Top 9 Places to Elope in the Desert

 

 

Elopements are great for so many reasons. The simplicity and intimacy allow you to focus on celebrating you as a couple instead of getting caught up in the stress of planning a big wedding and trying to please everyone else. We also understand the importance of being able to celebrate with your friends and family which is why throwing a big party after the elopement is the perfect way to experience the best of both worlds. No matter what, we always tell our couples that getting married isn’t about what anyone else wants, you should follow the path that feels right for you! 

There are a million ways and places to elope and trying to narrow it down can be a daunting task. This year we want to focus on providing as much advice and information as we can and thought this would be a good place to start. You could say we’re obsessed with the desert. In any form. So obviously we think it’s a wonderful place to elope! Deserts across the US have it all. You can find vast canyons, rugged sandstone rock formations, endless cacti and fields of twisted Joshua trees, high desert mountain ranges, vibrant slot canyons, and desolate landscapes that make you feel like you’ve stepped onto another planet. Any of these options make ideal locations for an intimate elopement. 

Here’s our list of the 9 best places for your desert elopement and what each of them has to offer!

1. Page, Arizona

 

Arizona is our favorite state in the Southwest. It has so much to offer! I’m going to focus on Page for now and highlight some other spots later but really, anywhere in Arizona will provide an amazing backdrop for an intimate elopement.

 

 

Antelope Canyon

We’ve never seen colors anywhere else in the world like the ones we experienced in Antelope Canyon. The walls have been slowly eroded over thousands of years creating the beautiful slot canyon. Shafts of light peak in spreading the most vibrant colors along the smooth sandstone walls. It will always be one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen and an incredible place to have a desert elopement.

 

 

Horseshoe Bend

Though Horseshoe Bend has grown in popularity as an amazing elopement spot over the years it’s beauty makes it worth going the extra mile to avoid the crowds. Planning your elopement on weekdays, during the off season, and/or at sunrise are all great ways to have a perfect Arizona intimate elopement.

 

 

Choose your own adventure

If you’re like us, you’re always looking for the hidden gems off the beaten path. Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend aren’t the only things to see around Page, the surrounding area is filled with expansive Southwestern landscapes, quiet empty canyons waiting to be explored, and Lake Powell sitting on the border of Arizona and Utah along the Colorado River. As always with any time spent outdoors, be safe, knowledgeable and prepared for the location you’re in. Canyons like these can easily have flash floods so check in with the locals and be sure to know the weather when you plan to be out there!

 

 

2. Joshua Tree National Park

 

It’s not just the incredible national park that makes this place stand out but everything surrounding it as well. One of our favorite karaoke dive bars in the world and the best BBQ we’ve ever had. Now let’s talk about the park- what doesn’t it have? Unique twisted Joshua Trees for days, all the cacti you could imagine, and huge rugged rock formations looking out over the Coachella Valley. There are endless possibilities in the park to have your elopement so make sure to arrive a day or two early so you can do some exploring and some rock scrambling! 

 

 

3. Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

 

Valley of Fire is one of the most accurate park names that exists. We discovered this place completely by accident. We got into Las Vegas for a wedding a day early and had some time to kill. We randomly Googled “deserts surrounding Las Vegas” and this hidden gem popped up just under an hour away. There was no one there! It was like we had the place to ourselves, and it was incredible. The park is perfectly named because it honestly looks like fire spread across the rocks. You can also find Aztec sandstones that have been formed by shifting sand dunes millions of years ago. We make sure to visit every time we fly into Vegas and highly recommend it for a secluded desert elopement! 

 

 

4. Death Valley National Park

 

Death Valley is seriously like stepping on to another planet. Being the largest national park in the lower 48 you can find landscapes with colorful mineral deposits along mountainsides to sand dunes to canyons to the lowest point in North America, the Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level! There is so much to explore and SO many options for an elopement. Death Valley can be the hottest place on earth, the record being 134 degrees Fahrenheit and often reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, and is the driest place in North America so timing is key. Winter and Spring are great seasons to visit with temperatures averaging in the mid ’70s to the low ‘90s November through April. The unique variety of beautiful landscapes sets Death Valley apart as one of the best places to elope in the desert. 

