Grand Canyon North Rim-Cape Royal Drive-Suitable in an RV?

[Southwest Dave]

Oh yes the Moki Dugway, have a look at this page. [You can find info on Bryce, Zion etc by scrolling through other pages back and forth.]

The tunnel in Zion really isn't a big problem and it is a spectacular drive. If you have any specific questions about RV'ing then ask away. If you want to share more details of your trip we might be able to make suggestions or help fine tune them.

Dave.

The Canyon overlook trail has very limited parking and you will be lucky to get an RV parked there. There is a bigger pull out further up the road at Checkaboard Mesa that might do but not sure how long the walk back would be.

[John259]

The OP is from England, so presumably the RV will be rented. There will almost certainly be a clause in the rental agreement forbidding the use of the vehicle on unpaved roads, and of course the Moki Dugway is unpaved. Judging from dashcam videos of the road I wouldn't recommend it in an RV anyway, especially if you're lacking experience and/or confidence.

Unless anyone knows different, of course...

[mikejay]

We are a family of 6 with 4 kids age 17,15,14 and 4, our full itinerary is:

UK-Washington DC for 2 nights-plan to see the museums and mall-not much else planned

Fly Washington-Vegas for 2 nights-plan to see the strip area chill out and pick up RV

Vegas-Mount Zion NP-for 2 nights-walk the narrows trail+??

Zion-North Rim GC-for 3 nights-various trails

North Rim-Monument Valley-for 1 night-hope to take guided Jeep tour in the valley

Monument Valley-Capitol Reef OR Lake Powell area-for 1 night (only night we haven't booked yet-suggestions welcomed on which might be the better option!)

Capitol Reef-Bryce Canyon for 2 nights-trails again+?horse trek

Bryce-Vegas-for 1 night-drop off RV collect people carrier/MPV

Vegas-Mammoth lakes (via death valley)-for 2 nights-

Mammoth Lakes-Yosemite-for 4 nights-hope to do the panorama trail, taft point, meadow trail....

Yosemite-Pacific Grove-for 4 nights-hope to take things easy+drive to Big Sur area, visit Monterey aquarium..-welcome suggestions for things to see en route from Yosemite-we plan to stop off at Mariposa Grove

Pacific Grove-San Fran-for 4 nights-probably drop off MPV on arrival-cycle across the bridge, see a baseball game,.....

Fly SF-Newark-for 3 night stay in Manhattan-Statue of Liberty, Empire State + usual tourist things

Newark-UK

We leave in mid July so we are all counting down the days now!!

Any advice on things to do/see on our various stops most welcome.

[Southwest Dave]

You're in for a heck of a good time !!

Vegas-Mount Zion NP-for 2 nights-walk the narrows trail+??

You can get great info from the nps.gov site for available Trails etc for all the National parks. When you arrive at the kiosk you will be given booklets with maps and info and best of all, the Rangers are always happy to tell you about their favourite spots and what is and what isn't suitable for a 4 year old, whether to expect sheer drop offs, steep climbs and will tell you if they are easy walks or strenouis hikes etc, so there is no shortage of info. For example the Narrows means wading through water and it can be tough, but there are so many great walks suitable for all ages and levels of fitness. The Riverside walk in Zion is a favourite for families along with the likes of Weeping rock and Emerald pools where there are 3 stages to choose from.

Monument Valley-Capitol Reef OR Lake Powell area-for 1 night (only night we haven't booked yet-suggestions welcomed on which might be the better option!)

They're both great options but Capitol Reef and the drive to it is quite wonderful, especially going from MV to Hanksville along UT24 and the scenic byway 12 to Bryce canyon. There are lots of great stops along the way but it's probably best to just stumble across them as you go and let time decide.

Again, in Yosemite there are many great trails, but you should allow a nice amount of time to travel over Tioga pass [CA120] so you can stop and take in the views, perhaps walk in Tuolumne meadows or around Tenaya Lake. Whatever you do don't miss the drive and short walk to Glacier point, it's quite something !

