Denver to Arches National Park - Early October Route

Hi everyone,

On October 8th my daughter and I will leave SE Michigan en route to Glendale Arizona. We're taking the opportunity to visit Arches, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks along the way. Stops in St. Louis (relatives), Denver then Arches, etc.

Whenever I map out a route from Denver to Arches using Google or otherwise, lately they have not sent me fully westbound on I-70. Instead it routes me south onto "91" then to 24 and onto route 82 before rejoining I-70. This adds a couple of hours to the drive.

Is there something I'm missing or is it seasonal closures. Previously the mapped route went straight through I-70. Now it does not.

As usual I'm sure weather may play a part in this re-route. I plan to be monitoring the weather and conditions at the time of travel, but I'm just wondering if I-70 is STILL an option even though the current mapping software won't allow me to use it.

Thanks everyone,

Hello, and welcome to the RTA Forum!

There will never be seasonal closures on an Interstate Highway; when there are temporary closures for seriously bad storms, the roads are opened again as quickly as possible. If you're using Google, make sure you haven't selected the option that avoids highways. Other than that, the software should give you the most direct route, which is I-70 west to US 191, and then south to the National Park. All but the last 30 miles or so will be on I-70.

Rick

Welcome to RTA!

This is one of the problems with mapping software. In your case, it's just being stupid. Cotrip.org shows no problems on I-70 that would affect you. There are no seasonal closures on Interstates but if the weather is bad there may be a snow tire or chains requirement.

https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-...leChainLaw.pdf

Get to I-70 west from wherever you are in Denver, take that to Exit 214 in Utah, go about 8 miles, then turn left on UT-128 to US-191, you will be about 1.5 miles south of the park entrance.

To get to Zion, I'd recommend you take the scenic route, weather permitting. Take US-191 north to I-70, take that west to UT-24, take that through Hanksville, past Capitol Reef to Torrey. Take UT-12 past Bryce Canyon to US-89. Take that south to UT-9 and enter Zion through the tunnel. If weather does not permit, then just take I-70 to I-15 to Zion. UT-12 is one of the great scenic drives in the country.

From Zion, take UT-9 to US-89 to AZ-64 to the GC. The other option is go west out of the park to Hurricane, then UT-59/AZ-389 to Fredonia. You can take Alt-89 to US-89 either direction - through Kanab or Jacob Lake. US-89 will take you to AZ-64 to the east entrance of the GC.

Thank you Rick. Closing a portion of an interstate didn't make sense to me either. Maybe Google, AAA, Mapquest, etc. calculates based on some real-time information like you say (storms, construction).

When I mapped it out last week it did indeed go straight through. Now it shows the detour.

Thanks again for the information.

Thanks glc. Like I mentioned to Rick, something's up with the route planners that's not readily apparent.

I did indeed check with the Colorado highway website and though the cameras show some snow on the roads, it's nothing that would stop anyone from driving. Wet pavement. I guess I'll revisit it when I'm in Denver for the actual conditions and detours.

Thanks as well for the tips on routing to the parks. I'm looking forward to it. I've been to Zion and G-Canyon. Both are magnificent. This time my daughter wants to do quite a bit of hiking. SHE is climbing Angels Landing. Notice the emphasis on "SHE". lol.

Thanks again, I've noted your suggestions. I'm also taking plenty of paper maps!

I just found this...

https://weather.com/storms/winter/ne...y-october-2017

So like you suggested, it's heavily dependent on the weather at the time. Nothing permanent.

You don't say how much time you are allowing for the trip but even with good weather you can not drive from St Louis to Denver in a single day safely, it's 850 miles, which is 300 miles more than we would recommend before fatigue becomes an issue.

Having traveled down I-70 in both directions many, many times, I concur with Dave: St Louis to Denver is NOT a one-day drive. Break it up into two days with a stop around Hays, KS. That town has loads of motels to choose from.

BTW, UT-128 is not for the faint-hearted. There are several places along there, where the only thing between your car and a drop-off is a guardrail. I'm not usually bothered by that, but it was quite a sensation when we drove it a few years back. There *are* gorgeous views, but not many places to pull over. You may recognize a lot of the scenes, especially if you are a fan of old western movies. It's not listed in imdb.com, but there's one view that my husband saw where he immediately said, " EIGER SANCTION!" (Clint Eastwood movie). If it wasn't filmed there, they found somewhere that is very close to it in scenery.


