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Next year my wife and I are planning a trip to Utah, which has been on our bucket list for way too long. So far Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Canyonlands and Arches are on our list. I think we'll take a southern route (I-40) to get there, and a northern route (I-70) to get home. We'll plan some stops in Colorado as well, but we've been there so the main goal for this particular trip is all that beauty in Utah.
I'm hoping some of you have experience in Utah, and are willing to share some campground tips as well as time needed to see everything. We're retired, so we'll be able to take our time and do it right! State and Federal Parks are fine if we can get reservations, and private RV parks are fine too when convenient and/or necessary. We're not really set up for boondocking so we prefer water and electric at a minimum. Full hookups are nice, but it's just the 2 of us so dump stations are fine too.
plan the route, the daily driving distance(s) based on your driving style
explore campgrounds along your route and near your destinations;
make notes for each stop
figure out fuel stops (if you need to do that)
see what roads RVTW recommends and then decide if you want to use that route
also use Campground Reviews (accessible within RVTW) to get a feel for what others said about the place
determine what you want to see at each locations - that is going to drive the number of days you stay at each location
By Horseshoe Bend I think you mean the one in Page, AZ. Know that at best it is a 30 to 60 minute stop and is CROWDED as tour buses can drive right up to it. If you are in Page then there is also Antelope Canyon and there's; Glen Canyon Dam tour, Float the Colorado River if you like (full day or short tour).
Monument Valley, for us, was best explored on our own. The road in and out is rough and we like being in there at sunset to take nice photos; get out before dark. We prefer Gouldings for a campground but I think some other full hookups have come online since out last visit there.
Bryce - stay at Ruby's Inn and take the park bus rather than your vehicle. Remember - if you hike down the hike out is 2x to 3x the time (and effort) to get back up (same for Grand Canyon).
Zion - fills up fast; like at 7am. So either stay there or be prepared to park there to ride the bus by 7am. It get HOT in the afternoon. Consider renting or riding your own e-bike to see the canyon - best ride ever on a bike.
Arches - crowded and need a timed entry pass (as well as old age pass).
Canyonlands - right near Arches - not crowded and really nice - enjoy a sunset there.
While in Moab discover the river cruise in the evening and visit Red Lodge Inn on hwy 128 (for a nice evening sunset meal and their museum of movies shot in the area. TONS of hikes and rides in Moab area. So plan and then see how many days you want. Portal RV is our choice but there are lots of campgrounds around.
oh - absolutely get, pay for, download GuideAlong" from your app store for you smart phone - best investment you will ever make when visiting those parks in the west.
Capitol Reef - we like Thousand Lakes campground. Again, plan you sights and set your number of days.
Escalante - often overlooked but doesn't disappoint if you like exploring (on foot and in auto). Many day trips/hikes/rides out there including WaterPocket Fold over look (or go into the WaterPocket for a day and take a drive (see Bullfrog Road to find it).
On the way to/from Monument & Moab - maybe stay a few days in Bluff, UT and drive the Moki Dugway and Valley of the Gods, and Miley Point.
+1 on Ruby's Inn at Bryce. Nice campground and just up the road from the Canyon. They also have sky watch on Either Tuesday or Thursday, maybe both where they have telescopes set up so you can view the planets and see the Milky Way in all it's glory. Its one of the few Dark Zones.
+1 on Ruby's Inn at Bryce. Nice campground and just up the road from the Canyon. They also have sky watch on Either Tuesday or Thursday, maybe both where they have telescopes set up so you can view the planets and see the Milky Way in all it's glory. Its one of the few Dark Zones.
That sounds AMAZING!
Originally Posted by traveldawg
If you want even more feedback or info try out the "Camping Locations" forum on iRV2.com LOTS of info already there is you search a bit.
Well... I was going to provide some personal experiences and a campground or two we used during our travels through Utah, but they would pale in comparison to what is above. I will look through my notes and map later to see if what we have used in the past has not already been noted above.
We have been through and to Utah 50+ times on our way to ID from GA. Arches is a beautiful place to visit, but as mentioned above it is busy. Go early and during a weekday if possible.
Take your time, have fun and enjoy the moments that will be there.
Well... I was going to provide some personal experiences and a campground or two we used during our travels through Utah, but they would pale in comparison to what is above. I will look through my notes and map later to see if what we have used in the past has not already been noted above.
We have been through and to Utah 50+ times on our way to ID from GA. Arches is a beautiful place to visit, but as mentioned above it is busy. Go early and during a weekday if possible.
Take your time, have fun and enjoy the moments that will be there.
Thanks @Sous ! I've only been through Utah once about 45 years ago when my brother got out of the Air Force, and I helped him drive from Lompoc back to Ohio. I'd never seen anything like it, and I still remember it was beautiful just from what I saw on the Interstate.
One nice thing about being retired is that we can take whatever time necessary to really enjoy it, whether that means 1 week or 4. So far I have no idea how long we'll stay, but the tips here are helpful and appreciated for sure!
I've got a question for you. When we took trips out west on the motorcycle I always limited my "travel to get there" days to 350 miles or less, more than that and I felt like I was beat to death. (I know guys who won the "iron butt" award for doing 1000, but no thank you.) We're all different, but does 400 miles sound too aggressive to you for pulling your RV while you boogie across the plains?
As for miles traveled, that varies a lot by mode of transportation, family members (4 legs or 2) along with you, traffic, planned stops, etc... Sometimes when racing out west to be there for a family emergency we have done 2,500 miles in less than 40 hours piggyback driving. Thankfully we have only needed to do that a handful of times. Usually we have a "planned" stop for the afternoon or evening. Below is "my map" from Google Maps. I can set any of these as a waypoint or destination using Google Maps with a few button selections.
