Vacation to Utah--Canyonlands?

[Bugeater]

The Mrs and I are looking to do another Bucket List vacation this year. Right now we're planning on driving to Moab, hitting up Arches and Canyonlands as well as Zion and Bryce Canyon. I'm a little overwhelmed trying to figure out Canyonlands....the place is freaking huge and we're only planning on one day there. So i need to know the best areas too see there since there's no way in hell we're going to make it thru the entire place.

Anyone been there that can give me some insight on that, or for that matter, any of the other places listed?

TIA!

[Megatron96]

Canyonlands is a truly epic place. Depending on your fitness, how early you plan to start your day, and what exactly your primary missions are are important factors.

If you're not an experienced hiker, and your primary goal is to simply take in some incredible views and take some great pictures, probably you should visit both Island in the Sky and Needles.

Both are easy to access, and don't require much hiking experience. Both have great photographic opportunities. They are about 2 hours apart by car, I think. It's been some time since I've driven from IITS to Needles, but I'm pretty sure it's about 2-2.5 hours drive time. Less than 3 hours for sure.

I would try to make it to IITS near sunrise or sunset for the best light.

IITS District has multiple things to see, including Mesa Arch, which is an iconic spot:
https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/mesa-arch-at-sunrise-canyonlands-national-park-utah-picture-id924266952?s=2048x2048

I can't remember how far it is from the Visitor's CTR anymore, but it's not far, and the hike is also pretty short. A half-mile or so I think.

Any of the canyon overlooks are cool. I like Buck Canyon in the morning for pics, as it faces east.

Needles District:

For sure check out Courthouse Wash Rock Art.
https://thetrekplanner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_7632.jpg

You have to do some driving, and the trail is about amile, and kind of steep, IIRC. But it's worth checking out.

Another good one is the Devil's Garden (that may be wrong; might be the Devil's Playground). The whole hike is kind of long, 5-7 miles, I think. But the views are spectacular. I think you can go 'backwards' on the trail and then only have to hike about halfway.

There's tons more to see, but those are the ones I really remember.

Have a great time.

[Megatron96]

Found this site, which has some good info on most of what you're planning to see.
https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-arches/2/

[Bugeater]

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned we're not big time hikers by any means, but we're willing to do some. We'll be staying in Moab so we plan on hitting it first thing in the morning and spending the entire day there.

[Bugeater]

Found this site, which has some good info on most of what you're planning to see.
https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-cant-miss-first-visit-arches/2/
That's good too, we'll have the better part of Day 2 to spend at Arches but will be driving to Monument Valley that afternoon.

[jerryaldini]

I highly recommend not missing Canyonlands. The other parks are great too but can feel like Yellowstone with the crowds. Canyonlands is the most remote wilderness I've visited excluding Alaska and central Idaho. Vistas that make you feel very small. No distinct trails to follow so be careful to pay attention to the cairns or use a GPS. It's been so long I don't remember the specific locations I visited other than spending the night on the rim of the Colorado after a spectacular hike. Enjoy!

[jerryaldini]

Oh and read Edward Abbey beforehand. Inspired me to go.
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/desert-solitaire-edward-abbey/1100014581

[Dartgod]

Beautiful area. We've been to Arches twice and are hitting it up again this year. The hike to Delicate Arch can be strenuous, but worth it. It can get pretty hot depending on the time of the year. Double-O arch is pretty cool too. I found it to be an easier hike and more climbing on and around rock formations. A lot of fun.

We did Canyonlands once and rented a Jeep to drive through it. My brother in law had been a few times, so he knew what trails to take. I wouldn't have a clue where to go if I was out there by myself, but I'll bet there are some Jeep tours you can take.

Moab is one of my favorite places on earth.

[Rain Man]

I've been to most of those parks but have never figured out what to do in Canyonlands, so I've never gone in. It's enormous, and I'm enough of an amateur that I need a visitor center and path. Otherwise I die or have to chew my arm off or something.

If you go to Monument Valley, I can vouch for the hotel there. I spent a couple of days there for a race a couple of years back, and it was nice and had amazing views from the rooms. (I think you have to upgrade to "Rooms With Amazing Views", but it's worth it.)

[cdcox]

I spent a full day in Arches a couple years ago. One of the best 100 days of my life. I hiked about 6 miles but ended up rushing through the elephant parade and some of the other highlights. You should definitely plan a full day in Arches.

Obviously, if you are doing any kind of hiking you will need to carry a lot of water.

I didn't have time for any of the other parks.

[Bugeater]

I've been to most of those parks but have never figured out what to do in Canyonlands, so I've never gone in. It's enormous, and I'm enough of an amateur that I need a visitor center and path. Otherwise I die or have to chew my arm off or something.

