Portland to Phoenix Road Trip Guide

Head south from Flagstaff along the I 17 and it'll take you alongside the Tonto National Forest. Veer off to the east just before you get to Phoenix to visit the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. At the project, you'll be able to show the family that the US, the same as the rest of the world, has some exciting wildlife. Most of the animals at the center have been either injured or orphaned and are in the process of being rehabilitated back into their natural habitats whenever possible.

To visit the center you'll need to make a prior appointment or reserve a place on a guided wildlife tour. The tour of the center usually runs twice daily and takes around two hours to complete. During the tours, you'll get to see wolves, bears, bobcats, mountain lions and coyotes as well as plenty more small species of mammals.

Start your adventure right outside Portland in the magnificent Mount Hood National Forest. Oregon's iconic 11,240-foot stratovolcano dominates the eastern horizon and offers year-round recreation opportunities. During summer, take teens hiking around Mirror Lake or explore the historic Timberline Lodge. Winter brings world-class skiing and snowboarding at Mount Hood Meadows and Timberline.

The forest provides numerous camping opportunities with varying amenities. Government Camp offers full-service RV parks, while more primitive forest service campgrounds provide authentic mountain experiences. Popular activities include scenic drives along the Mount Hood Scenic Byway, fishing in alpine lakes, and photography at iconic viewpoints.

Continue southeast to Prineville Reservoir State Park, Oregon's premier water recreation destination in the high desert. This 3,000-acre reservoir offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout, bass, and kokanee salmon. The park features multiple campgrounds with full hookups, making it perfect for families wanting lakefront camping with modern amenities.

Activities include boating, water skiing, swimming, and hiking scenic rim trails with panoramic views of the Ochoco Mountains. The area provides excellent stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution, and spring wildflower displays are spectacular throughout the surrounding hills.

Some of the most magical travel photographs seen on the internet are of folks kayaking through caves where the sunlight changes the water to incredible colors. While it might not seem possible to believe that a phenomenon like that exists in Arizona, it does. After you've left the Sloan Canyon Conservation Area, head east on the I 11 until you're through Boulder City and can join the US 93 southbound through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to Willow Beach. Park up there for a few hours, there is usually a small charge, and prepare the youngsters for the paddle of their lives.

The fantastic Emerald Cave is two miles upstream from Willow Beach in Emerald Cove and can only be reached by boat. It takes a couple of hours to navigate the Colorado River as it flows through Black Canyon to get to the cove. It's a scenic paddle that just gets even better when you enter the cave where the water is a bright emerald green. If you don't have canoes or kayaks, you'll find a rental service operating from the marina in Willow Beach.

When you pull up in your rig at the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, the kids will probably groan, thinking it's just another wilderness. It is, but it's one where you can show them something different to sand and rocks. Located in the Mojave Desert of Nevada, the fifty-thousand acres contain the Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Site. The canyon where the petroglyphs are is only accessible during the day and all visitors need to register their presence at the ranger station before heading out to explore.

Set out on the Petroglyph Trail that winds its way through the base of Sloan Canyon and the teenagers will be able to see for themselves that graphic communication existed long before internet memes. The ancient rock art etched on the boulders and canyon walls are thought to be several thousands of years old. While no-one really knows their true purpose, each different design tells its own story and serves to transmit a message to the onlooker.

Four hours southeast of Prineville lies the remote Steens Mountain Wilderness, covering nearly 200,000 acres of rugged mountains and wide valleys. This spectacular area offers some of Oregon's most pristine backcountry hiking with no motorized vehicles permitted within wilderness boundaries.

Base yourself at Page Springs Campground or South Steens Campground, both managed by BLM on a first-come, first-served basis. Pack backpacks with water and provisions for day hikes along the Blitzen River or challenging summit attempts. The Wilderness Nature Trail provides easier options for families with younger children.

The Crooked River Gorge is a breathtaking five-hundred-foot deep gorge just south of the town of Madras along the eastern border of the Cove Palisades State Park in Jefferson County. The gorge is spanned by a steel bridge almost a hundred years old. The bridge is closed to vehicle traffic, so to get the full impact, you'll need to park up and walk over. Known as the Peter Skene Ogden Viewpoint, the bridge is surrounded by the eighty-plus acres of the Peter Skene Ogden State Park.

It's a great spot for grabbing some dramatic landscape photos, but if your teenagers have been talking about the swing at the end of the world in the jungles of Ecuador, you might want to test their mettle and challenge them to a bungee jump.

The bridge over the gorge is one of the most popular spots in Oregon for leaping into the void while attached to a bungee cord. It's also the highest point in the US from where you can drop – a nerve-racking total of two-hundred and fifty feet - so if they prefer to just watch, who can blame them?

For families with teens seeking adrenaline-pumping activities, Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course delivers treetop thrills with zip lines, obstacle courses, and challenging rope elements high in the ponderosa pines. This aerial adventure park offers various difficulty levels, making it accessible for different ages and abilities while providing unforgettable memories.

Midway through your journey, Lake Tahoe offers a spectacular mountain respite with crystal-clear alpine waters surrounded by Sierra Nevada peaks. Multiple campgrounds accommodate RVs with varying levels of amenities, from primitive forest service sites to luxury lakefront resorts.

Tahoe Valley Campground provides some of the area's most impressive RV facilities with 60-foot sites and lake access. Popular activities include boating, fishing, hiking scenic trails, and exploring charming mountain towns like South Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

Northern Arizona's mountain town of Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet elevation, providing cool relief and outdoor adventures. The city serves as gateway to Grand Canyon National Park, just 80 miles northwest, and offers numerous attractions including the Museum of Northern Arizona and historic downtown district.

Flagstaff KOA provides resort amenities among ponderosa pines, while Bonito Campground offers proximity to Sunset Crater National Monument and otherworldly volcanic landscapes.

Your epic journey concludes in the Valley of the Sun, where Phoenix and Scottsdale offer world-class resorts, golf courses, and Sonoran Desert adventures. Popular activities include hiking Camelback Mountain, exploring Desert Botanical Garden, and visiting Old Town Scottsdale's vibrant arts scene.

For final RV parking, numerous campgrounds near Phoenix accommodate large rigs with full hookups and resort amenities, making it easy to explore the metropolitan area while maintaining your home-on-wheels comfort.

While Las Vegas itself offers urban attractions, the surrounding area provides incredible outdoor opportunities. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area features stunning desert landscapes just 30 minutes from the Strip, with easy hiking trails perfect for families and dramatic scenery for photography.

For RV camping, consider Hilltop Campground in the Spring Mountains, offering forested camping just 40 miles from downtown Las Vegas. The area provides hiking, horseback riding, and relief from desert heat at higher elevations.