noe847

My husband and I are now in Springdale, Utah and are trying to figure out how to rearrange our carefully-planned itinerary. After a 2 year work assignment in California, on September 30 we began a cross country drive back to our home in Georgia. We planned to take around 15-16 days for the drive, spending the bulk of the time in Southern Utah, with a few brief dips into Northern Arizona.

Here’s the original itinerary:

Day 1, Sept 30: drive to Yosemite, stay at Yosemite Lodge on the valley floor
Day 2, Oct 1: drive to Nevada, stay at Cowboy’s Dream b&b in Alamo, NV
Day 3, Oct 2: drive to Grand Canyon, stay in cabin on the South Rim, dinner at El Tovar
Day 4 &5, Oct 3&4: drive to Zion, stay 2 nights
Day 6&7, Oct 5&6: drive to Bryce, stay 2 nights in the park
Day 8&9, Oct 7&8: drive to Torrey, stay 2 nights
Day 10-12, Oct 9-11: drive to Moab, stay 3 nights
Day 13, Oct 12: drive to Canyon de Chelly, then stay 1 night in Gallup, NM
Day 14-15 or 16, Oct 13-14 or 15: drive interstate to Georgia, stay along I-40

So you can see that the government closed at the end of our first day of the trip. We were able to stay at Yosemite, as planned. In fact, we added a night there, pushed back our Nevada b&b by a night, and cancelled the Grand Canyon (indeed it was a mutual cancellation because of the government shutdown).

We are now in Springdale, the first of two nights.

I know that we can fill tomorrow with driving through Zion on rt 9 – apparently we won’t be allowed to stop - but my question is what to do after that. It doesn’t seem likely that the government will reopen in time for this weekend, so we will need to replace our 2 nights of Bryce lodging fairly quickly. Our reservations in Torrey and Moab will be fine since they’re not in closed parks.

I’m wondering if there is enough to fill 10+ days in the area should the parks not re-open – what do you guys think? I’ve been making a list of recommended sights that are in state parks, so I know we’ll be occupied for several days: Dead Horse State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Fisher Towers are all on my radar.

The other alternative is to shorten our stay in the region. I haven’t yet checked availability (we were driving across Nevada with little-to-no cell or wifi reception yesterday and much of today) but it’s possible we could try to go right from Springdale to Torrey then to Moab, eliminating the two days that would have been devoted to Bryce, and maybe also reducing the Torrey/Moab bit from 5 nights down to 3 or 4. We’ve thought about driving down to Durango and doing some other fun drives and maybe getting home to Georgia early.

We’re in our late 50’s/early 60’s. My husband is super interested in geology and exploring all of the rock formations that he can. I'm happy to see and photograph any natural beauty. We will be able to do some short walks but nothing longer than a couple of miles because of a recent unexpected medical procedure.

Anyway, we’d appreciate any insights, as we’re pretty much making this up day by day at this point. Thanks!

noe847

Also, I have been looking at this site, thanks to a tip from a fodorite on another thread:
http://www.visitutah.com/national-park-travel-advisory/
Lots of helpful information, but still wondering if 10 days is too much without the National Parks?

utahtea

I'd be careful when counting on what was posted on http://www.visitutah.com/national-park-travel-advisory/.

We ran into a couple today who said that Devil's Garden hike was not open and they had a person there to keep people for doing the hike. This is in the Escalante-Grandstaircase National Monument that the site says the trails are open.

Utahtea

rjasnumberonefan

Monument Valley is Navajo run so it should be available. For a similar scenic view/drive, I would recommend the Valley of the Gods drive off Scenic 163 near Mexican Hat. A vehicle with good clearance is a must. I was in a small car and made it through okay but wouldn't advise it. The drive is unmatched in beauty.

Right off of the Valley of the Gods Drive is Moki Dugway. It is on Hwy 261 a couple miles north. If you like narrow switchbacks with a stunning overlook, do this.

These two free things were included in my last Utah trip and well worth it.

