Zion to Bryce (the long way...)

Hi all,

I'm looking for feedback on the route below. We are flexible with dates other than the April 5th-7th... we want to be in Bryce for the Full Moon Hike. Specifically, if you have any information on what to see and where to stay on the road between Page and Capitol Reef (Monument Valley? Natura Bridges NM? Capitol Reef?) we would appreciate feedback.



Sat, March 31 San Diego (Stop at Hoover Dam) possibly to Zion (depends on travel time)
Sun, April 01 Zion NP
Mon, April 02 Zion NP & drive to Page
Tue, April 03 Page, AZ (1/2 day boat trip to Rainbow Arch) to...
Monument Valley? Natura Bridges NM? Capitol Reef?

AZ-98 E
US-160 E
US-163 N to Monument Valley
UT-261 N
UT-95 N to Natural Bridges NM
UT-24 to Capitol Reef

Wed, April 04 Stay somewhere near Capitol Reef NP

Thu, April 05 Bryce NP
Fri, April 06 Bryce NP (Full Moon Hike)
Sat, April 07 Bryce on to Arches...

Welcome!

Tuesday is not realistic, it's going to take you a lot longer than half a day to get from Page to MV and then to Capitol Reef. It's over 300 miles, which will be a minimum of 6 hours, and that's with NO sightseeing stops. The only lodging along the way is in Kayenta, in MV itself, and Mexican Hat. There is nothing along UT-95 or in Hanksville.

The only lodging near Capitol Reef is in Caineville and Torrey.

Take UT-12 from Capitol Reef to Bryce - it's spectacular.

I can tell you where NOT to stay in Page - the Super 8 is poorly maintained and customer service is completely unresponsive.

Thank you so much for the feedback... I don't think I made it very clear... All that was not to be on Tuesday... I've got Tuesday night and Wednesday night to go the distance. So looking at Tues thru Thurs again, will this work?

Tuesday afternoon from Page to Mexican Hat and spend the night there.
Wednesday morning drive to/through Natural Bridges & Capitol Reef spend the night in Caineville or Torrey.
Thursday morning drive UT-12 to Bryce.

Thanks again!!

Hello Andrea.

You don't say what your next step is after Arches. I'm not sure if your 3 threads are 'snippets' of the same trip, [?] but we prefer that we keep one trip to one thread as seeing the full picture gives us a much better chance of giving sound advice. For example you are quite rushed here and you might be able to adjust things if you have a little extra time further down the track.

It still looks a little rushed here, especially when you are planning a boat trip to Rainbow bridge. A half day tour is likely to take up more time by the time you have got to the boat got on and off etc and got back out the Mariner.

Depending on how much you want to do the Moonlit tour in Bryce, I would have considered going to Zion, then Bryce then Page. Then from Page make a more direct trip to Moab through Monument valley, with a possible side trip to Natural Bridges and leave Capitol Reef this time. As lovely as it is, sometimes less is more. That would save over 300 miles and even if you took this route and detoured to Capitol Reef as well, it would still save a couple of hundred miles compared with back tracking all the way to Bryce and then back to Moab.

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There is nothing along UT-95 or in Hanksville.

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George. I'm 99% sure that there are 3 or 4 lodging options in Hanksville.

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George. I'm 99% sure that there are 3 or 4 lodging options in Hanksville.

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If so, they aren't listed. When I search on hotels.com for Hanksville, the only thing that comes up is the Rodeway Inn in Caineville.

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Tuesday afternoon from Page to Mexican Hat and spend the night there.

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May I suggest you look at Kayenta instead? That way, if you are running late coming in from Page, you won't be going through MV when it might be getting dark. Kayenta to Torrey is 220 miles, which can easily be done in 4 to 5 hours plus sightseeing stops. Page to Kayenta is less than 2 hours.

I do research on hotels in a little different way, and came up with 4 listings in Hanksville: The Hanksville Inn, Whispering Sands Motel, Best Value Inn, and Desert Inn. There are also two B&B's and at least one campground (Hanksville Inn and CG).



Donna

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

I'm not sure if your 3 threads are 'snippets' of the same trip, [?] but we prefer that we keep one trip to one thread as seeing the full picture gives us a much better chance of giving sound advice.