Donna

Donna. Are you sure you experienced that on UT128 and perhaps not one of the loop roads off of it ? My memory is very different as I found it to be a pretty relaxed drive albeit twisty in places and that was in a 30ft RV.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...h/DSCF0393.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...h/DSCF0398.jpg

Dave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

You don't say how much time you are allowing for the trip but even with good weather you can not drive from St Louis to Denver in a single day safely, it's 850 miles, which is 300 miles more than we would recommend before fatigue becomes an issue.

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Yeah, sorry about the lack of details.

We plan to arrive in the Phoenix area Friday. So we're leaving Michigan Sunday early AM to arrive in St. Louis late Sunday morning or early afternoon. Then leaving St. Louis after some sleep (at relatives home) either around midnight or early in the am (3am or so) toward Denver.

After arriving in Denver (hotel) Monday we're pretty much playing it by ear and conditions. Arches NP then Zion.

I've been to Zion before and we may stay longer in that area depending on the hikes my daughter wants to take. FYI: Nope, I will not be accompanying her to the top of Angels Landing (heights, lol). Though the Grand Canyon is on our list, its only a quick drive through visit en route to Phoenix. Depending on the time spent elsewhere it might also be nixed as its close enough to Phoenix, she can visit on weekends.

We PLAN to arrive at the park gates each day as they open for the day. So it may include some dispersed camping along the way near Arches and Zion.

So yes, Southwest Dave, fatigue could be a real issue. I plan to take it easy and enjoy the scenery.

Wow, thanks Donna and Southwest Dave.

I'm under the impression that from St. Louis to Denver is approximately 12-13 hours. Since I like lots of stops and stretch breaks with food (lol) I'm thinking between both my daughter and I driving it can be done with no problem. I've done worse to the east coast before.

But I haven't driven this route before so I'm unfamiliar with it. So I appreciate your advice and will take it to heed. I'll monitor it as we go.

Donna I appreciate the heads up about UT128. My maps are routing me from I-70 to 191. So we'll be coming down the west side of Arches which looks much simpler.

We are definitely out west and visiting parks for the scenery, so this route is another great option to consider.

It would seem you have taken your travel time estimates straight off an electronic map. To cover 850 miles in 12 hours would mean you have to travel at 70mph from start to finish with no slow downs, no stops for fuel, bathroom or rest and have zero hold ups due to construction, congestion or weather. In other words, it's not going to happen in the real world with problems a computer does not compute. It's more like 15 hours with minimal stops and the fact there are 2 of you makes little difference as neither will be getting any proper rest while the other is driving. That means you will both be fatigued and means the driver is just as likely to drop off to sleep as the passenger. Starting drives at midnight or 3 in the morning is also a bad idea as it just means you will again be fatigued later in the day and then that will carry through your trip with your body clocks being way out of sync. In the nicest possible way you really need a rethink.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by landa220

Donna I appreciate the heads up about UT128. My maps are routing me from I-70 to 191. So we'll be coming down the west side of Arches which looks much simpler.

We are definitely out west and visiting parks for the scenery, so this route is another great option to consider.

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This drive adds little time and is very scenic so I would consider taking it. I would recommend you get paper maps rather than relying on electronics so that you get to go the way you want to go. Sometimes a Sat Nav will add 100 miles or more to a journey to keep you on Interstate and all to save 10 minutes and at the cost of missing some lovely scenery like this little detour.

It's not even a detour - it's actually about 7 miles shorter!

Hello again:

Getting back to that marathon drive from St. Louis to Denver: as a general rule of thumb, you should always add at least 20% to whatever fantasy time Google assigns to a drive between two points. That allows for fuel stops, bio breaks, traffic (slow trucks!), and a very brief lunch stop. By that calculation, the 12.5 hour drive, which is already much too long, becomes a 15 hour drive, just as Dave said, and that's not just exhausting, it's dangerous! Please take us seriously when we say this: fatigue is a killer, and even if it doesn't kill you literally, it'll take a toll on you physically, and it's just really not worth the time you save by not stopping in between the two cities.

