I've had another go at our plan for October. Does it still too full.

First night Sedona
2 nights Grand Canyon - camp
1 night Page - ?
1 night Monument Valley - camp
2 nights Mesa Verde - camp
3 nights Moab - 2 motel, 1 camp
1 night Capitol - camp
2 nights Bryce -camp
2 nights Zion - camp
2 nights Las Vegas
1 night Death Valley -
Last day - drive to San Francisco via Tiago.

Question
I've read about the Glen Canyon raft trip (and seen Utahteas photo's of this trip)and would like some advice whether to do this trip or do a raft trip out of Moab.

I'd like to do a below the rim hike at GC. Any preferences between Bright Angel trail or the South Kaibab trail.

Kiwi1

If you are still planning on arriving at Los Angeles and departing San Francisco you have mapped out a trip which includes driving approx. 2238 miles, not counting miles driven in the parks themselves or back and forth from the hotels to the parks in those 19 days.
If arrival is correct you have a 481 mile drive the day you arrive to Sedona. On you last day you have a 503 mile trip to San Francisco assuming Tioga Pass is open.
You have to take into account time waiting for shuttle buses in Grand Canyon and Zion. Waiting for tours to start in Mesa Verde and narrow winding roads with spectacular scenery you are going to want to enjoy.
I realize you want to "see it all" but if it were me I would consider dropping Las Vegas and Death Valley and spending those days in a more leisurely manner in the other parks.

I think you may tire of the constant setting up and taking down of camping equipment, but you will see a lot.

The distance from Pate to Monument Vally is not all that great. Why not go on to Mesa Verde that day.

Unless you are planning on visiting some of the remote ruins, I think you will have time on your hands.

Camping in Zion is not very pleasant. the last time I was there the grounds were crowded, flat, sandy, and hot.
You will be there in October, but the valley is an adiabatic trap.

The drive from Death Valley via Tioga should take a long time because the road is slow most of the way. However, the road through Yosemite is fairly fast these days because it was redesigned and repaved in the late sixties if memory serves me correctly.
It needed it.

The Colorado River at Moab in October is going to be very low. Do you know if rafts can float down the creek without becoming hung on sandbars??

Photodog - It's worse than that. We arrive in SF 2 weeks earlier and go to Yosemite, LA & San Diago and back to LA for a fixed event on the 2nd Oct.
Last time we were in GC, there wasn't a problem with long waits, but it's good to know.
Las Vegas will probably be a bit of wind-down after all the touring.

Bob, Camping wherever possible is our prefered option for the NP's. Our 2 man tent is pretty quick and easy to put up but if it's too much we will go for the motel option.
I had been tossing up whether to stay at the Desert Pearl in Zion as it sounds awesome.
The extra time in the Page - MV - Mesa Verde is to go to Goosenecks, Valley of the Gods and through Hovenweep. Is the dirt road through Hovenweep reasonable?
Good point about the Colorado at Moab.

Kiwi1

Looks like you gave yourself a little more breathing room!

Moab raft trip vs Colorado float trip out of Page. Both beautiful scenery and both a lot of fun. On the Moab raft trip you can see the same scenery as you drive Hwy 128 to Fisher Towers so this one would be more for the rapids. With the Colorado Float trip you will see miles of scenery you can only see on the raft trip. No rapids unless the tour guide rams the raft into the other rafts wake....that was fun but not all the guides did that...ours did and we all got wet but since it was so HOT it felt great!

If you do the Colorado Float trip out of Page, make sure you stop at Horseshoe Bend to take a look from the rim down to the river. It's a short hike from the parking area. Ask in town for directions because it's very easy to miss.

I know ALL the maps show dirt roads in Utah to Hovenweep, BUT THEY ARE PAVED in UTAH! Just make sure when you exit the park to go down to Aneth and take Hwy 262 and Hwy 41 into Colorado. The other roads in Colorado turn to dirt roads. Never been on these but heard they were slow.

Have a good trip. I expect a trip report when you get back!

From what I remember you are doing this trip at the end of Sept. - early Oct. I bet you have great weather and unless there is a very early snow storm Tioga Pass will be open.

Utahtea

Utahtea, thanks for the advise re teh raft trips. The rapids from Moab sound like lots of fun but we are there for the scenery so we'll do the one out of Page and maybe do a 4WD tour of Canyonlands.
Great to get the best route thru Hovenweep.
I'll post a trip report when we get back including how long it takes us to recover from the trip.
Thanks.
Kiwi1