Can you help us make the best southwest trip?!
 

My husband and I are taking our 11 and 13 yr old daughters to the southwest in June/July. We want them to love this area like we do.This is a tentative itinerary and hoping someone could give us advice on it. Also, we are tent campers but would like to mix some more natural camping with an occasional "pool" campground for the kids.
6/24 Arrive Albuquerque(6pm). Drive part way to Mesa verde. Best place to stop?
6/25 Mesa Verde
6/26 Mesa Verde (Walk ruins)
6/27 Drive to Moab area(Canyonlands &
&Arches)Camping? Where? What are
those tent covers like in the
private campgrounds? Needed?
6/28 Moab area
6/29 Moab area
6/30 Moab area
7/1 Drive to Calf Creek,
7/2 Hike Calf Creek, drive to Bryce
7/3 Bryce hike
7/4 Bryce
7/5 Zion (Treat ourselves - Stay at
Desert Pearl)
7/6 Zion (Angel's Landing or The
Narrows?)
7/7 Drive to Page and hike Antelope
Canyon. Stay in Page
7/8 Drive to Grand Canyon, South Rim
7/9 Grand Canyon,(What to do?)
7/10 Return to ALB for return home

Hi Vobo,

I am also a tent camper who lives in Utah. There are many campgrounds in the Moab area, but since it will be summer and HOT, I recommend finding one with shade shelters (rare) and making res in advance as these will be the most popular.

There are lots of state campsites along the CO River east of town. Some are first come first served (primitive) and some take reservations and do have some shade. It would be nice to be next to the river for cooling off and you will get some shade early/late in the day from the high canyon walls.

A nice hike during the heat of the day in Arches is the Firey Furnace. It's about 15 - 20 degrees cooler in the shade of the fins. You need to sign up ahead of time for this ranger lead hike and there is a fee.

If you do Angel's Landing in Zion - start EARLY, like 7am. It's a strenuous hike and you'll get really hot on the way up. Hat, sunscreen, LOTS of water of course.

Have fun!

Oh, just noticed you are traveling during 4th of July. Make all the camping reservations you can!

I agree with Dayle on making reservations for the 4th and for that matter the weekend before.

Unless you move on June 30th, that shouldn't be a problem. You might have a hard time getting a spot at Calf Creek. One of the big reasons we've never camped there is it's always full and I'm sure that people will be getting there on Friday night to claim spots for a long 4th of July weekend. If you were to find a camping spot at the Fruita Campground at Captiol Reef, I'd spend the night here.

I would make reservations for Bryce but you shouldn't have any problems moving from Springdale to the South Campground in Zion early one morning.

Mesa Verde won't be a problem and there are showers nearby at the store. Nice campground with plenty of shady spots.

I'm not familar with the tent covers in the Moab area. The Willow flat campground in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands does not have water. You have to bring in your own. The knats ate us alive while we were outside! Beautiful views!!!

If you want to camp in Arches then I'd make reservations ahead of time. Many of the spots are in the open, and then there are spots that get shade from little trees or sandstone boulders.

There are no showers at Willows or Devils Garden so you might want to spend a night or two at a private campground in Moab. There are only a handfull that have a pool and in the middle of the day, those are really nice for kids....just ask my sons.

I would make reservations at Mather Campground at the Grand Canyon. It's a forested campground with showers nearby.

On 7/9 you can ride the free shuttle buses and explore all the overlooks between Bright Angel and Hermits Rest. You can hike a short ways into the canyon or walk along the canyon.

On you way to ALB take Hwy 180 out of Holbrook, AZ and then drive through the Petrified Forest on your way back to I-40

Thanks so much for the advice. Didn't even think about the 4th. Will have to change our plans a little. We just loved Calf Creek.
Any suggestions on the best to do at Canyonlands with the 2 kids?

Oh, a couple more things if anyone can help...any good (but not too dangerous) rafting trips out of Moab in late June? And, would a helicopter ride at the Grand Canyon make it special for the kids?

Yes, there are easy float trips right out of Moab, full day or 1/2 day. I would definitely make this a priority in the summer.

Your kids would love the Firey Furnace hike in Arches, if they are a little bit adventurous. You have to climb rocks, jump over cracks, and even wiggle through a "baby" arch (optional).

The Willow Flats campground at Islands in the Sky is one of the least appealing I've ever seen in a Natl Park. Very exposed, no shade at all. Not particularly pretty.

Definitely stay at one of the camps on the river or one of the commercial ones. There are a couple with shade screens and showers.

Another question...where to camp for a night in Page. Thanks.

In Canyonlands you will want to go to the Green River overlook. Fantastic views! Do the short Mesa Arch Hike. The views at Grand View are also amazing. There is a pretty level 2 mile hike at Grand view that I thought was great. There are also hikes at Upheavel Dome which is more on geology than views.

The 1/2 day rafting trip in Moab is a lot of fun and so is the float trip out of Page, AZ.

You have three choices of camping that I know of in the Page, AZ area.

There is the private Wahweap Lodge & Marina RV park and I don't recommend it. It's up on a hill not far from the two other campgrounds.

There is the Wahweap RV park run by the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. They have full hook ups and showers. This area is very new and there are not many sites that have a lot of shade. You are close to the lake. The only advantage of this park is you can make reservations if needed. The last two pictures are of the Wahweap RV park.

http://www.utahtea.lithium.com/pages...lakepowell.htm

The last choice is also run by the Glen Canyon National Recreational area and is right next door to the Wahweap RV park. This is more your typical national park campground with a lot more shade than the other two campgrounds. It's first come, first serve and you can also see the lake from this campground. The showers are next door at the Wahweap RV park.

There is also camping at Lone Rock which is just north of Wahweap Marina. This is in Utah and it's more of an open camping area. NO TREES, NO SHADE but you can camp right on the lakes edge. There are outdoor showers to rinse off with.

BTW, there are a few short shrub type trees at the Willows Campground. Just enough to put a tent under.

Utahtea

We really enjoyed Wahweap campground at Lake Powell. We situate our tent so when we wake up we see the sun rise over the lake..very quiet and a nice breeze.....

Hot, hot hot! Spend more time at Bryce which is at a higher elevation and cooler.

Here is a link to private campgrounds around Moab:
http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/l...ds_private.php

The "Slickrock" has a pool and tent shelters. However, we like "Up the Creek" which is all tent sites on lawn, not gravel. It is right in town, on the way up to the Slickrock trail. Showers and restrooms were very clean. It's a small place (20 sites).

Vobo,
We are planning an almost identical trip with our boys at the same time. We will arrive in Albuquerque on the 24th & head west towards Petrified Forest then up to Grand Canyon. From there we are headed to the 4 Corners monument (son's request) on up to Canyonlands & Arches. We will hit Mesa Verde & Great Sand Dunes then head back to Albuquerque for our flight out on July 8th. I don't have our days figured yet but need to get on that. Our boys are 12 and turning 11 on the trip. I too am thinking of a float trip or other "adventure" on his birthday.

mom2boys,

I need to know the secret of making birthhdays go down instead of up! :)

Utahtea