, and the occasional “we need snacks immediately” emergency.

✨ Go‑To‑Know Basics (The Stuff I Wish Someone Had Told Me)

Weather & Crowds

We aimed for early May to avoid crowds — and nailed that part. Yosemite was busy but not overwhelming, and the other parks felt peaceful. But the weather? Wild. We packed for cold layering… and got warm, sunny days. The week after we left, it snowed again. California keeps you humble.

Driving Times

Online maps lie. They get you to the gate, not the park. Add 30–120 minutes to reach actual trailheads or visitor centers. (I’ll talk more on that when I do the park specific posts soon.)

Cell Service

Spotty at best. Download maps, trail info, and offline guides. AllTrails premium app (very reasonable annual subscription) is 1000% worth it! We literally would’ve missed some of the best areas without this app.

Lodging Options

In my opinion, it was much harder to find good lodging options near these 4 National Parks. California parks are huge, remote, and surrounded by small towns with limited options. I changed our reservations more times than I care to admit, trying to make it as ideal as possible. (I’ll share more about our specific lodging on the upcoming park specific posts.)