Here's a sample itinerary for a drive from Denver to Santa Cruz. If you're planning a road trip to Santa Cruz, you can research locations to stop along the way. Make sure you check road conditions to double check the weather. Traveling with a dog or cat? Find pet-friendly stops. Camping along the way? Search for RV campgrounds. Find the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions based on the most talked about places recommended by Trippy members.
10:00 am start in Denver
drive for about 1.5 hours
11:40 am Vail
eat at Minturn Saloon
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:40 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
2:58 pm Grand Junction (Colorado)
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 3:58 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
6:30 pm Goblin Valley State Park
stay overnight and leave the next day around 8:00 am
day 1 driving ≈ 6.5 hours
8:00 am leave from Goblin Valley State Park
drive for about 3 hours
11:12 am Zion National Park
stay for about 2 hours
and leave at 1:12 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
3:53 pm Las Vegas
stay for about 4 hours
and leave at 7:53 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
10:13 pm Barstow
stay overnight and leave the next day around 9:00 am
day 2 driving ≈ 8 hours
9:00 am leave from Barstow
drive for about 2 hours
11:04 am Bakersfield
stay for about 1 hour
and leave at 12:04 pm
drive for about 2.5 hours
2:38 pm Hearst Castle
stay for about 2.5 hours
and leave at 5:08 pm
drive for about 2 hours
7:17 pm arrive in Santa Cruz
eat at Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria
day 3 driving ≈ 7 hours
Vail (53 answers)
restaurants around Vail:
Minturn Saloon
questions about Vail:
Outlet for ski clothing?
Summer Restaurants in Vail
Grand Junction (Colorado) (16 answers)
Goblin Valley State Park (5 mentions)
Zion National Park (83 mentions)
questions about Zion National Park:
When is the best time to visit/hike Zion national park?
Canyoneer boots, Keen sandals, or old tennis shoes for Narrows hike?
What's the best time of year to hike in Zion?
Poisonous plants/ Venomous animals in Zion Canyon
Are hiking boots necessary now if I hike Angels Landing
Las Vegas (324 answers)
Downtown Container Park (15 mentions)
Fremont Street Experience (15 mentions)
High Roller (10 mentions)
The Mob Museum (8 mentions)
Neon Museum (8 mentions)
restaurants around Las Vegas:
Giada
Mon Ami Gabi
Wicked Spoon
Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino
Lotus of Siam
questions about Las Vegas:
Best new restaurants in Vegas?
What time of year is the best for scoring a cheap deals in Las Vegas
Best tips and casinos for first time gambler?
Is it better to stay on or off the Las Vegas strip?
Top things to do in Las Vegas that don't include gambling?
Barstow (13 answers)
restaurants around Barstow:
Del Taco
questions about Barstow:
What's the best neighborhood in Barstow for a first time visitor?
Where to sleep RV trailer
Bakersfield (19 answers)
questions about Bakersfield:
Best free things to do in Bakersfield?
Hearst Castle (101 mentions)
Need some recommendations on somewhere to get food?
Trippy members suggest Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria, which was mentioned 3 times.
Here are some more restaurants people talk about:
Want to research more popular restaurants in Santa Cruz? Click the blue button below.
This section could be endless, so rather than trying to suggest every local activity or attraction, we'll leave it open-ended.
These are some of the places people talk about on Trippy:
Of course, Trippy is the perfect place to ask questions because there's an entire community of travelers talking to each other and sharing tips and advice. Trippy is where you can get answers personalized for your tastes, budgets, trip dates & more!
For example, here are some questions people have asked about Santa Cruz. Click on any question to see answers from the community!
Drew from Angelika Film Center & Cafe asked:
Activities during reunion in santa cruz (4 answers)
Allysia from Boston asked:
What are some must places to go to in Santa Cruz, CA (2 answers)
Paul from Redmond (Washington) asked:
Are there any good restaurants in Santa Cruz? (2 answers)
Lily from asked:
Names of beaches that aren't so crowded (1 answer)
Eddie from Bronx asked:
Best Things To Do In Santa Cruz? (1 answer)
Click the button below to explore more questions and answers related to Santa Cruz.
Yes, even this step is optional, because if you're on vacation who wants the trip to end? It's okay, you can start planning your next trip!
Want to plan the trip back? Get the reverse directions for a Santa Cruz to Denver drive, or go to the main page to plan a new road trip.
You can also compare the travel time if you're flying or driving by calculating the distance from Denver to Santa Cruz. Or get a full Denver to Santa Cruz flight plan.
Don't forget about exploring your own hometown with a staycation. You can also find some cool day trips or get away for a weekend. Maybe try typing in a faraway location like London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, and get inspired for your dream trip around the world.
And if you know Denver well, please help your fellow travelers and answer their questions about Denver!