Anyone driven Utah's Big 5 National Parks...??

[DandyDon]

No diving planned this trip which is why I posted this in General Travel instead of the respective geographic forum. I'm sure I could enjoy a few weeks camping at all of these and probably survive, but this trip is planned for just a 6 night tour for roadside views and a few of the easiest hikes. My kids have their other trips to plan so I'll be solo, shooting lots of photos, posting previews to FB a couple times each day, and trying to stay out of trouble.

I know that some tour operators like to start such a loop in Vegas and end up in Salt Lake, but I've seen enough of those cities. I made a hobby of shopping United for 20K FF-mile round-trips with 6 nights as that's all I think I need for the tour, kept finding 8 night itineraries along with stupid plans involving 2 stops each way - many with very long layovers, and so forth. I have trips planned for late August to Cozumel and early October for the big Balloon Fiesta, and I wanted to avoid winter months with the risks of blizzards even in the desert, so I figured either this July or next spring. I finally found a 20K trip in early July that fits my needs and grabbed it. I know it'll be hot at times, but surely not as bad as Big Bend NP where I like to camp, and I'll be sleeping in hotels every night this trip. Very little hiking after 2pm any day. I'll carry vacuum bottles of cool water and my PLB in my backpack anywhere I go - car, on foot, whatever.

I'll hit a grocery on arrival to fill my vacuum bottles as well as get a couple of gallon jugs of emergency water and a pack of sodas. I'm taking a small cooler in my checked bag, and I have Subways located near almost every hotel so I can ice down a couple of sodas and a sub for lunches in the parks each day.

Suggestions for my plan...?

Sunday: I fly out of Lubbock at sunup, make the best of a 4 hour layover in Denver (got club passes!), and arrive St.George a little after 1pm with car reserved. I was amazed that I couldn't find a mid-size for less that $260 for the week after working so hard to avoid paying for flights, but booked the best I could. I'll head for a quick visit of Cedar Breaks National Monument on the way to Salina for the night. 3¾ hours, 221 miles driving planned, so I hope I won't be exhausted by then. Supper and early to bed.

Monday: Up early to load whenever breakfast is served, then from Salina to Dead Horse Point SP, then Canyonland NP, with reservations in Moab - 3½ hours, 211 miles.

Tuesday: Up early, then from Moab to Arches NP, Goblin SP, to Torrey - 3¼ hours, 177 miles.

Wednesday: Another early start from Torrey to Capitol Reef NP, then thru Grand Staircase NM, to Bryce - 2½ hours, 112 miles. Less driving each day as I double back across the state, spotty cell service on Verizon's map.

Thursday: Early as possible from Bryce to Bryce Canyon NP, then over to Hurricane - 2¼ hours, 130 miles for the day. Springdale would be closer to the next park, but that town is too proud of its hotels for my taste in spending.

Friday: I understand that private cars are not allowed in Zion NP but the free buses are frequent. Hurricane to Springdale looks like a 23 mile, 30 minute drive each way, so I'll leave the park driving to them. Back to Hurricane that night for two nights in the same hotel...!

Saturday: I'll sleep past sunup for the first time in a week, then mosey the last 22 miles of the trip to turn in the car. I guess I'll still have 2 sealed gallon jugs of emergency water to give to someone somewhere. 1:45pm flight from St.George to Denver, another 4 hour layover (got 2 club passes!), then back in Lubbock by 10:30pm.

I check my chosen hotels every now & then as trip date get closer as some will lower rates in hopes of avoiding unsold rooms, and I have already rebooked 2 of those in the same properties. But that's the basic drive, tour, eat, and sleep plan. Looking forward to seeing the sights I can.

 

[lowflyer]

I'm familiar with all of that country. Been in it many times. My personal choice would be to skip your "going-to" route across I-70. Salina is a pit, and it's a lot of driving for little to see along 70, though there is a section of interesting geology past Salina. Then barren country from 70 to Moab area.

I would concentrate my whole time spending more time at the attractions along your "coming-back" route, plus maybe adding Canyon Lands. Lots of good stuff to see, spend more time seeing it and not getting exhausted. With this approach you would visit Cedar Breaks on the way to or from Moab area.