If you go to Monument Valley, I can vouch for the hotel there. I spent a couple of days there for a race a couple of years back, and it was nice and had amazing views from the rooms. (I think you have to upgrade to "Rooms With Amazing Views", but it's worth it.)
I'm guessing we're not going to stray too far from the roads in Canyonlands for that very reason.

I assume you're talking Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley? King bed with a balcony is $249/night, not sure if that's upgraded or not. The Mrs booked that room.

[Bugeater]

Beautiful area. We've been to Arches twice and are hitting it up again this year. The hike to Delicate Arch can be strenuous, but worth it. It can get pretty hot depending on the time of the year. Double-O arch is pretty cool too. I found it to be an easier hike and more climbing on and around rock formations. A lot of fun.

We did Canyonlands once and rented a Jeep to drive through it. My brother in law had been a few times, so he knew what trails to take. I wouldn't have a clue where to go if I was out there by myself, but I'll bet there are some Jeep tours you can take.

Moab is one of my favorite places on earth.There are off road trails there as well? Are they navigable in a Maxda CX-5?ROFL

[Bugeater]

Oh and read Edward Abbey beforehand. Inspired me to go.
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/desert-solitaire-edward-abbey/1100014581

The Mrs does all the reading in this relationship so I'll refer that to her.

[Hoover]

Its a great spot. I love it out there.

Moab has a great vibe to it. For some reason dinner at Pasta Jays is always on my list. And I had breakfast at the Jailhouse Cafe when I'm in town too.

Have fun

[heapshake]

You should also check out Dead Horse Point State Park. It is right outside Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. Mesa Arch and Grand View Point are both easily accessible. Mesa Arch will be packed at sunrise. You can also drive down Schafer Road. It is the start of the White Rim Trail which is a 100 mile loop through the canyon bottoms. You can get some great views from there. It is switchbacks all the way down, but there are spots where you can turn around or you can just drive all the way to the bottom. The road is open to all vehicles (unless it has rained) all the way down to the first campground. You could also drive down the other side to the Green River. You get there by turning by Horsethief Campground (outside of the park close to Dead Horse). Again it is a bunch of switchbacks (this time after 10 miles or so of gravel) but it is accessible by car.

Since you are visiting so many parks make sure you buy an America the Beautiful Pass if you don't already have one. I preferred Canyonlands over Arches but they are both great. I would try to get to Arches early just to avoid the crowds for awhile.

In Arches their is a place where you can view Delicate Arch with a short(er) hike rather than the more strenuous hike up to the actual arch.

[Rain Man]

I'm guessing we're not going to stray too far from the roads in Canyonlands for that very reason.

I assume you're talking Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley? King bed with a balcony is $249/night, not sure if that's upgraded or not. The Mrs booked that room.

I'm talking about The View hotel. It's right next to the rock towers.

https://monumentvalleyview.com/

Here's the view from my room. I don't know about Gouldings, but The View is right where the iconic towers are and it's the only thing there.

[Bugeater]

I'm talking about The View hotel. It's right next to the rock towers.

https://monumentvalleyview.com/

Here's the view from my room. I don't know about Gouldings, but The View is right where the iconic towers are and it's the only thing there.
That's interesting, i remember seeing something like that when we were kicking this around a couple years back but i couldn't recall the name, and when i was looking around on Google maps the only thing i found that looked even remotely similar was Gouldings, but it certainly didn't grab me as i recalled. I'll bet that's it.

You are a peach Rain Man!

[Bugeater]

You should also check out Dead Horse Point State Park. It is right outside Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. Mesa Arch and Grand View Point are both easily accessible. Mesa Arch will be packed at sunrise. You can also drive down Schafer Road. It is the start of the White Rim Trail which is a 100 mile loop through the canyon bottoms. You can get some great views from there. It is switchbacks all the way down, but there are spots where you can turn around or you can just drive all the way to the bottom. The road is open to all vehicles (unless it has rained) all the way down to the first campground. You could also drive down the other side to the Green River. You get there by turning by Horsethief Campground (outside of the park close to Dead Horse). Again it is a bunch of switchbacks (this time after 10 miles or so of gravel) but it is accessible by car.

Since you are visiting so many parks make sure you buy an America the Beautiful Pass if you don't already have one. I preferred Canyonlands over Arches but they are both great. I would try to get to Arches early just to avoid the crowds for awhile.

In Arches their is a place where you can view Delicate Arch with a short(er) hike rather than the more strenuous hike up to the actual arch.
Heh, i was tracing that White Rim Trail and it went on and on, and that's what prompted this thread. 100 freaking miles....lol.