While in SF I would recommend a trip to Alcatraz, it's busy all year and to save waiting in ticket queues hoping to get a seat you are best of booking in advance. If this appeals then use the official nps site to save having to pay agents fees or book other tours you might not want.

When you arrive at Zion you can purchase an annual parks pass for $80 which will save you money over paying individual entry fees.

[Lifemagician]

... walk the narrows trail+??

No doubt the teenagers will love the Narrows. Not so sure about taking a four year old through them. The River Walk up to the Narrows is a wonderful walk, you will all enjoy. In 2007 when I was there, there was quite a bit of commotion up ahead. It turned out to be a rattle snake by the side of the path. It was just slithering around the boulders and trees. One squirrel sitting up on a rock was most disturbed by this and, with tail fully fluffed up, was throwing sand at the snake - to the amusement of all onlookers.

My grandchildren watch the little video I made of it with amazement.

Lifey

[mikejay]

Thanks for the suggestions Dave. I'm thinking we will probably take the Capitol Reef option between MV and Bryce. The tip on the annual pass for the park should save us a fair bit.

Fortunately our 4 year old is a pretty good walker so most of the short trails should be fine but I think they'll be a few such as the narrows and some of the longer or hairier walks where either my wife or myself will go with the big kids while the other stays and entertains our little one!

[DonnaR57]

If the Narrows has water in it, or it's been raining anywhere nearby, the rangers will probably recommend that you NOT take the 4-year-old into the Narrows. Emerald Pools and several other hikes are wonderful for small children. My daughters loved the Emerald Pools and the Weeping Walls ... especially the Weeping Walls!!!


Donna

[John259]

One of the many great things about Zion is the variety of the trails from one extreme to the other.

BTW the first part of the Angels Landing trail, up the initial set of zigzags to a magnificent view of the canyon and river below, is paved and walled and totally safe, if moderately strenuous. However, the famous final part of the same trail is exceedingly dangerous with huge unguarded drops on either side and only suitable for the very fit and the very brave. I did the first bit :)

[mikejay]

Hi all can I pick your collective brains again please!

I'm trying to finalise a route and schedule for this section of our summer road trip (full details on a previous thread). We only have a 1 night stay at Capitol Reef and I'm thinking we'll stay at the RV park in Torrey. I wonder if anyone has any experience of driving the Catherdral Valley Loop in Capitol Reef NP? I'm considering hiring a 4wd vehicle for the day and driving the 60 mile loop (looks like it will take around 6 hours with stops/picnic etc), drop off the 4wd then head off in the RV to Bryce. I've done a quick google search and it seems that Torrey-Bryce will take some 3-4 hours if we take it fairly leisurely with some stops to admire the views.

Any comments welcomed on whether this seems like a reasonable plan or whether it will it be too much for 1 day?

[Moderator Edit: PLEASE KEEP ALL POSTS ABOUT THE SAME TRIP IN YOUR ORIGINAL THREAD. THIS POST MOVED BACK HERE]

[Southwest Dave]

I've not driven it, but I can say that there is quite a bit to see in and around Capitol Reef without having the extra expense and time loss hiring a 4WD vehicle. Remember it would have to be a proper off road rental company which is usually more of a premium than a standard rental company who wouldn't let you take it off road. At the end of the day it really is coming down to personal preferences and how you want to spend your time. With just 1 night and quite a bit of travelling either side of it I personally would just enjoy more of what the park has to offer with easier access. I'd love to go off roading like that given the time, I just think that you are on too much of a time crunch to fully enjoy it and a puncture or breakdown in the middle of nowhere could add to that.

The scenic drive can be driven for just a $5 fee. I have tried twice to drive it, once arriving to late for daylight and a second attempt last Sept had us arrive with blue sky's and warm temperatures and looking forward to 'scratching that particular itch' only to find that flash floods the previous day had closed it down. Third time lucky I hope ! As well as the Gifford Homestead area and the old schoolhouse you have some nice trails like those at Panorama point. If you can get in the Fruita Campground near the Fremont river and surrounded by the historic orchards it's a great spot to camp, I'm pretty sure they are non-reservable sites though.