The smart move here is to take a more casual pace. Get a decent nights' sleep in St. Louis; leave there at a more reasonable time of morning, and head west. Hays, Kansas is a bit over 500 miles, which is really plenty for one day; If you're bound and determined to push yourself, Colby, Kansas would be about 109 miles more, for a total of 620. That's the absolute MOST I would recommend--and only if you get a full nights' sleep before starting out! Either way, your second day would be a piece of cake, and you'd arrive in Denver early enough to see a thing or two.

My two cents.

Rick

And of course if Denver was only chosen as an overnight stop option, you could go right through there next day and get closer to Arches NP. Oakley KS has limited lodging choices and is 600 miles from St Louis and the following day 550 miles would get you to Fruita CO which is just 100 miles from Arches NP. It'll be safer, more relaxed and you will arrive to Arches fresh and ready for a day of exploring.

First off, Thank You guys for all your great advice and suggestions. I'm glad to see we have a wonderful and experienced group of contributors to this site. I understand and have taken into account all of your suggestions.

My daughter and I are true road warriors and not afraid of a long drive, heck she and another girl drove straight through to Dallas from Michigan, LOL. I did it once myself when I was much younger. That being said I do indeed plan on taking my time.

Okay, here's the latest curve.

As of an hour ago the layover in St. Louis is a "no-go" for scheduling issues with family. So we'll take the Omaha, Des Moines route to Denver. We will stay in one of those places to cut the trip in half. We'll decide which one when my daughter arrives here in a day or so.

As usual, I'll check before we head out to see if by any chance any weather will impact that route as its a bit more north than going through Missouri and Kansas.

I do indeed agree with you all about adding some "float" to any travel time estimates. I appreciate the corrections.

So thank you for the suggestions about the approach to Arches. Depending on the time of day, it sounds like something we should do.

Looks like I'll be going back to AAA to get a stack of more paper maps, TripTiks and Tour Books. It's funny because the representative and I were laughing about me taking this opportunity to teach my daughter how to read (and fold) a paper road map.

I appreciate you all...

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

And of course if Denver was only chosen as an overnight stop option, you could go right through there next day and get closer to Arches NP. Oakley KS has limited lodging choices and is 600 miles from St Louis and the following day 550 miles would get you to Fruita CO which is just 100 miles from Arches NP. It'll be safer, more relaxed and you will arrive to Arches fresh and ready for a day of exploring.

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Yes it is an "option", but since we have friends we can visit, we made it (Denver) a hard stop.

Yes, do teach your daughter to read (and fold) a paper map. So far, nothing electronic can replace the detail of a paper map, at least as far as GPS/satnav's and mapping programs are concerned. Whether you get a TripTik is totally up to you -- they do give you "G", "F" and "L" markings at each interstate exit about the availability of Gas, Food and Lodging, and the back always has interesting information about the area in which you're traveling.

Yes, glc, I am sure about the UT-128. Unfortunately, I'm not at the computer that currently houses the photos that I took from that road, or I would post one or two. It's gorgeous, though!


Donna

Whoa - you need to rethink this - you are going to try to do this in 6 days while visiting Arches, Zion, and the Grand Canyon? Even if you cut out the GC, that's not enough time.

2 days from Michigan to Denver, 1 day from Denver to Arches, 1 day from Arches to Zion, 1 day from Zion to Phoenix via Las Vegas (I-15 to I-515/US-93) - this only gives you ONE day to see TWO parks. Add just one more day and you can do it. This will give you 1 day in each park.

UPDATE!
We finished the first leg of the trip. I'm now at a campsite an hour outside Denver.

The drive was great as expected. In total it took a little less than 20hrs. So when I'm at the hotel tomorrow, it should be approximately 20hrs. This includes several stops and small side excursions along the way as well as a long extended sit down meal for dinner. No sweat as we never let ourselves get tired before we stopped, explored, stretched and switched drivers.

Well, back to the original reason for the post. It's supposed to snow here tomorrow so i guess I'll see if westbound I-70 is open for traffic.

Should be a fun week. I'll attach pictures when I'm in the parks.

If you drove 20 straight hours, even with multiple drivers, and even if you didn't "feel" tired, it is an absolute certainty that you were driving while significantly fatigued. That's just a physical reality and it's why you'd lose your license for doing something like that if you were a professional driver. It is a shame that you disregarded the important safety advice you were previously given, and it is even more disturbing that you think what you did was safe. We are happy that you have made it this far without causing a crash, and we hope when your​ luck eventually runs out, that you don't hurt too many other innocent people in the process.