And yes, we're getting that pass for sure. Thanks for the info!

[tk13]

Your national park pass won't get you into Dead Horse, but it's worth the money. I think it might be a bit much to hit up Island in the Sky and Needles in the same day, but it depends on how much you like to drive. You have to backtrack clear out of the park and drive back through Moab. Mesa Arch is definitely the most iconic place. The Buck Canyon overlook and Grand View Point are both great and pretty easy places to pull over and walk around a bit with beautiful views. All of those places are in Islands in the Sky and pretty easy to get to. Easier than the iconic places in Arches.

[tk13]

Also, important note... if you go to Islands in the Sky there is no food or gas anywhere near there... you have to go all the way back to Moab which is 30 minutes away.

[Frazod]

Did a day trip to Arches when I was visiting my cousin in Grand Junction some years ago. It's really cool. Would like to hit some of the others one day.

[Wilson8]

Utah is a beautiful state.

If you are visiting Arches, Canyonlands, and then driving over to Bryce Canyon...

1. Drive down 24 Hwy and stop at Goblin Valley State Park. Very interesting mud monsters made from rock formations. You will need to pay a state park fee. If you were a hiker, I'd also recommend a slot canyon trip that is in this same area called, Little Wild Horse Canyon. Beautiful, but it helps to be slender to slip through some of the narrow passageways.

2. Continue on Hwy 24 enjoying the road trip and stop at Capitol Reef National Park. It was an old frontier settlement that is in a valley with lots of fruit trees. Also Native American rock drawings right there off highway which requires you park your car and walk about 20 feet to see them. One thing to be aware of, we have Verizon service and we hit lots of dead spots while traveling in this area. Take a map and don't just depend on your phone to navigate with.

3. At Torrey, Utah, head south on Hwy 12 which takes you right to Bryce Canyon.

4. On the drive over to Bryce, beautiful drive called the Devil's Backbone. You drive on top of a ridge that looks out over beautiful scenery. Watch this to see what it is like - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRySvnAwop0

5. If you want a really great restaurant that is just out there in nowhere, try the Hell's Backbone Grill. They have some really good food but you probably need to check the hours to see when open. https://hellsbackbonegrill.com/

6. Several hotels around Bryce. Nothing real fancy. I did not find lots of places to stay around Zion, so we actually stayed close to Bryce and then just drove over to Zion.

7. A good place to eat around Bryce is at the Bryce Canyon Pines. If you like pie, they have lots of choices and you will not be disappointed.

8. Either at Capitol Reef or at Bryce Canyon, you have to go out at night. They are Dark Sky Places and the sky at night is absolutely beautiful.

9. At Zion, they drive you around by bus and they stop and let you out and different spots. I would recommend that you stay on bus until the top which is the Temple of Sinawava. It is a river trail that is not too tough that takes you up to a trail that requires that at the end, you hike walking in river. You don't need to do that to enjoy the scenery on the paved trail. Most stops when you get off bus have a restroom and a water fountain. Utah is dry so be sure you have a water bottle and stay hydrated. I'd also recommend, Weeping Rock and The Grotto as stops on the way down on the bus.

10. Have a good time!

[Wilson8]

At Zion they have had some rock slides lately so some of the stops may be closed to the public.

[2bikemike]

Some great information has already been laid out for you. I would say with limited time you should do Island in the Sky. Its and easy drive with some incredible vistas.

I spent a week in Moab doing the offroading thing. I drove the White Rim Trail and camped in the middle. It was definitely cool. The Needles area of Canyonlands is a place I want to go back to. But it is out of the way. There is a place there where you walk into these narrow crevasses and the top is like 30 feet above you. We also drove to a place where the Green River and Colorado River merge.

You really can't go wrong I guarantee no matter where you go in the Moab area you will see some really cool stuff. Same with Zion or Bryce.

[Graystoke]

Great info in this thread.
We go out to Utah yearly and hike and tour back dirt and gravel roads on the motorcycle.
In my opinion I would skip Monument Valley. Sure it is beautiful but it is a heck of a drive to get to from anywhere, plus it is Navaho land so its restrictive.
If you do go to Monument Valley take Moki Dugway out and to the North.
In order of magnitude I wouldn't skip:
Arches
Island in the Sky
Dead Horse
Needles

Also pro tip. You will see shortcut roads all over Utah. Think twice before taking. We took Potash Road up Shafer Pass to Island in the Sky on our Motorcycle. Two up it was a bit skittish but so beautiful and White Rim was phenomenal. To return to Moab we asked the guide if Long Cannon Road was doable and they said no problem. Holy shit that road scared the bejesus out of us. My wife was more off the motorcycle then on and often my bike was taking a dirt nap on its side.