Be flexible because those National Parks will be crowded. I don't know for sure, but it's possible that Arches and Zion may limit entry if it's crowded enough. I know Arches has done that, and Zion has talked about it. Even the bus system in Zion has become overburdened, used to be great.

You will be in a lot of very hot country in many of those places in July.

 

[mi000ke]

We hiked a Bryce, Zion and Canyon North Rim last year. The Narrows was as close as we came to diving...

 

[mikef]

This might be too radical a change, but have you thought of renting your car at Denver airport and driving to Moab? Advantages would be its about 6.5 hour drive, driving back route into Moab along the Colorado river is stunning, one less flight, probably a cheaper rental car out of Denver?

Heading back I'd go south through Monument Valley which is spectacular, I'd also contemplate Antelope Canyon after Monument Valley, but you may run out of time. The whole drive and locations of St George, Salina and Cedar Breaks really would be low on my list of things to see, the biggest sights to me and the circuit with the most bang for your buck are Moab, Arches, Canyon Lands, Needles, Bryce, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon.

As has been said and as you probably know, July will be crazy hot, dangerously hot and crowded, but I think you realize that. You said you had a possibility of doing the trip in the spring, I'd definitely want to do that trip in the spring versus July.

Glad to hear you have Goblin on your radar, that's a great place so many miss.Hope you can time your photography for early morning/late afternoon to capture those rock formations in side lighting and bring out the colors.

 

[Flotsam]

We just left Zion yesterday! Sounds like you are already planning early starts, and that's definitely the way to do it. On the weekend, there was a 30-45min wait for the shuttle going into the canyon from the visiter center before 8:30am, and the parking lot was full. We caught the first shuttle at 6am, and there was already a line at 5:45am but no wait. The upper part of the park, Kolob Canyon, is closed until fall because of repaving. However the middle park, along Kolob Terrace Rd, is open and beautiful as well. There are several slot canyons along the east road into the park that stay much cooler and are nice for exploring in the afternoon when it's blazing hot. The slickrock landscape is very different from the main canyon and the Bighorns like to hang out there

 

[JulieM]

We live St. George, Utah. We have taken the same trip. Whichever way you go, you are in for a treat. It will be hot so be sure to hydrate often. Our favorite was Canyonland and Capital Reef. Arches was very crowded and this was in November.

 

[DandyDon]

I appreciate the feedback, ideas, and suggestions...!!

I'm familiar with all of that country. Been in it many times. My personal choice would be to skip your "going-to" route across I-70. Salina is a pit, and it's a lot of driving for little to see along 70, though there is a section of interesting geology past Salina. Then barren country from 70 to Moab area.

Yeah, the only reason I planned on this approach is using St.George at the start & end of my drive plan, as the fastest way from St.George to Moab is by way of Salina, which is about halfway between the two. Do those boring miles early in the trip and get them over with.

I would concentrate my whole time spending more time at the attractions along your "coming-back" route, plus maybe adding Canyon Lands. Lots of good stuff to see, spend more time seeing it and not getting exhausted. With this approach you would visit Cedar Breaks on the way to or from Moab area.

I've got those two included in my original plan.

Be flexible because those National Parks will be crowded. I don't know for sure, but it's possible that Arches and Zion may limit entry if it's crowded enough. I know Arches has done that, and Zion has talked about it. Even the bus system in Zion has become overburdened, used to be great.

Oh really?! I'm glad I've planned on entering most of the Big Five by 7am most days, exploring as much as possible before 1pm most days. Dead Horse Point SP overlooking and Canyonlands will have to be later in the day so I'm hoping those work even if I don't get out of the air conditioned car often. Surely that Hertz car has remote start so I can get the AC going before trying to get back in.

The July heat is a challenge but also a benefit as I'd hoped it would discourage crowds, but I guess others will taking advantage of summer travels, too. The kids and I did Mt.Rushmore to Yellowstone before the eclipse last year, always watching for crowds, and even once inside we had to deal with crowded park roads and full parking lots.

