karens

Hi all. We are heading to Utah next April and am trying to flgure out an itinerary.

I understand the drive from Zion/Springdale to Torrey is about 4 hrs. Is this a tough drive? I am looking forward to it b/c I know it is very scenic.

In order to be closer to Capital Reef, I'm leaning toward staying in Torrey. Any recommendations for lodging?

After this stop, we will drive to Moab and stop at Goblin Valley to see the goblins and go to Little Wildhorse.

I read in a trip report that Little Wildhorse can get very crowded and that lines can form waiting to get through the narrow areas. Has anyone experienced this? We will be there a few days before Easter - but not on the weekend.

Dayle

karens,

The week before Easter is the WORST time to visit. Don't even thing of going anywhere near Moab. I am not kidding.

The drive between Zion and Torrey will be an all day affair. Lots of photo ops, slow roads, hikes to do....for example, driving between Torrey to Moab will be 2.5 hours with NO stops.

What is your plan exactly? We can better advise....

karens

Dayle - this is when my kids have off school. The only other alternative would be the summer, and I've been to Moab in the summer. It was 105 and brutal.

We are starting in Las Vegas, spending a day in Zion b/c we've been there 2x before, then driving to Torrey. Will explore Capitol Reef one day (never been there before) and on the way from Torrey to Moab will explore Little Wildhorse and Goblin Valley.

I know from Easter vacation-ing, that the earlier we arrive at places, the better. So we can plan on that. Any other suggestions?

dcd

This past April we stayed at the Torrey Schoolhouse in Torrey and thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's not cheap: http://www.torreyschoolhouse.com/about/index.shtml
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...rrey_Utah.html

FamilyExplorer

You should spend a couple of days in Boulder - which is 50 minutes south of Torrey. The drive on Scenic Byway 12 is fabulous. It was just recommended on NBC's Today Show. The place they recommended staying is the Boulder Mountain Lodge, where we have stayed and really enjoyed. They have a great restaurant that you shouldn't miss called Hell's Backbone Grill. The rooms are wonderful and overlook an 11 acre bird sanctuary and there's a lot to do in that area including Lower Calf Creek Falls, Long Canyon (on the Burr Trail, which you can drive in any car), a slot canyon designed for kids (just off the road), the Anasazi Museum and more. Also, Boulder is not crowded like the other areas. Just be sure to make advance reservations for the lodge and dinner. By-the-way, the lodge is kid and pet friendly, which is the reason we enjoy staying there. They even had a nightly Area Orientation given by a local guide who gave us lots of ideas of things to do in the area. Down the road on Highway 12 (about 20 min) is the Kiva Koffee House, which is worth stopping at even if you don't want to eat. They have a great view.

FamilyExplorer

I forgot to mention the link to the Boulder Mountain Lodge. It's boulder-utah.com. Don't mix it up with the other place in town with a similar name - - I think it's the Boulder Ranch, which isn't the place we like to stay. There's also another restaurant we like for lunch. It's the Burr Trail Grill and there's also a great coffee and gift shop on the corner by the Burr Trail Grill.

Myer

Capitol Reef is not one of my favorite places considering the other options.

Just east of Escalante and about 10 miles down the dirt road Hole-in-the-Rock_Road is devil's Garden (not to be confused with Devil's Garden in Arches NP). I think it's a slightly grown up Goblin Valley. Definitely worth an hour or so on the way. Then compare it to Goblin Valley.

A little further east is Lower Calf Creek Falls. It's about 2.5 miles each way with a spectacular water fall at the end. If it's warm you can actually go in the pool of water at the bottom and have the water splash down on you.

The ride on Rte 12 is somewhere between spectacular and scary. The temptation is to drive on the center line. In retrospect I'm sorry I didn't photograph some of the road signs. "Steep Road - Sharp Turns" can be a bit scary. I'll be back with my daughter in September for a few days and I'll try to get it then.

Other than Chimney Rock (the ascent) and parts of Hickman Bridge, I didn't find the hikes in Capitol Reef the interesting. But that's me.

I stayed both in Torrey (BW) and Boulder (Boulder Mountain Lodge) and found the restaurant quite over-rated and over-priced. It was just "ok". When we were there the hot tub was broken. Not a big deal but it would be nice after a full day of hiking.

Arches NP was great but don't bypass some of the other areas around Moab. We went on the Fisher Towers hike because I saw some nice photos.

Well as we turned a corner there were some rock climbers about 900 feet up on The Corkscrew. I yelled up for the guy at the top to turn towards me. He did and spread his arms. He yelled down his email address. I sent him the photos and he sent me photos of them that they took the next day from the top.