[Megatron96]

Also, important note... if you go to Islands in the Sky there is no food or gas anywhere near there... you have to go all the way back to Moab which is 30 minutes away.

Forgot about this part. No food or water available. Bring plenty of water and some kind of food. I have tons of gear, and always bring plenty of food so I forgot about that part.

A little propane stove is a good idea and whatever food you like; sandwich makings are easy, canned soups/meals, etc. Bring two days worth of food and water just in case.

[suzzer99]

I will just add that if you get a chance to take the Burr trail from Canyonlands to Zion (through Grand Staircase and Capitol Reef) - do it. The most amazing road I've ever driven on.

https://i.imgur.com/ciZZVM2.png

The Burr Trail is only technically from Bullfrog to Long Canyon. But this entire drive is insane. It's like Pee Wee's Playhouse of geologic wonder. Just one mindblowing scene after the next.

[Megatron96]

I will just add that if you get a chance to take the Burr trail from Canyonlands to Zion (through Grand Staircase and Capitol Reef) - do it. The most amazing road I've ever driven on.

https://i.imgur.com/KPlCcZL.png

Good road. Driven the piece through Escalante to the turn-off for Boulder dozens of times. Good food in Boulder at that little cafe at the turn. Place is loaded with cute servers as well.

Great fishing in that area.

[Rain Man]

I will just add that if you get a chance to take the Burr trail from Canyonlands to Zion (through Grand Staircase and Capitol Reef) - do it. The most amazing road I've ever driven on.

https://i.imgur.com/ciZZVM2.png

The Burr Trail is only technically from Bullfrog to Boulder. But this entire drive is insane. It's like Pee Wee's Playhouse of geologic wonder. Just one mindblowing scene after the next.


Is that a paved road? Can you do it in a regular car?

[suzzer99]

It's gravel in some spots - but yeah easily.

https://i.imgur.com/fvC9X7U.png

The scariest route is West to East on a bike - there are some insane gravel switchbacks and you're going down if you go that way. Motorhome could be a little white knuckle through that part too. But I saw people doing both. Well - I guess check for rain and RVs not a good idea.

https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/driving-the-burr-trail.htm

https://assets0.roadtrippers.com/uploads/blog_post/main_picture/5216/-quality_60_-interlace_Plane_-resize_640x360_U__-gravity_center_-extent_640x360/do-you-have-the-guts-to-conquer-the-switchbacks-of-utahs-burr-trail.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/0d/4d/6f0d4d200b02e594d59a118170255f69.jpg

There's another cool part where you're driving on basically a hog's back with steep drop-offs on both sides.

https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/img/s/v-10/p506522058-4.jpg

Not sure if this is it as I remember it being a lot further drop off.

[Bugeater]

Holy shit

[suzzer99]

Imagine going down that on a bike. I did it in a car and it was scary enough. Lapse in attention - pick up a little too much speed - oops! Slide right off the gravel surface.

Going up though is probably a lot less scary, then you can look down when you get to the top and get scared.

[Graystoke]

It's gravel in some spots - but yeah easily.

https://i.imgur.com/fvC9X7U.png

The scariest route is West to East on a bike - there are some insane gravel switchbacks and you're going down if you go that way. Motorhome could be a little white knuckle through that part too. But I saw people doing both. Well - I guess check for rain and RVs not a good idea.

https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/driving-the-burr-trail.htm

https://assets0.roadtrippers.com/uploads/blog_post/main_picture/5216/-quality_60_-interlace_Plane_-resize_640x360_U__-gravity_center_-extent_640x360/do-you-have-the-guts-to-conquer-the-switchbacks-of-utahs-burr-trail.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/0d/4d/6f0d4d200b02e594d59a118170255f69.jpg

There's another cool part where you're driving on basically a hog's back with steep drop-offs on both sides.

https://www.danhartfordphoto.com/img/s/v-10/p506522058-4.jpg

Not sure if this is it as I remember it being a lot further drop off.

That lower photo is Hogs Back Hwy 12. Very cool paved road.

If The Burr Trail is on the agenda then one should definitely do Calf Creek Falls. Great hike and be sure to hit upper creek for great swimming.

https://utah.com/hiking/calf-creek-falls-lower

Another scenic road in that area is Hell’s Backbone. This is an out and back road but stunning.

https://utah.com/grand-staircase-escalante/hells-backbone


This whole thread has me longing for UTAH

[suzzer99]

Hell's Backbone might be the one I'm thinking of.