Utah road trip

Always good to own the books, Roadside Geology of Utah (or AZ, or NM or WY or wherever) so that you can have an idea of how what you are looking at came to be. While 10% of it might be over your head, it is written so 90% of it is quite understandable for most everyone.
 
another fantastic day trip we took in the Grand Staircase Escalante Natl Monument was driving down Hole in the Wall Road. My daughter went all the way to the end in a Subaru Forester. I turned off on a side road that ended up being a really gnarly 4x4 adventure that eventually took us back to Escalante in our F250 4x4 diesel longbed.

this is the route to the end of the road.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37....try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

she tells me she spent 3 days there.
 
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Really appreciate all of the input! We’re so excited that we keep adding days to our trip.
 
I'm excited too

Really appreciate all of the input! We’re so excited that we keep adding days to our trip.

I'm leaving in less than two weeks. This is my fourth trip to that area and I am more excited than the first time because I know what awaits me. I've had the good fortune to be able CAMP in 30 different states from the Florida Panhandle to Denali. Also camped a good part of western Europe and with perhaps excluding the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland no place has excited me more than southern Utah.
 
We toured southern Utah many years ago pre-trailer, so I can't answer your specific question about roads to avoid. However, on your way into Canyonlands, I strongly recommend that you make the detour to Dead Horse Point (State Park) - fantastic!

And do let us know how your trip is going.

Dead Horse Point is a must see as is Natural Bridges. Enjoy your trip. If you need to stay at an RV park, the Castle Gate RV Resort near Helper sets the bar for accommodations. The Sun Outdoors parks in Moab are also nice. We normally avoid RV parks like the plague, but these two were very nice when our RPod was having plumbing issues. Hope you see some great stuff out there.
 
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Dead Horse Point is a must see as is Natural Bridges. Enjoy your trip. If you need to stay at an RV park, the Castle Gate RV Restore near Helper sets the bar for accommodations. The Sun Outdoors parks in Moab are also nice. We normally avoid RV parks like the plague, but these two were very nice when our RPod was having plumbing issues. Hope you see some great stuff out there.

Got a reservation the end Sep at Castle Gate. Going to meet one of my oldest friends there. I'll be camping on BLM to the south for a few days prior and planned to just drive up for the visit but decided what the heck go for it. Looks like a great place. Got a spot beside the river. Also I'll have been on the road or in the bush for couple of weeks and it'll give me a chance to tidy up the trailer and wash clothes.
 
Got a reservation the end Sep at Castle Gate. Going to meet one of my oldest friends there. I'll be camping on BLM to the south for a few days prior and planned to just drive up for the visit but decided what the heck go for it. Looks like a great place. Got a spot beside the river. Also I'll have been on the road or in the bush for couple of weeks and it'll give me a chance to tidy up the trailer and wash clothes.

Granted it was about 3 years ago, but the shower bathroom units are next level for an RV campground.
 
Granted it was about 3 years ago, but the shower bathroom units are next level for an RV campground.

so were the ones at Kodachrome Basin SP. one of those foot square 'rainshower' heads, AND a regular spray nozzle, separately controlled, in each stall. Stalls were a very elegant slate, like I'd see in a 5 star fancy hotel. Showers were kept meticulously clean.
 
We’re visiting all five national parks in Utah this fall and would appreciate any input about driving routes pulling a 21’ Escape. We’ll be passing Las Vegas on our way to Zion, then on to Bryce. From there we go through Capitol Reef to Moab, Mancos, CO (Mesa Verde), Monument Valley, Lake Powell and the south rim of the GC. Then it’s on to Cottonwood, AZ followed by Bullhead City. Are there any roads to avoid?


just outside to the north east is Valley of Fire out side of Vegas-- nice area but hopefully you have reservations at all your stops other wise you will be playing with fire.....
 
We’re visiting all five national parks in Utah this fall and would appreciate any input about driving routes pulling a 21’ Escape. We’ll be passing Las Vegas on our way to Zion, then on to Bryce. From there we go through Capitol Reef to Moab, Mancos, CO (Mesa Verde), Monument Valley, Lake Powell and the south rim of the GC. Then it’s on to Cottonwood, AZ followed by Bullhead City. Are there any roads to avoid?

I would say that the Utah 12 aka Scenic 12 Byway should be avoided for towing. John Wemesfelder and I took a day trip on it in his truck last spring. I wouldn't want to tow my 21 up and over this road.