Goosehead State Park is also nearby. I have not been there, but will someday.
Sorry your trip had to be restructured. I plan many of my vacations around National Parks as I am disabled and have the free access pass. Good luck and enjoy!

spirobulldog

I like the plan above including Monument Valley, Goosenecks State Park, and Moki Dugway. Also right in that same area is Valley of the Gods, which is worth a drive thru. Be sure and get an Indian Guide to really see the place

I would checkout Deadhorse Point State Park, Fisher Towers area near Moab. I would for sure not Miss Goblin Valley, it is one of my very favorite places in Utah. Right near the Goblins is The San Rafael Swell. I like the hike in Little Wildhorse Canyon(not to be confused with Wildhorse-You want Lil Wildhorse). You can simply go in as far as you want and then turn around. It's a great slot canyon. Another though would be to do Antelope Canyon (near Page), if you are going that way. That one requires an Indian Guide too.

Maybe take an off-road tour in Moab. Look at Moab Adventure Center for ideas. They do a lot of different things.

It's a shame you aren't going to see the parks, but there is still a lot to do in the area. Hwy 12 drive alone is spectacular.

spirobulldog

I should have said on Little Wildhorse Canyon. You just hike as far as you would like and then turn around. Go in about 30 minutes or so and then turn around. You do not want to hike this if rain is threatening. Slot canyons can flashflood easily.

StantonHyde

Our alternative for Bryce includes staying at Ruby's Inn just outside the park, spending time in Red Canyon Park plus you have Kodachrome Basin. and then there are the state parks along 12 between Bryce, Escalante, and Boulder. Still lots to see and do.

ElendilPickle

If you need to shorten your Utah time, you could add a day or two to New Mexico. Visit Acoma Pueblo (you'll drive right past it on I-40), maybe spend a night in Santa Fe or Albuquerque?

Lee Ann

WhereAreWe

I would see what you can but I wouldn't try to stretch your visit to fill those 10+ days if the parks don't reopen. Spend some time in Southern Utah for sure, but keep an eye on the news and don't spend too much time waiting on the government. There's a lot to see on your drive back to Georgia and Utah isn't going anywhere. You can always go back to visit the parks, and maybe then you'll be able to hike more.

Incidentally, Big Bend National Park in Texas has a lot of interesting geology and your husband would love it. It may not work out this time but keep it in mind for future travel.

noe847

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! We have looked at and mapped out many of your alternative suggestions, and we're excited to choose some of them as well as enjoying the scenic drives along the way. Thankfully the area is packed with natural beauty, and not all of it is in Federal control (and subject to the shutdown). We might not stay the full time, but since we're moving at a leisurely pace, we just might use all those days to noodle around. I already know that we will return to Utah to catch the parks and the other sites that we're missing!

We have spent time in New Mexico previously, but we might add Acoma Pueblo. And we'll be keeping Big Bend Nat'l Park in our minds for future Texas travel.

Vttraveler

I am not sure what you have seen in NM. From the area in southern Utah near Monument Valley or from Monument Valley itself, you could go east to the area near Shiprock and Farmington NM. We stayed last month in Bloomfield which has an interesting county park and museum, Salmon Ruins. (If the National parks reopen, you would also be near Aztec and Chaco Canyon at this point.) From this area you could head toward Albuquerque with the Jemez trail on the way.

Acoma pueblo is a very beautiful and interesting spot.

purduegrad

I, too, am looking at alternatives, and I'd like to visit Valley of the Gods and Red Canyon SP. But isn't Valley of the Gods run by the BLM (and thus is closed), and Red Canyon SP is in the Dixie National Forest. Are national forests closed, too?

I've never been, so I don't know how much is closed off national park/forest, and how much are public roads that cross through those areas (and thus afford some back-handed access, at any rate).

spirobulldog

Valley of the Gods is just North or Monument Valley. It may or may not be closed. It's a dirt road. It can be extremely hard to drive, if a recent rain has occured.

Right nearby is Moki Dugway, Muley Point, and Goosenecks.

All of the above might take a half day. So, if you can't do VOG, then not that big of a deal. Not really a lot to do at any of them, but worth a stop at each.

RVvagabond

I don't know where you are located, but Colorado River raft trips from Moab are very exciting and can consume many days.