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Hi Southwest Dave,

The threads Zion to Bryce (the long way...), Oklahoma City to Tucson, and Denver to Des Moines in April... Kansas vs. Nebraska, are parts of a longer trip. I am trying to piece together a month long trip... Looking at the whole trip, was more than I could mentally handle, so I was trying narrow down options one segment at a time. What do you recommend at this point... is there a way to connect the three? Should I start one new one with the whole trip?

Ultimately our trip, taking the whole month of April, will take us round-trip from San Diego to Chicago. We're planning on taking the Northern route (UT, CO, SD, IA, IL) on the way there and the Southern (MO, OK, TX, NM, AZ) on the return. There are a few constraints to timing and locations.

I really do want to do the full moon hike, so that is the main reason for considering the "long way" around in UT.

Here is the basic frame for the whole trip...

Sat, March 31 San Diego to Hoover Dam to Zion
Sun, April 01 Zion
Mon, April 02 Zion to Page AZ
Tue, April 03 Page AZ for Lake Powell boat trip to Rainbow Arch to ? Mexican Hat
Wed, April 04 Mexican Hat to Torrey
Thu, April 05 Torrey to Bryce
Fri, April 06 Bryce - Full Moon Hike **
Sat, April 07 Bryce to Arches
Sun, April 08 Arches
Mon, April 09 Canyonlands
Tue, April 10 Colorado
Wed, April 11 Colorado -RMNP
Thu, April 12 South Dakota
Fri, April 13 South Dakota
Sat, April 14 South Dakota - De Smet
Sun, April 15 Iowa - Dubuque / Iowa City
Mon, April 16 Iowa - Dubuque / Iowa City
Tue, April 17 Iowa - Dubuque / Iowa City
Wed, April 18 Chicago
Thu, April 19 Chicago
Fri, April 20 Chicago
Sat, April 21 Chicago **
Sun, April 22 Chicago, IL to St Louis
Mon, April 23 Oklahoma City
Tue, April 24 Oklahoma City to Roswell, NM
Wed, April 25 Roswell, NM
Thu, April 26 Tucson, AZ
Fri, April 27 Tucson, AZ
Sat, April 28 Tucson, AZ
Sun, April 29 San Diego


Please let me know what you think.

-Andrea

Andrea, That is exactly what Dave meant. Even if you only want to attack one small section at a time. The advice you will get will be so much more relevant and coherent when members can see where it sits in the big picture.

Leave it up to the mods whether the threads should be combined. But even with the next part of the trip, feel free to continue in this thread.

That is a great month long trip you have there... and yes, I agree, when there is something you really want to do, then the bit of backtracking is worth it. Years ago I did the same to see the sunset at the Grand Canyon with the full moon. The photos (framed) are a constant memory.

Lifey

Looking for some help with this leg of my month long trip...

Sat, April 07 Bryce to Arches
Sun, April 08 Arches - 10am reservations for Fiery Furnace Hike
Mon, April 09 Canyonlands
Tue, April 10 Colorado
Wed, April 11 Colorado -RMNP

I just discovered that there is a Jeep Safari going on in Moab that week, which makes me wonder if I should re-think that part of the plan. We are not 4-wheelers and will likely want to avoid the crowds, so any information on this off-road event and the impact on my enjoyment of the parks would be appreciated.

I suppose we could do these NP another time, but I'm considering trying to drive from Bryce to do the Fiery Furnace Hike on Saturday afternoon (2pm) and then maybe heading toward Grand Junction for the night. Is this do-able &/or worth it, or would you recommend I just skip it this trip and spend more time in Colorado or South Dakota. I'm also wondering what Rocky Mt. NP is like in April...

Sorry for being so "all over the map" here!!
Thanks!!

Hi Andrea.

Sorry I didn't get back to you earlier, I took a 'mini' vacation. I think it best that we continue with all questions regarding this trip here, as suggested by Lifey.

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Sorry for being so "all over the map" here!!

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No worries. It's all part of the fun ! The pieces of the puzzle will eventually fit.

I have not been to Moab during such an event, but yes it looks pretty wild ! Lodgings could become your biggest concern, but the main areas of the National park shouldn't be too effected by the 'Off-road brigade', as they will be heading away from the beaten path. Tough call though !

There is quite a bit to do and see in Arches with easy access to areas, like the 'Windows' section, and unless you really want to do that particular hike there is no real reason to tie yourself down to timing.