I second Kodachrome Basin State Park. The late David Murphy introduced me to this park in 2022. It is a jumping off point for Bryce Canyon some 20 miles away, Cottonwood Canyon, the Grand Staircase -Escalante Monument and Grosvenor Arch. John W. and I had a great time driving on the unpaved Cottonwood Trail Road which located just inside the park boundary. Last image: Grosvenor Arch. First three: from our campsite.
 

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I agree with Telescopist about Utah Hwy 12 from Escalante to Torrey. I've pulled a 5th wheel S2N over that route, and neither I nor my f250 enjoyed it. From the West, take 89 North to the 62 to the 24, through Loa to Torrey. Longer, and with one significant grade, but not as scenic as 12. When at Capitol Reef N.P., unhitch, and daytrip from Torrey S to Escalante for lunch, then back N on 12 to Boulder, Utah. Take the Burr Trail to the Notom road, then N back to Capitol Reef. Bring a camera.
 
I agree with Telescopist about Utah Hwy 12 from Escalante to Torrey. I've pulled a 5th wheel S2N over that route, and neither I nor my f250 enjoyed it. From the West, take 89 North to the 62 to the 24, through Loa to Torrey. Longer, and with one significant grade, but not as scenic as 12. When at Capitol Reef N.P., unhitch, and daytrip from Torrey S to Escalante for lunch, then back N on 12 to Boulder, Utah. Take the Burr Trail to the Notom road, then N back to Capitol Reef. Bring a camera.

What if you're towing headed south on 12? I can imagine going up a 12% grade is not fun but what about going down?
 
Climbing over the shoulder of Boulder Mtn, N to S is easier than S to N. Between Torrey and Boulder, Utah, Hwy 12 is a little curvy. From Boulder south to Escalante, Hwy 12 is quite twisty. Throw in a bit of exposure for the hogback section, and look out for pedestrians at the Escalante River bridge. If the opportunity presents itself to pull your rig up the Moki Dugway, try to go EARLY in the morning, when there's not much traffic. Watch your tranny temp. Pulling your rig down the Dugway is easy, but there are a couple of overhead clearance spots to look for, and you'll be on the inside of a blind curve.
 
One more thing....If you drive the Dugway, whether with your trailer on not, every time you pass an oncoming vehicle....grin like a madman at the passengers in the other car. Then they'll have great memories of the trip over the Dugway, and you'll be able to imagine their subsequent conversations!
 
One more thing....If you drive the Dugway, whether with your trailer on not, every time you pass an oncoming vehicle....grin like a madman at the passengers in the other car. Then they'll have great memories of the trip over the Dugway, and you'll be able to imagine their subsequent conversations!

I've been up and down the Moki 4-5 times. One morning when I was headed from Gooseneck to the Valley of the Gods I followed a Coors tractor trailer thinking "where is he going to turn off?" He never did. I stopped at the VoG turnoff and watch him go up the hill. Having done the Shafer trail off the rim at Canyonlands in great terror I am not looking forward to the Burr Trail switchbacks but I shall persevere, hopefully.
 
In 2019, we towed our E21 up 12 through Escalante to Torrey, and 24 up and through the Capital Reef and on to the junction of 70. I don't remember it as a particularly bad road. Tow vehicle was our F250 diesel longbed. 4x4.
 
Barb and I neither one enjoy driving mountain exposure, but as far as grades go, I don’t sweat 12% at all.
 
Moab/Arches is crowded.

Paul,
Arches NP is wildly popular, so it has huge crowds. Reservations are in order.
Our experience without reservations: As we approached Moab on US-191S from I-70 (about a 30 mi. distance) in April, on a Wednesday, about 9:00 am, we encountered a 5+ mile backup of slow moving traffic. After a while we got to the traffic light where US-191 crosses the Colorado R. We had just passed the entry to Arches NP where a "Full" sign was already up. Moab was packed; we never got to it. We turned left at the River and scoped out the plethora of BLM camping for miles up-river. All were full, with vehicles at the sides of the road waiting for campers to exit their spots.
We kept going back up to I-70, and then to UT-24 to Capital Reef NP, where we got a spot immediately.
Capital Reef NP was amazing. Next we went to Bryce Canyon, which was the most jaw-dropping sight and experience of all the Utah Parks.
One of the reasons that Moab is currently so crowded is the popularity with off-roaders and rock crawlers. The Feds are starting to close off more of the roads/trails due to mis-use, so many people are going while they can.
 

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