Need help planning trip to southern Utah

[TLMILLER]

We are planning a trip to southern Utah. We will be leaving Missouri and going through Williams, AZ. Lake Powell area and would like to see Zion and Bryce as well as to up to Moab. Have a 25 foot AS towing with F350 extended cab truck. What are the roads like? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Blevi]

Great timing! We'll be taking the same trip sometime in mid to late September into October. Looking forward to the responses. Looking for great camp sites to base out of for hiking and sightseeing. We bought the Yamaha EF3000iSEB generator so we'll not be totally dependent on campgrounds with electricity.

[Airstream25]

Originally Posted by TLMILLER

We are planning a trip to southern Utah. Lake Powell area and would like to see Zion and Bryce as well as to up to Moab. Have a 25 foot AS towing with F350 extended cab truck. What are the roads like? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

A very useful resource for travel in the mountain west is;
"Mountain Directory West for Truckers, RV, and Motorhome Drivers"
Available at Camping World or Welcome to Mountain Directory

This publication gives the details on mountain passes and steep grades in 11 western states.

The length and steepness of the grade are important but even more important is the road width. Some, like Independance Pass in CO are less than 2 lanes wide in places. Utah also has some roads less than 2 lanes wide in places.

Lots to see and do in the Moab area. Half & full day river raft trips, jeep rides, petroglyphs, dinosaur bones, arches and of course mtn. biking.

Be aware that Zion has a restrictive tunnel. If the vehicle is over 7' 10" wide including the mirrors, it must be escorted through the tunnel. Rangers are supposed to be available at each end of the tunnel 8AM-8PM in the summer.

[Eric 28]

Tlmiller
This past spring we went through Willams, AZ. on our way to Zion, Bryce, and over to Moab to Canyonlands ,and the Arches Natl. Parks. I-40 is ok could be a better road to drive. At Kingman,Az. we took US 93 up to Boulder City. Went across the Hoover Dam with out a problem. From Boulder City we took I-15 up to RT9 over to Zion. Which goes through the South Gate. Here the fun begins. It cost us $15.00 for the AS. Nothing for us and the truck. We have the senior passes for the Natl. Parks.
After a short drive. It's up hill and switchbacks to the tunnel. Some big Class A and big Fifth Wheels go though that tunnel. We then took US89 up to Red Canyon which is on RT12. When we left Red Canyon went back to US89 up to I-70 and over to US191 down to Moab. All were good roads to drive. All the roads were wide enough for us and an other RV's to pass each other.

[Mike Leary]

Ditto on the above post, that guide is a must. You'll love Utah, we've been going down
for 15 years to chase the aspens. Plenty of campgrounds, any one of their nice roads
goes to somewhere cool. Put Monument Valley on your list, you trailer types can can
stay at the Tribal campground, un-hook & drive thru the valley...John Wayne country.

[Bambi75th]

Kodachrome Basin State Park near Cannonville is close to Bryce and a beautiful place to camp. Utah highway 12 is a magnificent drive but steep and narrow in places.

Near Moab, Deadhorse Paint State park is a good alternative to Arches NP which is often crowded for camping.

[Mike Leary]

Originally Posted by Bambi75th

Kodachrome Basin State Park near Cannonville is close to Bryce and a beautiful place to camp..

Was full of drunk ATV types when we were there last year, we bailed.

[RIstream'n]

We just finished that same trip last month. If you look at our thread, big trip starts tomorrow morning, you'll see our routes, campgrounds and at the end there are alot of pictures. Have a great trip, the area is awesome!!

[TBRich]

Funny this should come up...we'll be watching this thread! We have been looking at maps and such and we're wanting to go up there...we've been years ago pick-up truck camping, etc but not with the AS...we want to do a big circle up through Marble Canyon and the Vermillion Cliff are in NoAZ to the North Rim, Kanab, Zion, Bryce, over through Capitol Reef and on to the Moab area before turning back south to do Monument Valley, the Navajo reservation and Canyon de Chelly before heading back to Tucson... We're thinking fall or spring would be the best times for the less extreme weather. What are your takes on the best time of year to do the trip?

[SweetStream]

Originally Posted by TLMILLER

We are planning a trip to southern Utah. We will be leaving Missouri and going through Williams, AZ. Lake Powell area and would like to see Zion and Bryce as well as to up to Moab. Have a 25 foot AS towing with F350 extended cab truck. What are the roads like? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Were you just south of Milan, MO on Sunday afternoon? We waved at you from a white GMC van. We are headed to southern Utah in two weeks with our 30' safari. See ya there!

