from Moab to Bryce
 

Hi folks,
My husband and son are in Moab right now. They will be driving tomorrow to Bryce where they will spend the night.
What are the must see sights they should try to see in between Moab and Bryce?
They'd like to arrive in Bryce before sunset, ideally around 5pm.
Thanks!

Goblin Valley State Park off Rt. 24. See the petroglyphs along Rt. 24 in Capitol Reef and maybe something else in the park.
You will want to make several stops along Rt. 12 for some pictures.
What is the weather like for tomorrow?

One option would be to go up to I-70 then west to UT-24 then south to 95 west ? then 12 west. They could stop a half hour off 24 at Goblin Valley Sp and /or hike to Little Wildhorse slot. To do much they would need to leave pretty early in the morning as this will take 6 or so hours for the drive, but so beautiful a ride. Even without either stop, the ride is wonderful.

The most scenic way would be to go north on Hwy 191, then west on I-70 then take Hwy 24 south down towards Hanksville. You can make a stop at the Goblin Valley State park and then continue pass Hanksville to Capitol Reef National Park and do the scenic drive and stop at the petroglyphs on the main highway. There are plenty of hikes in this area. Then from Torrey, Utah take scenic Hwy 12 over the Boulder Mountains and then though the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. While it's only 270 miles there is plenty to do and it will take most of the day.

Utahtea

We all must have been typing at the same time. Just saw on FB that one of my friends posted pictures of snow in Salt Lake City. Your husband might want to check the weather forecasts and road conditions before he sets out tomorrow.

Utahtea

Great minds.......

krm,

Yes, we just had a good snowstorm today. Weather report tonight said Cedar City got 12.5 inches just out of this storm. The general area is the only place in Utah right now where snowpack is over normal.

They should check the weather and road conditions. I believe tomorrow is supposed to be dry and our roads dry out fast in the sun. However, they should be very careful of black ice at higher elevations (Hwy 12 over Boulder Mtn.).

Boulder Mtn, the tiny bend in the road called Boulder, Bryce, Brianhead Ski Resort have all had over 4 feet of snow in the last two weeks. Maybe they should go skiing :-) No kidding its great conditions!

thanks everyone. i'm checking on weather conditions right now...unfortunately they aren't skiers!

Probably the pullouts on Rt. 12 will be full of snow. Don't get stuck!

I read on another thread that they made it to Bryce. What route did they take?

Utahtea

They followed 70 to 89. Roads were perfectly clear the entire way. They stopped at Goblin Valley and hiked a bit in Bryce, but the snow was pretty deep there. Decided not to stay overnight in Bryce and headed on to Zion instead. Zion weather was fantastic. BTW- they ate twice at Zion Brewery. They really enjoyed being in the parks in early March- no crowds at all. This website is a great resource. I was able to get loads of information! thanks all.

Glad they had a nice trip and hope they will do a report. Not many visit in March so their input would be helpful for "off-season" visitors.

Where is the Zion Brewery? Haven't heard of this one. If it's good, tell us about it!

They had an amazing trip. They were in Utah Mar 2-7. Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce had almost no visitors. Zion had a few more visitors and the weather was pretty good- highs in the low 50s and sunny skies. The cold weather did not interfere with their hiking, although one day in Arches a sleet storm rolled in and they had to quickly descend to get back before it became too slippery.
Good hiking shoes and layers of clothing are necessity. Bryce had a few feet of snow the day before they arrived, but they did manage to get in a good hike on a trail that had been tamped down prior to their arrival. They covered quite a bit of ground - 5 parks in 5 days, and the hikes they did ranged from easy to very strenuous. My husband said he would definitely go back during early March to avoid crowds and heat. They came upon a group of stranded hikers stuck in a slot canyon is Zion and had to get help for them, but that could have happened any time of year.

They flew into Grand Junction CO and home from Vegas. They felt that they had enough time to get a good overall tour of each park in 5 days. Certainly you could spend more time in each park, but they enjoyed traveling at a brisk pace and seeing as much as they could.

Thanks for the follow up. Next time you have to go along.

Forgot to comment on ZIon Brewery- I think it's called Zion Canyon Brew Pub. It's right in Springdale. My husband and son enjoy craft beer so that's the main reason they went there. they had Buffalo Meatloaf and a hamburger. Decent food, with a nice view of the cliffs.

Already planning the return trip:)

Yeah! Glad to hear that . Yes you must go along.