 

 

5. The Alvord Desert, Oregon

 

It’s crazy how many people don’t know about the Oregon desert. It’s understandable, when you think of our state you probably picture the quintessential Pacific Northwest landscapes of vast forests and the moody northern coast of the pacific ocean. But travel Southeast about 7 hours from Portland and you’ll find an entirely different landscape. That may seem like a long road trip but because so many people brush it off as being too far you’ll arrive to one of the most isolated areas of Oregon. Sitting in the rain shadow of the Steens Mountains is the Alvord Desert. The playa is so expansive that you likely won’t see another person while you’re there. 

Almost all of the Alvord Desert is public land open for anyone to use except for a small part just on the edge where the hot spring is located and privately managed by a local family. There you can pay to camp or reserve one of their bunkhouses. A big perk of paying to camp there is that you get 24-hour access to the hot spring and there’s nothing like sitting in a warm geothermal spring under the stars. You can also choose to camp for free anywhere on the playa and can still soak for only $8! Needless to say, this is definitely a top elopement location contender. 

 

 

6. Grand Canyon National Park

 

I feel like I don’t even need to say much about this one. It’s the Grand Canyon! There’s nothing like it, it’ll make your jaw drop every time. The trails you can explore are endless and if you’re up for an adventure you can find places you’d never expect to see in the desert such as Havasupai Falls, a secret turquoise oasis tucked in the canyon walls. Grand Canyon National Park will always be one of the best places to elope.

 

 

7. Bend, Oregon

 

Oregon is a weird place. I never thought of Bend as a desert until we went there. The central Oregon city is full of adventure potential- skiing, mountain biking, hiking, white water rafting, fishing, camping, the possibilities are endless. The pine forest along the Deschutes River transitions into the high desert. I’m going to highlight just a couple here but the surrounding area of Bend is full of places that would be perfect for a West Coast Desert Elopement.

 

 

The Painted Hills

 

The Painted Hills, one of the seven wonders of Oregon, is part of the John Day Fossil Bed Monument just 2 hours from Bend. The colors can vary from season to season as well as throughout the day. You can find vibrant deep reds, yellows, blacks, and golds. The area is also very walkable, with the longest trail being 1.3 miles you’ll be able to see everything in just one day. Added bonus- because of the drive the Painted Hills really don’t see a lot of people so you’ll likely have the area all to yourself!

 

 

Smith Rock State Park

 

Smith Rock State Park is located in Terrebone, about 45 minutes from Bend. This also happens to be where our favorite Airbnb we’ve ever stayed at is located, you’ll recognize their cover photo from our first stay with them! The nights are just as amazing as the days. What we love about the variety of Oregon deserts is how different they all are. Created by basalt lava flows, the crooked river runs through the park and is surrounded by rugged cliffs that make Smith Rock a unique destination for a Oregon High Desert elopement. It offers endless trails great for hiking and mountain biking and, the biggest draw of Smith Rock, it’s a rock climbers paradise! So no matter what adventure you’re up for Smith Rock will undoubtedly have something for you. 

 

 

8. Sierra Nevada Desert

 

A desert with a snow capped mountain backdrop, best of both worlds! Keep in mind, the Sierra Nevada mountain range is huge so here we’re highlighting the Eastern slope. Just outside of Death Valley National Park past the down of Darwin, California you’ll find long desolate roads leading up to incredible views of Mount Whitney. We explored the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area. This gorgeous valley is protected by the Bureau of Land Management and features rounded rock formations in stark contrast to the rugged tips of the Sierra Nevada. If you’re having trouble deciding between a desert or mountain elopement this the spot for you. Bonus- you also get to check out Death Valley!

 

 

9. Vasquez Rocks State Park, California

 

We were so excited to discover this amazing park just 45 minutes from Los Angeles. Because the park is not that big it’s easily navigated while still offering many locations for your elopement. We happened to catch a rare cloudy Southern California day (even with a little rain!) but Vasquez Rocks would be perfect in any weather. Winter and Spring elopements would be ideal as it tends to get quite hot in the summer but nothing you couldn’t handle, unlike the extreme temperatures of Death Valley. Plus, with Los Angeles so close by you have so many options to create a unique elopement combining desolate desert landscapes and all the amenities of a big city.