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Like Wisconsin to Utah, we have driven from Florida to Utah and vice versa I don’t even know how many times at this point. Almost every time we did the drive, in either direction, we would try to make it into a road trip and see some things.

So today is all about the great stops on a Florida to Utah road trip. For this post, I’m making the start/end points Gainesville, Florida and Kanab, Utah. Of course you can adjust it to wherever you are leaving from, that’s just my Florida destination/starting point.

If you’re starting somewhere else in Florida, here are awesome places to visit in Florida that you could see on your way and great easy Florida hikes.

Most of the stops are on the West Texas to Utah portion, but I have included some on the Florida side, too. This isn’t one straightforward route, it is a little all over the place, but you can mix and match to make the perfect route for you.

This is mostly outdoor focused, but there are a few towns and cities here. I’ve been to all but one of these stops between Utah and Florida (New Orleans) but will hopefully make it there soonish now that I live in Florida.

There aren’t any major National parks until West Texas but after that there are quite a few that would make the National Park pass totally worth it. So here is a giant list of great places to go driving from Florida to Utah. It could also be done in reverse.

National Park Pass + Other National Park Deals

• If you’re planning on visiting multiple parks (3 or more) on this trip or within the year, I would highly recommend getting a national park pass. It’s $80 but will pay for itself in about three trips to parks. It’s so worth it and I buy one every year! They’re also great for gifts for the park lovers in your life.
• To help plan the best national park trip ever, this Ultimate National Park Planning Bundle is perfect! You get two ebooks and a planner, saving 50% by getting them as a bundle! If you want all the details, this is the bundle for you. Buy the Ultimate bundle here.
• This National Park Planner (one of the ebooks from the bundle above) is perfect if you just want some guidance in your planning. Buy the planner here.
• Get yourself a little National Park notebook to write all about your adventures while you’re on the road. These from Field Notes are all very cute! Buy a national park journal here.
• Consider reading some of these books set in national parks before your big trip, on your adventure, or once you get home to take you back to the parks until next time.
• Planning a big national park trip? Check out these other posts: National Park bucket list, Make the most of a National Park trip, National Park camping packing list, My favorite National Park hikes, More National Park hikes I love, Underrated National Parks.

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

The first stop on the drive to Utah from Florida is a nice little state park in Tallahassee. The Alfred B. Maclay Garden State Park is a great way to spend a few hours taking a nice stroll.

It feels a bit like an Alice in Wonderland garden but there is one catch. The flowers aren’t blooming year-round I’m sure it’s a nice walk when they aren’t blooming, but it’s best when they are.

They bloom from January to April and it’s beautiful walking through all the blooming flowers. Plus they smell wonderful! Also, I would skip this if you don’t plan to go into the garden area.

Book Tallahassee hotels here.

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge

On the other side of Tallahassee you’ll find the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. This is a fun stop to look for wildlife, see a lighthouse, and do a little hiking. It’s not my favorite wildlife refuge in Florida, but I did like it and we got to see a bunch of ADORABLE baby gators.

I would plan to spend a couple of hours here and if you wanted to visit the refuge and the gardens above in one day, you definitely could. We hiked the Tower Pond Trail and I enjoyed it. It’s not too long, but not too short and was good for bird watching.

Cape San Blas

Cape San Blas is just a short drive from the town of Port Saint Joe and is a great stop if you want a quiet relaxing beach getaway. It would be a great place to spend a night or two to really enjoy the beach.

If you don’t have the spare days for that, just spending a day shelling here would be fun, too. There are plenty of places to shell and there is also a short walk on the bay side that is really nice.

Book Port Saint Joe hotels here.

Apalachicola

Ok, this picture is technically not Apalachicola but it is close to it. We went through it to get to St. George Island and it is cute. Apalachicola is Old Florida. Spend a couple of hours walking around town, browsing the shops, getting a coffee, enjoying a beer at Oyster City Brewing Company.

You could spend a day or two here and easily visit Cape San Blas and St. George Island one day while exploring Apalachicola the other.

Book Apalachicola hotels here.

New Orleans

The first out of Florida stop is good old New Orleans. I would definitely set aside at least a whole day to enjoy the city, eat everything, and do a ghost tour. Maybe an extra day if you want to get out into the swamp, too.

While you’re here, visit the French Quarter, ride a streetcar, visit Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, take a ghost tour, and don’t forget to eat all the beignets. This is definitely a southeast bucket list topper.

Book New Orleans hotels here.

New Orleans tours

• Ghosts, witches, vampires, and voodoo walking tour
• Haunted New Orleans tour with exclusive access
• French Quarter sightseeing carriage ride
• Airboat tour
• Bayou boat tour (not airboat)
• Cajun and Creole cooking class
• French Quarter food walking tour

Cadillac Ranch

Our next stop isn’t until Amarillo, Texas where you can stop and see Cadillac Ranch, a bunch of Cadillacs stuck in the ground. These bad boys have been here since 1974 when Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels made the art installation.

This is a fun roadside stop but I won’t lie, it was a little underwhelming. When we went there were paint cans all over in the mud but I think that’s been improved (from what I’ve read, let me know if it’s not) and they actually sell paint there now.

While it wasn’t my favorite road trip stop it doesn’t take long to see and it’s free so it’s still worth it if you’re passing through Amarillo. I wouldn’t go too far out of my way for it.