The red pins are "approved" rest stops. The blue pins are campgrounds and destinations and the green pins are good friends along our normal routes of travel.
We generally travel with a chase car behind the truck and 5th wheel. It is usually our Subaru, but sometimes it is our Escape. The Subaru is much more capable when it comes to trails, off road stuff and scouting. Also, it is just a nicer vehicle than the Escape.
We generally plan for 200 - 300 miles in a travel day unless we are going someplace specific. Then we either plan to stay within about 50 miles of the destination or arrive at the destination hours before sunset. Sometimes we are traveling and decide to stop at noon or early afternoon just because we feel like it. That is the best part of being retired, you can travel like you have nowhere to be.
Just a small edit, the sky watching is in the park itself, not Ruby's, though you can still see a LOT of the milky way in the campground, just can't take photos due to lights. I have pics somewhere, if I can find them I will upload a couple, but here's a Video of Hog Back Ridge. A must drive if you have a passenger who doesn't like heights! I wish I had the audio on during that drive. I was LMAO while the womenz was whimpering. My son was in the middle in the back seat and couldnt see out the doors and was wondering why the girls were scared.
Just a small edit, the sky watching is in the park itself, not Ruby's, though you can still see a LOT of the milky way in the campground, just can't take photos due to lights. I have pics somewhere, if I can find them I will upload a couple, but here's a Video of Hog Back Ridge. A must drive if you have a passenger who doesn't like heights! I wish I had the audio on during that drive. I was LMAO while the womenz was whimpering. My son was in the middle in the back seat and couldnt see out the doors and was wondering why the girls were scared.
Plan your time of the year as many of the locations you have mentioned have very large temperature swings. Late spring or early fall would be cooler at some locations, while southern locations will warm earlier and stay hot later. Summertime temps could be 100 plus in Arches, Moab, Monument Valley, etc. Likewise many could have snow, or get snow. Many changes in elevation will be a big factor in all seasons. This year many areas have opened campgrounds later than normal due to all the snow, spring run off, snow still in campgrounds.
There are many new campgrounds outside of Zions in Hurricane, Check out Sand Hollow State Park as there are new campgrounds in that area in the park and new cg's in that area. Snow Canyon State Park is very nice not only to camp, but to just spend some time there, hiking, biking, or just driving.
Goose Necks State park is close to Moki Dugway ( Do it more than once)
Plan as EARLY as you can, MANY of the places you mentioned will fill up VERY early.
Sounds like a truly amazing trip you are planning! Keith
Just a couple ideas to add...
- Taking the I40 route to Utah I'm guessing you'll be using 89 through the Hopi Reservation. It's a relatively winding, narrow state highway so don't expect to make good time with a fiver. Nice scenery to see but I'm in no hurry to repeat that drive. That drive is where I'd plan shorter distance, like Sous suggested earlier. To me, it's tiring.
- Taking I70 through Colorado is beautiful. It's also heavily traveled...especially Sundays...and it's winding which both serve to keep speed to the 30's and 40's for 50 miles in both directions from the Eisenhower tunnel. So again, plan for less miles that day.
- Arches is busy, especially in the morning. We got lucky and saw it late afternoon with very few people around. So try early and maybe try later in the day as well for less crowds.
Plan your time of the year as many of the locations you have mentioned have very large temperature swings. Late spring or early fall would be cooler at some locations, while southern locations will warm earlier and stay hot later. Summertime temps could be 100 plus in Arches, Moab, Monument Valley, etc. Likewise many could have snow, or get snow. Many changes in elevation will be a big factor in all seasons. This year many areas have opened campgrounds later than normal due to all the snow, spring run off, snow still in campgrounds.
There are many new campgrounds outside of Zions in Hurricane, Check out Sand Hollow State Park as there are new campgrounds in that area in the park and new cg's in that area. Snow Canyon State Park is very nice not only to camp, but to just spend some time there, hiking, biking, or just driving.
Goose Necks State park is close to Moki Dugway ( Do it more than once)
Plan as EARLY as you can, MANY of the places you mentioned will fill up VERY early.
Sounds like a truly amazing trip you are planning! Keith
Great tips, thank you! We can sort of go whenever we want, currently thinking May or September to avoid peak crowds and heat, but still not have to worry too much about road closures due to snow. Thoughts?
Originally Posted by '65Ford
Just a couple ideas to add...
- Taking the I40 route to Utah I'm guessing you'll be using 89 through the Hopi Reservation. It's a relatively winding, narrow state highway so don't expect to make good time with a fiver. Nice scenery to see but I'm in no hurry to repeat that drive. That drive is where I'd plan shorter distance, like Sous suggested earlier. To me, it's tiring.
- Taking I70 through Colorado is beautiful. It's also heavily traveled...especially Sundays...and it's winding which both serve to keep speed to the 30's and 40's for 50 miles in both directions from the Eisenhower tunnel. So again, plan for less miles that day.
- Arches is busy, especially in the morning. We got lucky and saw it late afternoon with very few people around. So try early and maybe try later in the day as well for less crowds.
More great tips, thank you! You guessed right, 89 is part of the route plan but by then we'll be in low mileage, slow mode with lots of stops. When we used to ride the bike out west I'd bring my travel days down to 80 to 120 miles tops once we got "there", and I'll probably do the same with the fifth wheel. I use Roadtrippers and so far the only stops I've pinned are major attractions in Utah and Colorado, plus gas stations every 200 miles. Next step is finding campgrounds near those attractions, and deciding the number of days at each.
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