LA to Denver - Bryce and Arches

[Cheree]

Hey fellow road trippers! I am in need of your help. My friends and I are going to be driving from Los Angeles,CA to Littleton,CO and back in a matter of 5 days and we need some helpful advice. We know that Las Vegas is going to be our first stop but after that we're not sure. If anyone knows any cool places to stop and cheap places to stay over night it would be much appreciated if you could help us out and make this road trip an unforgettable one. Thanks so much!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Hey fellow road trippers!

Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum.

I am in need of your help. My friends and I are going to be driving from Los Angeles,CA to Littleton,CO and back in a matter of 5 days and we need some helpful advice.

I would suggest Green River, Utah. A good selection of motels and a great place for burgers -- Ray's Tavern. (Here is an article about the area).

Happy Planning!

Mark

[fritzner]

Zion is pretty cool and right on the way..

i am also traveling from LA to Denver in early June.. we are hoping to see a few things but we dont have alot of time -- leaving wed afternoon, arriving fri afternoon, then back again sun thru tues.. so we cant go too far out of the way.. i have already been to Zion, so i would like to see something else..

the grand canyon would be cool, but would probably add at least a day (maybe 2 for the south rim)..

i think we will go to arches NP/moab since it isnt too far out of the way..

i would like to go to Bryce, but i think it might take to long..

oddly, just sticking to the interstate would be pretty scenic in itself.. from what i have read, it is one of the best sections of interstate in the country.. we will probably try to explore on the way, then just enjoy the I-70 on the way back..

i didnt mean to steal your thread, just trying to work together.. any suggestions are appreciated..

have a great trip!!..

[Cheree]

Have you been to Colorado before? We are going to stick to the interstate I think and then come home through the Grand Canyon. I wish I had some advice for you, but this is all new to me as well.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Zion is pretty cool and right on the way.

. Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Are you comfortable with off-highway driving? Because there are a couple of very cool dirt roads right off the Interstate near the Black Dragon overlook.

Failing that, I would certainly suggest that you have time to go check out the Goblins in Goblin Valley

I think we will go to arches NP/moab since it isnt too far out of the way..

The Arches detour will take 2-3 hours, and it is pretty cool. Another great place (4-5 hour detour) is the Colorado Monument outside of Grand Junction.

If SR-82 is open, it makes a really nice drive from Glenwood Springs to Aspen to US-24 and then north on SR-91 rejoining I-70 at milepost 195 for the descent in to Denver.

Hope this helps!

Mark

[fritzner]

wow, you are an amazing source of information.. they sound like great suggestions, i will definitely look into them.. thanks so much for the estimated detours..

Have you been to Colorado before?

i flew to Denver and visited Boulder and Breckenridge.. and i have driven to Zion from LA thru Vegas.. this will be the 1st time connecting the 2.. cant wait..

[fritzner]

we will be going from LA to Den the 1st wk of June.. unfortunately we dont have a ton of time, but we are going to make time to swing by a few of the "less out of the way" sites..

i have been reading this forum for 2 wks now -- there is some great info on here!!..

we will be mostly traveling I-15 and I-70 and are thinking of hitting Bryce and Arches (we have already been to Zion, Vegas, and the Hoover Dam)..

looks like route 89 is the best / only way to Bryce.. any other options??..

how is route 128 between ~Moab and I-70 along the CO river - passing trhu Dewey??.. looks like it could be a cool/scenic road -- or is it an overly difficult road to travel??..

i also see a very small road that sort of parallels toute 191, but goes thru Arches NP.. is that an option, or is it a dirt road or just a internal park access road??..

thanks for any insight..

i just found some small roads from Bryce back to I-70 -- route 22 to 62 to 24.. is the scenery worth the extra time??.. or should i just stick to route 89??..

[AZBuck]

If you're as pressed for time as you indicate, then I'd strongly urge that you forego any road that is not on a reputable paper map. The problem with software packages is that their extensive database of roads includes gravel, dirt, and 4WD-only paths. For Bryce, I'd leave I-15 at Cedar City and head in via UT-14, US-89, and UT-12 and return to I-15 via UT-12, US-89 (north) and UT-20. Similarly, for Arches, I'd leave and return to I-70 via US-191. UT-128 is probably an OK road and is marked in my atlas as scenic, but if time is limited, I'd save it for the parks - any road in this neck of the woods is going to be scenic enough to suffice.

AZBuck

[Mark Sedenquist]

i have been reading this forum for 2 wks now -- there is some great info on here!!..

Thanks! I moved your original thread around some -- hopefully this will make sense to someone....

we will be mostly traveling I-15 and I-70 and are thinking of hitting Bryce and Arches (we have already been to Zion, Vegas, and the Hoover Dam)..

You would actually use SR-14 from I-15 over to US-89 and then SR-12 over to Bryce. You can stay on SR-12 all the way up to Torrey and then east on SR-24 to Hanksville. At this point you can either stay on SR-24 and go north to I-15 (stop and see the Goblins) or turn south on SR-95 and zip southeast over to US-191 and then north to Moab and I-15.

how is route 128 between ~Moab and I-70 along the CO river - passing thru Dewey??..

SR-128 is a good paved road, but you would not be able to enter Arches NP from this road.

i also see a very small road that sort of parallels toute 191, but goes thru Arches NP..

That is probably County road 145, yes it is dirt and I am not sure it will be open yet this time of year. Basically it connects the Devils Garden and the Little Valley Road (which meets I-15 at exit 185). It could easily take 10 hours to cover this distance...

Mark

[Quebec Gen]

how is route 128 between ~Moab and I-70 along the CO river - passing trhu Dewey??.. looks like it could be a cool/scenic road -- or is it an overly difficult road to travel??..

Route 128 is probably one of my favourite scenic road. The driver must pay attention to the road though because it is a curvy road that follows huge rock cliffs one one side and the river on the other side. There may be rocks on the road too so be careful. There are plenty of camping, mountain biking and rafting opportunities along the route if that's your thing.

You'll be passing by Dewey Suspension Bridge which is the longest suspension bridge in Utah and used to be the longest east of the mighty Mississippi. It's a great picnic stop.

Gen