Moab and Capitol Reef -- very rough itinerary
 

Can you tell me if this very rough itinerary makes sense?
Sat 9/10 Arrive Salt Lake City 12:30 p.m. Drive to Moab
Sun 9/11 Arches
Mon 9/12 Moab Music Festival
Tues 9/13 Canyonlands
Wed 9/14 Drive to Capitol Reef - stay overnight
Thurs 9/15 Capitol Reef
Fri 9/16 Drive back to SLC for 3:45 flight

Am I shortchanging the Moab area?
As I wrote on a previous post, we just plan on doing easy hikes
Thanks!
Laurie

Yes I think you are shortchanging Moab and Arches. How many hours is the Music Festival? I would plan at least 3 hikes in Arches including out to Delicate Arch and out through the slot canyon at least as far as Landscape Arch. The hike around the balanced rock is only 15 minutes. If you can get the Ranger guided hike in the Firey Furnace sign up for it.
I spent more time at the visitor center for Capitol Reef than I did hiking there. I enjoyed the hiking among the hoodoos at Goblin Valley State Park. We took a 30 minute hike in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. Arches impressed me more than Canyonlands and Capitol Reef.

If you feel like there are things you want to see in Moab, you can always spend the morning of 9/14 doing some site seeing in the Moab area before heading out to Capitol Reef.

You will want to get up very early on 9/16 to make sure to get to Salt Lake City in time for your flight. Unfortunately you have to drive though SLC to get to the airport.

Otherwise, looks like a good plan.

Utahtea

Depends on how much hiking you want to do . Not to mention, perhaps an offroad tour, or rafting tour.

My favorite to do in Moab is canyoneering. I suggest www.deserthighlights.com for that

In Cap Reef- Be sure and get some Pie at The Gifford House. They arrive at 8:00am and they are gone when the sell them all.

I would for sure stop at Goblin Valley between Arches and Cap Reef. I would also suggest Little Wildhorse Canyon, which is just a few minutes from Goblin Valley.

I much prefer Arches and Canyonlands to Capitol Reef. There is plenty for even an old foggie like me to do there and plenty of easy hikes.

We definitely only want to do easy hikes. I'm not very good at climbing, especially at high altitudes -- I get very winded. I also am fearful of ledges with drop-offs. But I love the outdoors and don't want to spend all our time in the car. We are in our 50s, although my husband just did the trek to Machu Picchu. I, however, did not. The concert on Mon. is an all-day event. Maybe I should skip Capitol Reef? I had read that it's a beautiful drive. While I wish I was the type of person that could go canyoneering -- it looks beautiful -- I know my limits. Same for Firey Furnace.

In Arches
Hike-Landscape (1 mile easy)
See Balanced Rock, The Windows, Turret Arch, Double Arch
All more like a 10 minute walk, not really a hike
I strongly suggest Delicate Arch, but it is somewhat strenuous and it does have a dropoff the last few minutes. It might not be for you.

Goblin Valley and Little Wildhorse are very easy

You might enjoy Cap Reef as it has a lot more trees. The orchard is interesting and you can pick and eat all the fruit you can consume. If you take it with you it is 50 cents/lb.

Canyonlands is really 3 different sections. Maybe Mesa Arch, but there is a dropoff.

Dead Horse Point-very similar view as the Grand Canyon- the Colorado River takes a very dramatic turn and it is very scenic, big dropoff- but not to scary.

Hiking will be cooler in the moring. Try to hike early and take it easy in the afternoons.

When you are in Moab, do go down to the Needles district of Canyonlands. It is a bit of a drive, but gives a whole different look at the area as you are down in it. There is an easy walk to Cowboy Camp where the camp has been preserved in the dry desert air for many years.

If you are interested in petroglyphs there is a neat rock on the road into Needles called Newspaper rock and also right in Moab on both sides of the Colorado river (Potash road and Kane creek road) as well as some other sites, right on the edge of the road. If you ask at Arches VC they will give you a map.

Sounds like a week isn't enough -- guess I'll just have to plan a second trip. Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to go ahead and book it and will probably be back with more specific questions as I plan.
Thanks -- I really appreciate it. Couldn't plan a trip without this forum.
Laurie

By the way, if you are unable to reserve the fiery furnace hike with the ranger on recreation.gov, Moab Adventure Center provides a fiery furnace tour too.