What route would u take from Des Moines to Sedona? (Phoenix: horse, stations)

[Juice Malone]

What is the coolest route to take and what are some good places to stop along the way?

[sargeant79]

I'd highly recommend taking I-80 through Nebraska to I-76, then I-76 to I-70 in Denver. You go through some beautiful mountain country along I-70 in Colorado, then shortly after getting into Utah you'll exit and take US-191 south. If you have time to make an extra day out of it, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park are all amazing and only a few miles off the main highway. Then in southern Utah you turn off on US-163, which takes you through Monument Valley. You'll connect with US-160 in Arizona, which you can take to US-89 that goes directly into Flagstaff. From there, you're just a short jog along 89A to get into Sedona.

A link to the route I described is below. I've done this route several times between Chicago and Phoenix and I think the entire leg of the trip west of Denver makes for some of the most beautiful scenic routes in the whole country. The one caveat is that I would't recommend that I-70 stretch in Colorado in winter due to snowfall and frequent road closures. I know you get that if you're in Iowa, but driving in winter weather conditions is a completely different animal if you're in the mountains and dealing with steep grades for stretches of the road.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Des+...34.8697395!3e0

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by sargeant79

The one caveat is that I would't recommend that I-70 stretch in Colorado in winter due to snowfall and frequent road closures. I know you get that if you're in Iowa, but driving in winter weather conditions is a completely different animal if you're in the mountains and dealing with steep grades for stretches of the road.

Yes, even Flagstaff can get snow in Oct. and snow in the mountains is VERY different than snow on the flat!

[Juice Malone]

Originally Posted by sargeant79

I'd highly recommend taking I-80 through Nebraska to I-76, then I-76 to I-70 in Denver. You go through some beautiful mountain country along I-70 in Colorado, then shortly after getting into Utah you'll exit and take US-191 south. If you have time to make an extra day out of it, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Dead Horse Point State Park are all amazing and only a few miles off the main highway. Then in southern Utah you turn off on US-163, which takes you through Monument Valley. You'll connect with US-160 in Arizona, which you can take to US-89 that goes directly into Flagstaff. From there, you're just a short jog along 89A to get into Sedona.

A link to the route I described is below. I've done this route several times between Chicago and Phoenix and I think the entire leg of the trip west of Denver makes for some of the most beautiful scenic routes in the whole country. The one caveat is that I would't recommend that I-70 stretch in Colorado in winter due to snowfall and frequent road closures. I know you get that if you're in Iowa, but driving in winter weather conditions is a completely different animal if you're in the mountains and dealing with steep grades for stretches of the road.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Des+...34.8697395!3e0

Wow that is awesome only about an hr more than the fastest route too. Thanks a lot. I would be going in March so could be snowy at higher elevations maybe . May have to watch the weather carefully I've never done any mountain driving in my entire life. What do you think?

I probably should have mentioned that I have a 4 year old with me. It is a family trip. My only concern with this route is where to make rest stops and stuff along the way. I think the closer I am to Denver the easier it would been. It is just the 6 or 7 hrs in between Omaha and the front range that I'm worried about plus the last leg through western Colorado and Utah.

[sargeant79]

Originally Posted by Juice Malone

Wow that is awesome only about an hr more than the fastest route too. Thanks a lot. I would be going in March so could be snowy at higher elevations maybe . May have to watch the weather carefully I've never done any mountain driving in my entire life. What do you think?

I probably should have mentioned that I have a 4 year old with me. It is a family trip. My only concern with this route is where to make rest stops and stuff along the way. I think the closer I am to Denver the easier it would been. It is just the 6 or 7 hrs in between Omaha and the front range that I'm worried about plus the last leg through western Colorado and Utah.

There's rest stops and gas stations consistently along the way all throughout Nebraska and into Colorado until you get to Denver. They do become much more scarce once you're in the Rockies and in Utah, but even then there aren't any stretches where you go more than about 60-70 miles without services. If that's something you're comfortable with, then go for it. But if you're hoping to be able to pull off for services within 5 minutes of making the choice to do so, I'd suggest staying on interstates. Just keep in mind that out west there are some truly desolate areas, even along interstates. There's parts of I-40 in New Mexico and northern Arizona where you still might go 50 miles or so between exits.

As for the weather, you may indeed have to watch the forecasts closely and be prepared to avoid this route depending on what you see. The Rockies tend to get a lot of snow in March, so it's going to depend entirely on how things are looking when you're traveling through. You can always head toward Denver and then make a decision there...if there's bad weather in the mountains, you can take I-25 south toward Albuquerque and connect with I-40, which will take you right into Flagstaff. Just keep in mind that while I-25 is much more flat and might be more comfortable for you to drive on with bad roads, it can still get a lot of snow as well even in the spring.

[Juice Malone]

Thanks again

[greenehaven]

Very good directions sarg ! Weather on interstate 70 crossing the Rocky Mtns has the highest elevation.

Their is only a couple (Moab - Monticello, UT & Keyenta - Cameron, AZ) longest distances between bathrooms (less than an hour).

Canyonlands is a long & very desolate Monument, where Arches National Park is right off US Hwy 191 at Moab.

At Cameron Arizona (US Hwy 89 & AZ Hwy 64) turn right to the Grand Canyon 30 minutes out for a day trip around the National Park.

Take your time & have fun
Lake Powell, Page AZ
-center of the Ntl' Parks Grand Circle