A Tip to the Air Traveler: Look Out Below

Sometimes you’re on the Grand Canyon side of the plane and sometimes you’re not.

For some people, it makes a big difference. Sitting with nose pressed against the window, gazing at the marvels of nature can be the sole reward for the expense and hassle of commercial air travel.

The following is intended as a loose guide to help geographically attuned passengers see the canyon and many other sights around the American West and a few points beyond.

There are a few caveats. Clouds do get in the way, and routes can change dramatically due to weather, wind and air traffic.

Indeed, it may seem to some veteran travelers that the only sights they are certain to see on a flight between Los Angeles and New York are Barstow and Kansas.

That said, just about every route in the West can deliver something worth seeing, simply because the region is so expansive and diverse. Here are just a few standout flights:

Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. Where to sit: Left. The route mostly follows Interstate 15, initially traveling along the western edge of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.

Later, there are views of Zion National Park, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam--which from the air looks like a wafer of concrete holding back a few billion gallons of water.

About 15 minutes before landing, look for Big Bear Lake and Southern California’s two tallest peaks, Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto.

Kalispell, Mont., to Missoula, Mont. Where to sit: Left. This 30-minute flight--often a segment on the Kalispell-to-Salt Lake route--stays at low altitudes and offers bird’s-eye views of Flathead Lake, the Mission Mountains, Swan Valley and, beyond, the Continental Divide and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

“The Bob” covers 1 million acres and is accessible only by horse or foot. It also boasts one of the largest remaining grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states.

Los Angeles to Chicago, New York or Denver. Where to sit: Right. This flight path tends to deviate more than most, but roll the dice on the right, as the first 2 1/2 hours may feature the Grand Canyon, Lake Mead, Lake Powell, Monument Valley and the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.

If the route is pushed north, the right side overlooks many of southern Utah’s greatest wonders, including Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Lake Powell and Canyonlands National Park--recognizable because the area’s two major rivers, the Green and Colorado, converge there.

Either side will likely serve up a nice slice of the Colorado Rockies. Those on the right might get a look at Telluride, an old mining town that has become one of the Rockies’ tonier haunts. Look for ski runs at the end of a box canyon.

Salt Lake to Jackson, Wyo. Where to sit: Right. The flight lasts only an hour or so, but Bear Lake and five mountain ranges may be within view--the Wasatch, Uintas, Gros Ventre, Wind Rivers and Tetons.

Use binoculars to look for bison and elk on the approach, as the Jackson airport is nearly surrounded by Grand Teton National Park.

Las Vegas to Bay Area. Where to sit: Right. Immediately after takeoff, there are views of the Nevada Test Site. The hundreds of craters in the desert floor were formed by the 900-plus underground nuclear weapons tests conducted there between 1951 and 1992.

Crossing the Sierra Nevada, those on the right usually see Yosemite National Park, while left-siders must make do with the equally stupendous John Muir Wilderness.

Anyone who has backpacked to the Sierra’s Thousand Island Lake knows there’s a major air corridor directly overhead. This is it.

Seattle to Anchorage. Where to sit: Right. The route follows the rugged British Columbia coast, and highlights include the Strait of Georgia, Queen Charlotte Sound, mountains and glaciers, dense coastal rainforests, the southeast Alaska archipelago and Chugach range. Brace yourself for some immense timber clear cuts.

Los Angeles to Seattle or Sacramento. Where to sit: Right. The route follows Highway 99 north, and those with a keen eye can pick out every major Sierra landmark, including Mt. Whitney, Kings Canyon, Mammoth Mountain, Mono Lake, the Yosemite Valley and Half Dome, and Lake Tahoe. Views are best late in the day, when the sun is on the plane’s left side.

If you are traveling to Seattle, try to find an empty seat on the left side for Mt. Lassen, Mt. Shasta and Crater Lake. Then shift back to the right for Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier. After crossing the Columbia River, views of Mt. St. Helen’s are possible from either side.

Something to tell your seatmate: In just 180 years, the forests blown down by the volcano will again resemble old growth.

Bozeman, Mont., to Seattle. Where to sit: Either. Highlights include the rugged Bitterroot Mountains--just north of where Lewis and Clark staggered across the range--and the high peaks of North Cascades National Park. On landing, there are great views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. Lefties get Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, one of the largest roadless expanses in the lower 48.

Honolulu to Hilo. Where to sit: Left, then right. On the first half of the flight expect to see Molokai and Maui, with views of 10,023-foot Haleakala. As the plane crosses the wide Alenuihaha Channel, it’s time for the critical switch to the right to see the north coast of the Big Island, including beaches, waterfalls and a pair of volcanoes., 13,796-foot Mauna Kea and in the distance, 13,679-foot Mauna Loa.

Los Angeles to Reno. Where to sit: Left. The plane soars almost directly above Yosemite’s Half Dome with the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, Emigrant Wilderness and Lake Tahoe serving as worthy encores.

Christchurch, New Zealand, to Queenstown, New Zealand. Where to sit: Either. Inspiring views of the Southern Alps help explain why so many Kiwis become world-class mountain climbers.

A final tip: People who really enjoy the window seat should invest in “The Captain’s Atlas,” available at most aviation supply stores. The book is a Rand McNally road atlas that includes all the major routes that airlines use.

That makes it easier to follow the landscape and figure out which side to pick when buying tickets. Then, hope for clear skies--and a clean window.