Southwest National Park Road Trip Out of Las Vegas

It doesn’t take long to drive your Las Vegas campervan rental between Sin City and Death Valley National Park. It’s just about two hours and then you’re there. If you’re not in any rush to arrive, though, there are some stop-offs where you can check out even more interesting sites along the way. 

For example, less than half an hour outside of Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area awaits, with its breathtaking geological features. A quick 13-mile scenic drive takes you around to some of the best photo ops. 

If you’re more interested in history than geology, you can swing on further down a bit, to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. The property boasts a unique history, with some of the state’s oldest structures and a connection to millionaire Howard Hughes. See the main ranch house, enjoy the living history programming and maybe even take a guided tour.

Once you’re ready to move on, make your way to the vast, dramatic landscapes of Death Valley. The good news? You don’t have to strap on your hiking boots to see most of the can’t-miss attractions that are spread across this national park’s 3.4 million acres. You can access many of the scenic viewpoints by campervan, including Zabriskie Point, which overlooks the salt flats and badlands; the Artists Palette viewpoint, with its colorful geographic features; and Badwater Basin, the lowest point in all of North America.

While you might look at your map and think that Death Valley National Park and Sequoia National Park are actually pretty close together (and they are, as the crow flies!), you’ll have to take a roundabout route to get to this next stop on your road trip via campervan. The safest, easiest way to get between the two is to travel southwest, to Bakersfield, California, and then drive northeast again to get to Sequoia National Park, a process which will take about five hours total, without stopping.

However, don’t distress about the detour. Bakersfield, California, actually makes an excellent pitstop. There, you can find several noteworthy museums, such as the California Living Museum and the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History. 

Once you do reach Sequoia National Park, the thing to see is, obviously, the sequoias, but the park offers so much more than just trees. After you see the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest tree by volume, consider a scenic drive along Generals Highway (just note that the road does have a 22-foot vehicle length limitation, so may not be suitable for every campervan). If you’re a hiking fan (and not afraid of heights!), climb up Moro Rock, a giant granite dome that features handrails for easier, safer climbing, but that will still make your stomach drop with its awe-inspiring views. 

Since you’re already at Sequoia National Park, consider hopping on over to check out the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park as well, where you can see the second-largest tree by volume in the world, the General Grant Tree. Whichever park ends up being your favorite, you’ll have plenty of campground and RV park options in each. 

Once you’ve had your fill of the sequoias, it’s time to head slightly northward, to one of the country’s most famous national parks: Yosemite. The drive is relatively short, but will take you through Fresno, California, so consider stopping off to check out top attractions such as the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and historic Forestiere Underground Gardens. 

Of course, you’ll probably want to try to spend as much time in Yosemite National Park as possible. There’s just so much to do! However, keep in mind that, because the park is so popular, park entry does require reservations during certain times of the year. Check the national park’s website to see if your visit coincides within a reservations-required timeframe. Additionally, if you want to avoid the park’s traffic problems (we said it was popular!), try to get there early, before 9 a.m.

What should you do once you arrive? For starters, if you want to take a scenic drive in your campervan, start with the crowd favorite, Tioga Road, between Crane Flat and Tioga Pass. Top spots to stop along this road include Olmsted Point, where you can take in the views of Half Dome; Tenaya Lake; and Porthole Dome, though this does require a hike, even if it’s a relatively short and easy one. Other notable places to see in the park before you depart include Glacier Point, Yosemite Falls and the many other waterfalls scattered throughout the park.

No matter what you end up doing, though, you’ll probably leave your Yosemite campground site wanting to come back for more! 

Draw a straight line from Yosemite National Park to the Pacific Ocean and you’ll hit San Francisco. We know what you’re thinking, though. When you booked a Las Vegas campervan rental, you didn’t expect to drive into any cities. Are there even places to park a campervan in San Fran?

Yes. 

Whether you want to stay in the city or just nearby, you have options. A top choice, though, is The Presidio, a park that falls beneath the National Park Service’s umbrella, but is probably unlike any other national park you may’ve visited in the past. Right next to the Golden Gate Bridge, the park offers stellar views of the iconic landmark from Baker Beach and Battery Bluff. There are hiking trails, art installations, restaurants, a golf course — so much to do! And, of course, there’s a campground, Rob Hill Campground, open April through October.

Other campgrounds that are nearby, even if not exactly in San Francisco, include the campgrounds found within Mount Tamalpais State Park, and Francis Beach Campground at Half Moon Bay State Beach.

Wherever you end up pitching your tent (er…campervan), make sure you leave plenty of time for seeing the sites in San Francisco, including Fisherman’s Wharf, the Mission neighborhood, Golden Gate Park and Alcatraz. Do note that parking can be tricky in San Francisco, so plan out where you’ll park your campervan at each attraction, ahead of time. 

For the last leg of your journey, you have a few options. You could drive your campervan from San Francisco to Las Vegas via Los Angeles — or, you could drive to Los Angeles, drop off your Las Vegas campervan rental LA, and then take a quick flight between LAX and Vegas (or wherever you call home). 

However, we’re always up for a road trip, so we recommend taking the driving route, and taking your Las Vegas campervan rental all the way back to Sin City.

In total, driving from San Fran to LA to Vegas will take about 656 miles and 10 hours, but you can really break it up and do a lot of sightseeing along the way. Additionally, just as is the case in San Francisco, there are plenty of places to park your campervan in Los Angeles (and along the rest of the route). Some of LA and the vicinity’s best campgrounds include Malibu Creek Campground, and the campgrounds in Angeles National Forest.

If you want to stretch out this leg of your journey, travel the California coast south to LA, with a stop in Santa Barbara (a Pacific Coast highway road trip is an adventure all on its own!). Then, as you make your way between LA and Las Vegas, swing by Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. 

This southwest national park road trip takes you to some of the country’s best and most popular national parks, but also dips into some of the region’s greatest cities, for a nice mix of both outdoor adventure and urban explorations. 

So, ready to go? Reserve your Las Vegas campervan rental now — or just get a quick quote as you plan your perfect road trip.