Driving to Grand Canyon from Denver... Sites to see along the way?

1. Canyonlands NP near Moab--White Rim 4WD trail is trippy. Can't go wrong at Canyonlands, esp. Needles area.

2. NE of Moab, dirt road parallels Colorado River w/800 foot drop off and no guardrails. Look for old gypsum plant, that's where road begins.

3. Monument Valley, AZ--hope for a clear day

4. Natural Bridges National Monument, UT--you'll probably have the whole place to yourself. Nice hike.

5. Telluride, CO

6. Delores Canyon overlook, CO--nice

7. Ouray, CO--America's most scenic town

8. Million Dollar Highway, CO--Durango to Silverton, CO

9. Colorado River Road from Cisco, UT to just N of Moab--a beautiful canyon

10. Goosenecks State Park--a trippy overlook NW of Mexican Hat, UT

Won't have time to stop by the Needles district in Canyonlands, just visit the Island in the Sky. Also, Arches NP is quick and beautiful.

Not sure what the route looks like but maybe Escalante, UT as well.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

Antelope Canyon is trippy but it's run by the Navajos and there is a fee. It would be a sucky place on a cloudy day because the whole thing is about light refraction.

Arches National Park is spectacular. I also second the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado...it's absolutely breathtaking.

If you are near Durango, Mesa Verde NP is pretty cool.

GC is socked in with fog now and until spring/summer. From the rim you won't be able to see the Colorado River. Instead it will look like a bowl of Miso Soup ;-)

There are so many spectacular sights between Denver and Phoenix it's impossible to list them all.

An alternative route would be to cut diagonally across Colorado to the Four Corners, stopping at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Ouray, Red Mountain Pass (may not be open in the winter), and Mesa Verde. Or, you could travel south from Montrose to Telluride and over Lizard Head Pass.

You could also travel from Flagstaff to Phoenix via Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona.

If you decide to go the Utah route, definitely stop at Arches and also consider Colo. National Monument near Grand Junction.

Colorado National Monument just north of Grand Junction on I-70. Very cool and not out of the way. You can just drive through in an hour and get out an hike as much as you want.

I would take 2 days there and stop along the way. You also might think about going back on I-40 and I-25 and go through Albuquerque and Santa Fe and see some different stuff on the way back.

Just realized you are driving to GC not Phoenix (sorry, didn't read carefully) so Sedona would be out of your way but not that much.

Not sure if you would have time, since you have to hike down into the canyon, but these are amazing.

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&biw=1280&bih=647&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=havasupai+falls+grand+canyon&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Stop at Glenwood Springs, go for a run on it's (icy in winter) bike bath which parallels the highway but then you can be rewarded with a soak in its hot springs. Grab a bite at one of the local breweries then get back in the car and continue the drive.

Also Fruita-Grand Junction has some amazing running trails in the Colorado National Monument.