A very scenic hike.

peterboy

How many days do you have?

Here's a link to a trip report from our last Utah adventure from Zion to Torrey and back...perhaps it will answer some of your questions.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_tr

Dayle's concerns about Moab have to do with the annual a HUGE Easter Jeep Safari...the whole town is booked (probably already) and the area is quite crowded with off-roaders. It looks like the event in 2011 is 4/16-4/24. A good time to avoid Moab.

http://www.rr4w.com/pageview.aspx?id=16382

Perhaps taking a little longer along Rt 12 to enjoy the many wonders there might make more sense than going to Moab. You can use Torrey as a base to visit Little Wild Horse and Goblin and the Great Gallery as well.

peterboy

Here's a link to some insight into Moab during Safari Week from 2005 and the event is even larger now.

http://www.jeepaholics.com/support/Topic10933.aspx

rnman

Avoid Moab if the jeep safari is on...It will be booked. I love Torrey and Capitol Reef. In Torrey eat at the El Diablo Cafe..very very good. You can use Torrey as a base for capital reef. It will be cooler then Boulder because of the elevation. I highly recommend the Calf Creek hike, I live in Utah and have done it many times.
I recommend renting bikes when in Springdale and riding the Zion Canyon road.. the shuttle will be running so there will be few cars.. beautiful!

karens

Thanks, I will look into all your suggestions, and links.

I did get reservations in Moab for 2 days during that time - at the Hampton Inn.

spirobulldog

We stayed at Austin's Chuckwagon for a couple of nights this past year. Hiked about 25 miles in Cap Reef in a 3 day period. While it was great and I am certainly glad I did it, it is one of my least favorite places I have been to in Utah. Austin's Chuckwagon is an inexpensive decent place to spend the night if thats you are looking for. They have a good little store and deli, even if you don't stay there. Do go to the Gifford House and get a piece of pie and eat it just a few steps away in the picnic area. Almost guaranteed that deer will be there in abundance. The picnic area is right in the orchard, which is pretty neat. Goblin Valley and Lil Wildhorse is great. It wasn't that crowded when we were there, but it was a little crowded. Start early and you will avoid most of the crowds. Another good hike is The Great Gallery which is in the detached area of Canyonlands. This is down a dirt road and a fairly tough hike to what is considered by most people the best petroglyphs in the world.
There is a ton that you could do between Zion and Torrey. Are you not seeing Bryce?

Dayle

Hi karens,

If you got 2 nts in Moab during the Jeep Safari, consider your self lucky (maybe). I would also highly recommend getting reservations for your dinner anywhere you possibly can. It's that crowded. Or, eat mid-afternoon if you can....

I personally like Capitol Reef, but then, I live here and can go as a long weekend. I love the campground, one of the best Natl Park campground I've ever visited. There are lots of nice hikes - Chimney Rock I don't recommend. Hickman Bridge is very nice, also the Golden Throne hike is excellent, but start early as it will be hot during the day. Also really liked the boardwalk along the Fremont River to see the Petroglyphs and Cohab Canyon, gorgeous! Don't try to drive out to Cathedral Valley - too far for too little reward.

Have fun!

wtm003

Dayle, I would love to camp at Capitol Reef but worry about availability since I believe it is on a first come first served basis. How do you usually secure a spot? I would be coming from Denver so I don't want to end up sleeping in my car. Thanks!

Dayle

wtm,

Chances of getting a spot in the campground are slim. You would need to be there at 7am and try to snag a spot as someone else leaves. There are some tent only, walk-in spots that are usually the last to fill.

Sometimes it best spend your arrival night in a motel or commerical campground and be up early to make the effort for the orchard campground!

wtm003

Thanks Dayle - good to know!

StantonHyde

How old are your children? That definitely can dictate what you do!

karens

Hi all. I've finally had time to review all your replies - thank you, all. I want to finalize our remaining hotel reservations this week.

My kids are 15 and 17.

spiro - we have been to Bryce 2x, and were not planning a stop on this trip. We will be in southern Utah 8 days - flying into Las Vegas and home through SLC.

How early would you recommend us get to Lil Wildhorse?

Also, has anyone been to the Pah Tempe Hot Springs in Hurricane?

Otis_B_Driftwood

Pah Tempe has been closed to the public for a number of years. There are rumors that if you have a group of ten, you can call and make an appointment for a private soak. Their website seems to validate this:

http://www.pahtempe.com/

but there hasn't been any news from them since last winter. If you are interested, give them a call and see what the situation is. It used to be a fantastic place to visit.