Utah National Parks

[glc]

No, I'm afraid not, only US citizens and permanent residents qualify for the lifetime senior pass.

[Jim72150]

Hello,

I am taking a road trip with my dog starting on October 5th from Columbus Ohio to Los Angeles. I need to be in LA by late night October 12th . I will be in Moab Utah by mid day on Oct 7th. I would like to visit Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion, while taking only scenic routes on route. I have realized that I don't have enough time to visit all these places. Could the group help me prioritize my stops and still get to LA on the 12th. Thanks ver much

Mod Note. Please keep all questions with regards to this trip in one thread. Thank-you.

[Southwest Dave]

It will really depend on if you want to extend your stay in a particular park or get a quick overview of each, tough choices whichever way, although the good news is there are no wrong choices !

On the 7th you could take a drive down to Grandview point in the 'Islands in the Sky' section of Canyonlands, stopping at Mesa Arch on the way and if time permits, take a detour to Dead horse Point state park. On the 8th you could spend the day at Arches NP and get an early start to Bryce on the 9th via scenic Byway 12, and possibly include a quick stop at Capitol Reef. On the 10th you could explore Bryce canyon and then head to Zion NP in the afternoon. On the 11th explore Zion and stay another night [Springdale is a great little town] or make a move towards LA, perhaps in Mesquite, or you could stay over in Vegas, finishing your journey into LA on the 12th.

[Jim72150]

Hello,

I am heading to LA via Utah next week and am traveling with my Dog. I was hoping to visit Zion on the way, however, I have read that passenger cars are not allowed on the Zion roads and that Shuttles are the only option. Obviously the shuttles will not allow my dog, so the question is should I even stop at Zion? Is there anything I can see there in a car?

Thanks

Jim

Moderator Note: Please stop creating new threads to ask additional questions about this trip. Failure to follow forum policies may result in a loss of your ability to post.

[AZBuck]

Pets are not allowed on the Zion Shuttle busses, and during the summer season (which runs to the end of October) the shuttle busses provide the only access to the main section of the park. In fact, the only place where dogs are permitted in Zion (leashed) is on the Pa'rus Trail which is a relatively short (1.7 mi.), wheelchair accessible, paved trail which begins at the Visitors Center near Springdale UT. If you really want to explore the canyons of Zion, then you'll have to board your dog while you do so. Kennels are available in Rockville, Kanab, Hurricane, St. George, and Cedar City.

AZBuck

[Midwest Michael]

You can drive through Zion on UT-9 in your own car, which is a scenic drive in its own right. Since you'll already be coming from Bryce, its still a drive I'd certainly recommend. The big thing you can't do without the shuttle is go on the road back into the canyons.

As Buck points out, you are extremely limited on where you can go with a dog inside Zion, however you should also know that the vast majority of National Parks, including the other ones in Utah, have similar regulations banning you from taking your dog along most trails and areas other than parking lots and campgrounds.

National Forest lands are often much better place to explore with a pet.

[joselynseifer]

Hey Jim, You are going to love Utah's National Parks! I would recommend spending more time in Arches than any of the others. Bryce is nice, but you can get some pretty epic views from the drive-to scenic stops along the way there. The hike up to Delicate Arch is relatively easy and pretty short, though there are some steep parts. We can usually get there in 30 minutes. Capital Reef and Canyonlands are great for day hikes. Capital Reef doesn't get much play because it's dwarfed by the staggering of Arches, but you should definitely go to both of those places if you have time.

[Jim72150]

To The Moderator,

This is the second time you have warned me about doing something wrong, and I have no idea what I am being scolded about. Please instruct how I should have gone about additional questions? Please be specific and I will follow the rules.

[Midwest Michael]

It is really quite simple, if you have additional questions regarding your trip through Utah, please post them here as a reply to this thread.

The post you were warned about were cases where instead of replying here, you hit "Create a New Thread" and forced a moderator to merge the post back here. We do this so everyone has the complete context of your entire trip, as well as the advise you've been given so far.

If you ever need to find this thread, you can go to your own profile by clicking your own name at the top right of the page and then go to "find all started threads."

[Jim72150]

Thank you Michael. I will do as you have instructed.

It is really quite simple, if you have additional questions regarding your trip through Utah, please post them here as a reply to this thread.

The post you were warned about were cases where instead of replying here, you hit "Create a New Thread" and forced a moderator to merge the post back here. We do this so everyone has the complete context of your entire trip, as well as the advise you've been given so far.

If you ever need to find this thread, you can go to your own profile by clicking your own name at the top right of the page and then go to "find all started threads."