[Pacerized]

We make the trip to Arches every spring and fall, and made a trip of seeing all 4 national parks this past spring.
Everyone has their own opinion, but I'd take Arches above the rest.
If you want to avoid hookups and stay in the parks sometime between late April until early June, or late Sept. until late Oct. would be best. It will still be warm enough for shorts on most days, and just cool enough at night to set the furnace on a low setting and sleep well. Expect Bryce to be a little cooler then the other parks. I've never made the trip from Arizona so I can't comment on the roads past Zion, but from Zion up through Moab the roads are fine. The road from Zion to Bryce has some serious grade if you go through Cedar Breaks.

Charlie

[Boondocker]

1. How long are you planning to take for the trip? Are you going to be pressed for time, or do you have an extended period to travel in?

2. Are you a hookup camper or a boondocker?

3. Given the choice of two lanes or four lanes which would you prefer?

4. Are you a 'see things from the car' traveler or a hiker?

[Blevi]

Originally Posted by RIstream'n

We just finished that same trip last month. If you look at our thread, big trip starts tomorrow morning, you'll see our routes, campgrounds and at the end there are alot of pictures. Have a great trip, the area is awesome!!

Great thread and great pictures! Great information for our upcoming trip!

[Mike Leary]

There is a cool toll-free # the forest service offers about fall colors: 1.800.354.4595.
Does anyone know of a online version?

[TLMILLER]

Thank you for the info.

[TLMILLER]

We plan to be gone about 2 wks. Usually hookup camper. 4 lanes is better, just don't want steep grades if we can avoid them. Like to see from car and hike some.

[RIstream'n]

Originally Posted by Blevi

Great thread and great pictures! Great information for our upcoming trip!

I'm glad you liked the thread. It was a great trip and it was fun to do the thread. I hope you have a great time.

[klattu]

Best way to do this correctly, would be to take me along as your tour guide.

[Gene]

TL, there is so much to see in southern Utah that two weeks is not enough. I think you have two alternatives: get a quick look at each NP (there are 5) or concentrate on one or two and come back another day for more.

If you want to avoid the Colorado passes, go through New Mexico, but with an F350 I think the passes won't be a problem. I-70 is built for large rigs and the passes don't have excessive grades. Of course it can snow (it did a couple of days ago, but didn't last very long). I think it's easier to get from Missouri to Utah on 70. I-40 through NM and Ariz. is a very, very busy truck route, I-70 is a bit less so. Utah 2 lane roads are generally good though the road from Cisco to Moab along the Colorado R., though beautiful, is quite narrow in spots. Independence Pass in Colorado is not for RV's and may have a length limit (if not, it should). It's got some very narrow parts with blind curves.

Most of the most spectacular parts of Canyonlands NP are only accessible with a 4wd, bike, or on foot. A full sized truck might have a difficult time there. We went all over the park years ago, but in smaller SUV's and pickups as well as hiking. There's still a lot to see there otherwise. Find a campground right away and set out in your truck to explore. Island in the Sky District has a road around it, but it's 4wd. The Maze District is only accessible by 4wd and is the most amazing place, but you'd need to bring a tent, sleeping bags, etc. and bring the truck only. It's a long drive just to get there. The Needles District is most accessible; the 4wd drive areas are also amazing. It's easy to spend a week each in the last two Districts.

It's hot in the summer, really hot. September is a little cooler, October and November are better. Weather can change quickly from warm days to snow hours later though that's unlikely until November. Don't worry about fall colors—almost all the trees are conifers except for aspen. Aspen generally changes in late September, but like the weather, is unpredictable. In southern Utah, you'll only see aspen on the high mountains.

Sounds like you're not familar with the West. It's dry—if you go hiking, bring plenty of water. Altitude may affect you—everyone reacts differently. There are long distances between places and often you have little choice of how to get there is some fairly direct way (those mountain ranges have a nasty habit of getting in the way). There are fewer campgrounds and a lot in Colorado start closing in October. Check the campground directories carefully for closing dates and call ahead if unsure. There are lots of state parks and federal lands with campgrounds, often without hookups, but one day boondocking from time to time will give you access to some wonderful places. The national forest campgrounds are open only for a few months these days as budget cuts are eliminating opportunities for recreational users.

The sights to see in the West are amazing. Some are hard to get to. Extra effort is worth it. Enjoy our part of the country.

Gene

[TLMILLER]

Thank you so much for your input. I have heard other people say that 2 wks. is not long enough as well. We are still in the planning stages, so we will see.