Help with trip planning UT NPs & Antelope Canyon & Mesa Verde pls
 

We are planning a trip in the last half of November. Here is a proposed itinerary that I'm looking for suggestions with. Thank you in advance for any advice.

Nov 17-20 Moab - Arches/Canyonlands
Nov 20-22 Torrey - Capitol Reef (I'm thinking of changing this to one night - thoughts?)
Nov 23 - Bryce Canyon via UT 12
Nov 24 - Paige AZ Antelope Canyon
Nov 25 - Mesa Verde NP

Our focus would be on photography, short hikes, good food, coffee & brew pubs! Too much?
Are services closed for the season in some areas?

Thanks

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...by-debitnm.cfm

FWIW, I think you are trying to do too much in too short a period of time.

It has already snowed in SW Colorado, so be prepared.

Are you planning on flying in/out of Grand Junction? If so you might be able to do the trip IF you cut Torrey to one night, have no snow during your stay, and Mesa Verde is open and you can get lodging where you want.

I totally agree with Debit that you are trying to do too much since all the ifs fall to your side.

Bryce canyon is at 8000' elevation so expect winter weather. The main part of the park will be open, just be prepared for cold and snowy hiking conditions.

I appreciate your advice - believe it or not we are driving from Ontario Canada, I'm not including any of our driving days to the area in our itinerary. The latest we can stay in the area is Nov 27th. What would you omit? I wish we had months to explore!

Antelope Canyon is simply amazing. Why not Zion NP? The town of Springdale is at the entrance of Zion is charming. One of the few towns that you can walk directly into a National Park. Try staying at one of the Lodges in Bryce or Zion that are in the parks.

Expect a lot of the coffee stops and dining spots to be closed.

I would stay flexible all along the way and check one of the weather sites frequently. If a major storm comes through and they close one of the interstates, you could need extra time to get there and also to get from place to place.

If weather permits, I would go to Mesa Verde first then go to Arches and Canyonlands. The lodging in Mesa Verde is closed in November, so you will need to find a place to stay in Cortez or Durango. The road up the mesa is curvy and up, so you need to add time to get up there. Next I would look at a good map and a weather station and see if going to Bryce and/or Page for Antelope Canyon would make sense. It will eat up most of a day to get to Bryce from Moab and you would want to do that drive in the daytime, as the sights are wonderful and 12 has lots of curves and ups and downs.

When you set up your timeline, I don't think you've put in the time it takes to get from place to place. If you do decide to do it all, then Capitol Reef would be a quick drive through on the way to Bryce and Antelope Canyon a maybe and only if the day is sunny and bright and you can be there mid day, otherwise the pictures will not be as wonderful as you would like.

I'll hope for dry roads and sunny days for you.

Thank you all for your good advice. Seems like I must be flexible at this time of year...
I have been to Zion NP on a previous trip so that's why it didn't make the list.

I do a trip to hike the southern Utah parks every winter and start at Moab and end at Zion. My suggestion is to start at Moab/Arches-- one day is fine for Arches. Spend another day at the northern Canyonlands area, then head south to the Canyonlands-Needles area. Canyonlands is two or three distinct areas. From the Needles section, head south and travel through Grand Staircase Escalante and Capital Reef. On a short trip, neither is a place to stay. I'd pass through both and stay at Bryce. You can see/hike Bryce in one or two days. Then drive to Zion-- about 90 minutes. The drive into Zion from Bryce is really special. Arches, Bryce and Zion are fairly small parks (compared to Yellowstone, for example) and each has one road in that deadends.

I don't consider Zion small. It has multiple access entries, of which most people only go thru the one in Springdale. For example, the drive up Kolob Canyon Section. Or the Kolob Terrace road. It's actually like Yosemite. 90% of the people visit only the very small area. In Yosemite they see "The Valley" in Zion they see "Zion Canyon" areas. Both of which are a very small part of the park.

You don't mention Goblin Valley. I would certainly do it since it is right on your way. Also, Little Wildhorse Canyon is right near the Goblins. I haven't done Antelope, so I wouldn't compare the two. But, I do know that Little Wildhorse is spectacular. It's free and doesn't require a guide and would shave a day off your schedule.

I've just taken more time off work - everything seems too good to miss. So now the trip - not including travel to and from the area will be 13 days long.

Thanks for the advice re Canyonlands having distinct areas. I would like to see Goblin Valley and the Valley of the Gods.

We will stay in Moab for 3 nights...I have book a few days in Torrey which I'm wondering if that's too long considering services will have closed for the season. What about staying at Bryce Canyon City/Tropic/Kanab instead or just one night in Torrey and one of the other places. Can we explore Grand Staircase Escalante from Kanab? (Which looks funky and fun)

Many thanks again for your help - getting excited

One night in Torrey is enough for Cap. Reef unless you arrive late in the day.

Stay in Escalante for Grand Staircase...Kanab is too far.

Stay in Rubyville (Ruby's) for Bryce. Goblin Valley will be on your way from Moab to Torrey assuming you start in Mesa Verde and go counter clock-wise.

Valley of the Gods will be right after Mesa Verde but before Canyonlands/Needles district. Needles is cool but there's no lodging there. Newspaper rock is on the road into Needles and worth a quick stop.

Monument Valley is just to the south of Valley of the Gods...if you see that then you could skip the drive through VoG IMO.

Once you decide on a starting point come back for more specific directions....use mapquest or one of the other mapping websites to get a handle on the drive times involved.

I'm one of those people that LOVE Capitol Reef National Park and can spend a lot of time there but with a limited amount of time I realize it's not realistic.

If you are coming from Moab and plan on stopping at Goblin Valley, then I'd spend two nights in Torrey so you will have one full day to see the park. This will also give you a full day to travel from Torrey to Bryce over scenic Hwy 12. Otherwise from Moab to Bryce you will have to fit in to much! Remember the daylight hours will be short this time of the year.

We were in Capitolf Reef before the government shutdown (and were actually kicked out when it did shutdown) and there are a number things closed because of bad roads or rock slides. The dirt road into Capitol Gorge was closed, so if you want to see it you had to hike in. I have no idea how long it will be closed. The hike to Hickman Bridge was closed at the beginning of the trail because of a large rock slide in April. http://www.nps.gov/care/parknews/roc...-trailhead.htm

Utahtea

spirobulldog, I know how much you like Goblin Valley. Did you see what a few Boy Scouts "Leaders" did to one of the Goblins? :'(

http://www.upi.com/blog/2013/10/19/A...4781382191084/

Utahtea