June 2013 AS trip 2nd leg Utah

[Ditter]

June 2013 trip 2nd leg Utah
I need help planning 2nd week of 3 week June trip.
We will be coming from Yellowstone and we have allowed 2 days to reach our next destination Watchman at Zion Park 3 nights.
We have 3 days not scheduled and then our next destination 2 days in Black canyon south rim.

Our AS and TV is over 50’ ft and because of tunnel restrictions we will not be able to leave Zion as originally planned.

Need suggestions for heading towards Moab or arches.
We are not spring chicks and probably won’t do a lot of hiking trails.
That said we are looking for opportunities to see Arches Mountains and Canyons.

Any suggestions for alternative routes and a good campsite would be greatly appreciated.
From what I have read it could be 90 deg during day so looking for 30 amp hookups.

[handn]

There is lots to do in Moab and four or five nicer rv parks. It is in the center of lots of parks and National monuments and there is probably a weeks worth of touring if you want to see everything. It is a vacation destination and there are shops and good resturants.
Moab is close to Gunison and the Black Canyon.
We enjoyed staying in Page, Az and taking a tour boat trip to Rainbow Arch on Lake Powell. The hike from the boat to the bridge is about 200 yards.
We enjoy Lake Powell and stay at Bullfrog. Lake Powell is much more fun with some kind of water craft. Rentals are available or even an inflatable kayak gets you out on the cool water.
Your trip sounds ambitious. From Yellowstone to Zion is two long days of driving on hilly terrain and secondary roads. I am no spring chicken either and get bowed up after 8 or so hours of curvy roads pulling the the Airstream. There are attractions around Zion. I would pick either Moab or Zion and spend more time recreating and less time driving.

[Rollster]

We liked Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab. It's a small park off the beaten path with gorgeous views, electricity, and even covered picnic tables outside your door to provide shade. It was a fairly short drive to take in the sights at Arches. We were there in July, and yes, it was HOT!

[Ditter]

Thanks for both comments.
I tried to get reservations at dead horse but they were all taken. I also tried to make contact with 2 RV campgrounds Moab Valley RV resort and Riverside Oasis by email and phone with no success.
I looked at Moab KOA which has Internet registration but I was reluctant to confirm because of some issues experienced in past with all the kids on ental bikes and rental golf carts and not sure how peaceful the KOA would be.
Handn I have never pulled past Indiana we are from OHIO and did not know the drive would be so bad we are covering a lot of miles on this trip I’m near retirement but night quite there but I wanted to use the AS. I really appreciate your feed back when I look at a map I can only compare to are areas around Ohio.

[handn]

Ditter,
Try Ute Trail RV Park on the South side of Moab. It is a nice park with larger sites and shade trees. It is quiet. In town rv parks are closer to everything but have more noise.
Some people like to cover a lot of miles. I like 300 or so miles on two lane and 450 on the interestate. I also like the idea of a flexible itinery so if I see some place that looks interesting, I can stop.
There are some higher mountains coming out of Yellowstone, some flat sage brush land in the middle of Wyoming and lots of lower hills and curves in Utah.
Going home, I-70 through Colorado has two passes and a long descent into Denver but being an Interstate, grades are 6% or less and turns are not nearly as sharp. U.S. 50 through Colorado is two lane and has several higher passes with sharper curves and more than 6% grades. Or, you can go North to I-80 and have no mountains but less scenery.
I am sure you will work out an itinery where you will see lots of things but not beat yourself up. Enjoy your trip.

[mojo]

As said Yellowstone to Zion is a long haul but doable in two days, Best bet would be to head west from West Yellowstone on 20 to I-15 and avoid the hills. There's a state park in Provo to split the trip. If you enter Zion at Springdale ask about the tunnel pass and just tell them you are 50' long. Odds are they will not measure. The tunnels are not the problem, it's the switchbacks getting there. You would have to look ahead and take the turns nice and wide.

You could then take the route along the UT/AZ border and stop to see Monument Valley on way to Moab/Arches. Moab Valley and Riverside are two nice parks but they are closed for the winter and will probably open come March.

Your trip sounds like a lot of driving in a short time to take in a lot of the West.