Same trips are also available from Green River.
Submit your current location and route, maybe I can help.

Vaga

noe847

We drove past Red Canyon several days ago, purduegrad. It's right on the highway (which is open) and we were able to walk the trails and get some great views.

noe847

Here's what we have found so far at the federal lands in Utah:

At Zion, route 9 is open and the drive through the park is beautiful. When we went through on Oct 5 the overlooks were blocked with cones, but cars were driving between the cones to stop for the views without any problems.

Cedar Breaks, while a National Monument, had all of the viewpoints open when we drove along rt 143 on Oct 5. The rangers were at one of the overlooks and were chatting with tourists. The visitor center and the restrooms were closed, but the trails were open. It was well worth the drive and the views at all of the viewpoints are stunning.

For Bryce, the only viewpoint into the canyon is the one on a road across from Ruby's. It was super crowded, but a decent view, although we liked Cedar Breaks even better.

At Capitol Reef NP the road - rt 24 - is open, and is a beautiful drive. The facilities, side roads, and trails are closed and we saw a ranger writing up a ticket (or maybe a warning) for a car. The rock art viewpoint, however, was open.

noe847

Here's a little summary of the things we've done in southern Utah during the government shutdown. First of all, we've found that most of the lodging places and the state, county and other local information centers have helpful lists of things to do in light of the shutdown.

Here are some of the non-federal things we've seen:

- Red Canyon, right on rt 12 west of Bryce, and were able to take the trails and have some great views.

- Smiths Mesa and Gooseberry Mesa near Springdale. We have a Subaru Outback and were able to handle the dirt roads to these two mesas and enjoyed the panoramic views from them.

- Kodachrome Basin State Park - you can drive to some pretty impressive rock formations in this park, and there are some good trails. My husband is 62, so we bought a senior annual pass for $35 and we are using it for every Utah park we come across

- Petrified Forest State Park - the park is on a pretty lakeside and has a trail with an optional extra loop up to the petrified wood. My husband took this and really enjoyed it.

- Goblin Valley (on rt 24 between Hanksville and I-70) - you can drive right up to the goblins and then park and walk among them. There are also several hiking trail options, but we didn't hike there.

- Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon - right next to Goblin Valley, so they make a one-two punch destination. We hiked about half way up the slot canyon and loved, loved, loved it. It gets a little obstacle-course-like after a while: under, over rocks and through some water on stepping stones. The canyon is just amazing, so narrow in places. We took a zillion cool photos in the canyon.

- Anasazi State Park in Boulder - This was pretty small but interesting enough.

- Burr Trail, Boulder to Notom Bullfrog Road, Torrey - I think this is our favorite outing so far. The Burr trail starts in Boulder and is paved for 30 miles before becoming a graded dirt road. It has amazing views as it drops into Long Canyon. It then becomes dirt and has several switchbacks which we found to be less scary than we'd anticipated. The whole circuit is very cool, and was quite passable when dry, as it was when we drove it. But even the paved part of Burr Trail is well worth driving, if that's all you can manage or have time for. From what we could tell the road condition reports might not be being updated during the shutdown.

We really have had a great time so far, and are looking forward to the next few days of sights around Moab, such as Dead Horse Point State Park.

emalloy

If you are interested in petroglyphs, there are several sites in Moab. Check those along Potash Road (on the north side of the Colorado River), Kane Creek road (on the south side of the Colorado River near a small camping area and further along on a random large squareish rock a little past where it turns to a dirt road) and near the golf course.

The drive along rt 128 is very scenic but probably still has some one lane portions with control lights for traffic due to the loss of the lane along the Colorado. We took it to Fishers Towers and there are trails there, but I don't know if this is state or federal land.

Have a wonderful time.

spirobulldog

If you like Little Wildhorse and are up for a bit of adventure-go Canynoneering with www.deserthighlights.com in Moab. It's very safe. I've been with them twice and totally amazing.

utahtea

noe847,

Looking at your dates, it might be to late for you, but it looks like the State of Utah is going to be getting permission to open the Utah National Parks by Saturday, Oct. 12th by using state aid.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/5...-utah.html.csp

Utahtea