This might be too radical a change, but have you thought of renting your car at Denver airport and driving to Moab? Advantages would be its about 6.5 hour drive, driving back route into Moab along the Colorado river is stunning, one less flight, probably a cheaper rental car out of Denver?

Heading back I'd go south through Monument Valley which is spectacular, I'd also contemplate Antelope Canyon after Monument Valley, but you may run out of time. The whole drive and locations of St George, Salina and Cedar Breaks really would be low on my list of things to see, the biggest sights to me and the circuit with the most bang for your buck are Moab, Arches, Canyon Lands, Needles, Bryce, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon.

An interesting approach. I had considered going on from Albuquerque to Moab after the huge Balloon Fiesta, then back thru Monument Valley - and I may do that in time. I got to Monument Valley once on a winter trip in spite of the blizzard ("You're our first visitor today" was heard several times on that one!), but couldn't get in. Which Needles? Arizona? I'm doing a similar park north of Albuquerque one afternoon of the Balloon Fiesta.

As has been said and as you probably know, July will be crazy hot, dangerously hot and crowded, but I think you realize that. You said you had a possibility of doing the trip in the spring, I'd definitely want to do that trip in the spring versus July.

I know, but this trip I'm just going to plan on 5am wake-ups and early starts. For the Balloon Fiesta, the kids & I are taking two vehicles to Albuquerque as I'm going earlier and staying longer. We'll be at the same hotel, but I think I'll be leaving an hour earlier than them to beat the hordes as they couldn't get up & go as early as I like to do that one. I'll do the park & ride buses that drop my lazy butt at the gate, they'll do the overflow parking lots when they get around to arriving, and we'll see each other at times.

After this trip, I might go back in the spring with my tent & gear for a better, cooler look. I did two weeklong camping trips last spring, one to Big Bend and a month later to south Texas, but got those wrong and still baked both trips. A month earlier would have been better on both, taking cold weather sleeping bags, except I'd have missed the bat flights downstate that early.

Glad to hear you have Goblin on your radar, that's a great place so many miss.Hope you can time your photography for early morning/late afternoon to capture those rock formations in side lighting and bring out the colors.

That one is late in a day - good shadows but hot. I'd love to do every one of these at sunup, but that'd just take more days.

We just left Zion yesterday! Sounds like you are already planning early starts, and that's definitely the way to do it. On the weekend, there was a 30-45min wait for the shuttle going into the canyon from the visiter center before 8:30am, and the parking lot was full. We caught the first shuttle at 6am, and there was already a line at 5:45am but no wait.

Wow! Good to know, thanks. I'm not going to try to carry my cooler & backpack both on the buses, and it sounds like I'll skip breakfast. I guess there are places to eat inside Zion? Hmm, not many. Just the lodge it seems. Maybe I'll carry a couple of bags of trail mix in my backpack.

We live St. George, Utah. We have taken the same trip. Whichever way you go, you are in for a treat. It will be hot so be sure to hydrate often. Our favorite was Canyonland and Capital Reef. Arches was very crowded and this was in November.

Good that I can enter Arches at sunup!

 

[CassieNYC]

We did the trip from Las Vegas to Moab and back. We had good hiking in Zion, Capitol Reef, and Arches. We were there in late May and got snowed on in Bryce. Grosvenor Arch was also pretty cool, although that was more of a drive up and look around stop. I would recommend skipping the petrified forest state park, not that you mentioned it -- it wasn't worth it for us.

 

[DandyDon]

We were there in late May and got snowed on in Bryce.

Wow, now I feel better about my summer plan.

Grosvenor Arch was also pretty cool, although that was more of a drive up and look around stop.

With my bad knee that's more my kind of exploring.

 

[robint]

Roadside views of all these places is a waste, IMHO. We have done a week or more at each place (other than Zion, haven't been there yet). You would be better off just going to one place or two, not trying to hit them all. And you need to get out of the car and walk a little bit. Otherwise you might as well stay home and watch a movie about them. As I said...my opinion, but I have been there.