The Grand Circle in the Southwest US 

Camping in the Southwest in Spring is so beautiful, magical and remote. The sunsets are gorgeous, with a skyline of red rock formations, mountains that have so many different colors because of the many minerals that are in them, and even some lakes that are nestled into stunning valleys. They all provide jaw-dropping beauty and fun areas for great picnics. Some of the names of the places will make you laugh. The Hoodoos (a type of rock formation) that you will see in many of these parks are so unique and Goblin Valley State Park has so many hoodoos that look just like the goblins in your mind.

This is the desert with iconic landscapes that are other-worldly. Think of the Grand Canyon. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. Many of these places you will see are just as stunning but less well-known. That means fewer people all around you. I don’t know about you but I prefer to camp with fewer people around me. The Grand Circle encompasses ten National Parks and several State Parks scattered throughout the trip.

“The Grand Circle is located in the Four Corners region of the US and covers most of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and a small bit of Nevada. All of this region is gorgeous and worth a visit, but the many National Parks that are in this region are some of the most visited and some of the most photogenic. The National Parks that are in this area are Black Canyon of The Gunnison, Mesa Verde, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Great Basin. Each of these National Parks is very unique even though some of them are less than 100 miles apart.” This is according to https://www.theoutbound.com/jared-beeler/the-grand-circle-what-it-is-where-it-is-and-why-you-should-visit-it

We took our bicycles and camper for about two weeks to visit these places. We have been to many of them or traveled through them individually but always on the way to somewhere else and never stopped to truly enjoy and appreciate them. There are nice campgrounds with great amenities and places to camp/rough it to just enjoy nature and the night sky. This is not the place to expect dress-up, high dollar restaurants with city skyscrapers, but you will find great food and beautiful remote scenery. I hope you get the chance to see it and enjoy it.