Near to Grand Junction [Fruita] is the Colorado National Monument which has a lovely rim drive and could offer an alternative. If you are unsure about Moab [maybe someone will come along who has experienced the Jeep Safari] another option would be to head to the incredible Mesa Verde NP near Cortez. The good would be that you could head up the wonderfully scenic 'Million Dollar Highway' through the mountain towns of Silverton and Ouray to US50 and past Black canyon of the Gunnison, through Currecanti Rec area over Monarch Pass, the [possible] downside would be that you would be going down through Page and Kayenta again to avoid Moab.

The Trail Ridge road through RMNP is going to be closed when you travel, but Estes park makes a good base to explore around the Bear Lake area. The weather could literally throw up anything from warm with blue skies to cold and snowy. You will need to pack layered clothing for this trip anyway.

Looks like lodging prices for Moab during that time are increased 40-60%!! OUCH! So with that, and the crowds, I've decided to pass on that area and I'm mourning the loss. When I get past all the stages of grief I'm going to look into Colorado NM and your other suggestions. :)

Be back in a few days!

Using the RTA hotel search, I found you a room in Moab at the Silver Sage Inn for $82 a night on April 7th and 8th. The Motel 6 in Green River is also available at $52 a night, that doesn't show up on any of the booking sites, Motel 6 does not list with any of them, you have to use their own website. The Motel 6 in Moab is already booked out.

Thanks glc for going the extra mile!! I'll consider the rooms you located. I appreciate your help!!

-Andrea

Next piece of the trip we're looking at is after we leave Moab. We've decided to take Rocky Mt NP off the list for this trip and try that another time when the weather is warmer and the Trail Ridge road is open.

Since my daughter really wants to stop at Dinosaur NM on the border of UT and CO our plan is to head there next (with a possible stop at the Colorado National Monument on the way as you suggested Southwest Dave.) From Dino NM we would head toward South Dakota.

My concern is road conditions at that time of year (snowstorms, winter road closures, etc.)... I imagine the Interstate is my best bet, but Google Map has me taking smaller highways. So I'm looking for feedback/options to make the drive from Dino NM to South Dakota.

Two options I see are...

Rawlins, Casper & Gillette... From there we could visit the Devils Tower (Close Encounters) NM then head down to Rapid City, SD and go from there.

Rawlins, to Laramie, to Cheyene and go up through Nebraska.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
-Andrea

As long as the weather permits, I'd take US-40 to Craig, then CO-13/WY-789 to I-80. At Rawlins, take US-287/WY-220 to Casper. From there, there are several ways to go depending on your interests. All the state road conditions websites are accessible from safetravelusa.com.

Thanks glc,

I'll look at safetravelusa.com. and the routes you suggested!!

-Andrea

If staying in Monument Valley area, I would suggest staying at Goulding's Lodge as it is the closest lodging and has wonderful views of MV from the on site restaurant, motel and campground.

If you have the time between Natural Bridges and Capitol Reef...let me suggest a wonderful side excursion outside of Hanksville that it not well known, just a half hour north of Hanksville is a turnoff to a place called Goblin Valley N.P. It is approx. another 20-30 minutes of travel along a well maintained dirt road, it is much like Fiery Furnace in Moab (which I hiked before it became "guided only" and became quite lost very quickly ;) Goblin Valley is on a much smaller scale and doesn't require a guide or appt. to explore. Also right outside of Goblin Valley is a slot canyon called Little Wild Horse Canyon...of course this is a place you would NOT want to hike in flash flood conditions, there are two different courses to take. One is approx. 3 hours and the other is approx 4-5 hours. I highly suggest consulting with a park ranger at Goblin Valley before taking this hike, as it is self guided but I took my 9 year old along and while I found it a little challenging in a couple of spots it was overall a fairly easy hike.

Highway 12 from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon is one of the most scenic drives I have ever been on, you go from quakies and pines to desert and the views are wonderful! Just a warning though...along the route is a spot called Hogsback and for less than a mile you will drive along a stretch with drop offs on BOTH sides...feels like you are floating on air for a bit ; )

ETA: Moab is super busy in the spring (with April being the busiest) getting reservations ahead of time is a MUST in this area if you are planning on arriving Thursday nights through Sunday nights.

2X on Goblin Valley State Park - walking among the "Goblins" is a unique experience.

If you have time check out the view at Gooseneck State Park on US 163. For another interesting experience, drive up the Moki Dugway on UT 261. At the top take the dirt road out to Muley Point. The view at the end is magnificent.

Images are Gooseneck State Park, Moki Dugway, & Goblin Valley.