Where to Stay between the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles

Where to Stay between Grand Canyon and Los Angeles: Useful Tips and Intermediate Stops

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From personal experience, I can say that a lot of the West Coast itineraries follow the route between the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles (in one direction or another). One of the main problems faced by those who are planning their trip is to choose a place (or places) where to stop on this long journey. The distance between Arizona’s famous National Park and the City of Angels is in fact almost 500 miles, which can be covered in about 7.5 hours without stopping – which is unlikely, however, given the number of attractions along the way!

Therefore, it is a journey that cannot be made in a single day, either because it would be too tiring and it would also be a shame to rush through this leg of the road trip. So where are the best places to spend the night between the two destinations? It depends on how many days you plan to travel and the route you would like to take.

Where to Stay between the Grand Canyon and Los Angeles

As you can read in the article that talks about where to stay at the Grand Canyon, you can either stay inside the park (a fabulous but expensive experience) or outside the park (a much more affordable option). In the second case, the choices are Williams (1 hour from the GC) and Flagstaff (1.5 hours from GC), which will most likely be your first stop on the journey from Arizona to the Pacific coast. But what about the rest of the journey?

If you only have one night

Los Angeles to grand canyon road trip

In this case, I suggest you spend the night in Kingman, Needles or Lake Havasu City. While Kingman and Needles are right on Route 66 on the way to Los Angeles (the first is in Arizona, the second is in California), Lake Havasu City, a town on the lake of the same name, can be reached by taking a slight detour south, but it is still a good option. Needles, a town known for its hot weather, doesn’t have much to offer, while Kingman has some points of interest, for instance, the beautiful museum on Route 66.

The distance between Williams/Flagstaff and these locations is at most 2. 5 to 3 hours, so you might think it’s a “short trip” (by U.S. road trip standards), yet this section of Route 66 in Arizona has a lot to offer. You can visit places such as Oatman, a ghost town that I really enjoyed exploring and is definitely worth a visit. Other possible stops are Seligman and the Grand Canyon Caverns.

The next day, you can then reach Los Angeles by taking the fastest route, which is Route 66 in California. Again, as you’ll read in the article in the link, after driving on an uninteresting stretch of road through the Mojave Desert, you’ll still find some interesting stops to make before arriving in Los Angeles.

If you have two nights

Grand canyon to la

If this is the case, things get more interesting. The first stop is still the same, but then instead of heading straight to Los Angeles, you can add a visit to the fantastic Joshua Tree National Park. If you have time available and like the idea, I suggest you stay overnight in either Needles or Lake Havasu City to maximize your time (Kingman is a little further north and time is of the essence).

From Needles take I-40 until Exit 78 (direction Kelbaker Road), drive to Amboy (located on an old stretch of Route 66) and continue south to Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Here’s how to visit Joshua Tree and nearby Pioneertown. You can then find accommodations in Palm Springs… a landmark in California. The next day, Los Angeles awaits you!

  • The total travel time from Needles to Palm Springs (including average travel within the park): About 4.5 hours

From Lake Havasu City, drive south on AZ-95 S to Parker on the Arizona-California border. Next get on CA-62 W, which will take you directly to Joshua Tree National Park. You can use the same directions for visiting the park, Pioneertown, and for an overnight stay described above.

  • The total travel time from Lake Havasu City to Palm Springs (including average travel within the park): About 5 hours

Tips on where to sleep in Palm Springs

Overnight Stay between Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon West Rim

LA to grand canyon

In case you visited the West Rim instead of the South Rim, you’ll have two main ways to get to Los Angeles from the Grand Canyon. Here’s what you can do:

  • Follow faithfully the directions I gave in the previous paragraph. The distance between the West Rim and Needles/Kingman/Lake Havasu is practically the same as the distance between the West Rim and Williams. After that, you can make the trip to Los Angeles in a day or two, as suggested.
  • From the West Rim, head north to Las Vegas and stay overnight there. Follow our recommendations on where to stay in Las Vegas. At this point, you still have to travel about 270 miles to get from Las Vegas to Los Angeles along I-15 S, so you can decide whether to do it in one day (stopping briefly at Goodsprings, Calico or elsewhere on Mother Road, which you will reach in Barstow) or take your time and spend the night, (for example) in Barstow, to complete the last stretch of Route 66 at a slower pace the next day.

Find a hotel in Barstow


Our Tip:
Looking for accommodations for your trip from California to other parts of the Southwest? Read our guide that contains reviews of hotels and strategic tips for finding accommodations near major attractions: Where to Stay: Our Tips for the SouthWest Area

Warning: Operating hours can change and closures for extraordinary events can occur, so we strongly suggest to check the venues official websites.

bernardo pacini
Bernardo Pacini

I am an enthusiastic traveler. I have also published some poetry. Besides traveling, my interests include literature, prog music and good food,.

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