Jill2

Hi -we're leaving for Utah in 2 weeks and I'm so excited! But I need to narrow down our Moab activities. We'll arrive on Tues. night, staying Wed., Thurs. and leaving early Friday. Can anyone tell me which of these they think should we cut?

* Arches:
1) scenic drive
2) Delicate Arch Hike
3) Fiery Furnace Hike

* Island in the Sky:
1) Grandview Overlook hike
2) Mesa Arch shorter hike
3) Dead Horse State Park
4) Off road drive on Potash Rd

* Needles
1) Cave Springs v. short hike
2) Roadside Ruine v.short hike
3) Pothole Point v. short hike

* Desert Highlights canyoneering trip.
(1 day to Lomation Canyon)

* Drive out 128 to Fisher Towers – along the Colorado River

Thank you so very much!!! - Jill

utahtea

I think I would cut the Needles and save it for another time. Otherwise you could probably fit everything else in.

The last thing I would cut would be Arches! I've never done the Fiery Furnace Hike but I know you need to sign up as soon as you can. Delicate Arch hike and the scenic drive are a must! July is going to be HOT! If you find it's to hot to hike during the hottest part of the day, then take the drive out Hwy 128 to enjoy in an airconditioned car and then go back and hike Delicate Arch a couple hours before sunset.

http://www.nps.gov/arch/interp.htm


If you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle you can drive the Potash road to the Shafer trail. Take the short side trip to Mussellman arch out on the White Rim Trail, proceed up the Shafer trail into Canyonlands. Do the Grandview hike...very easy 2 miles, make sure you stop at Green River Overlook. (I haven't been since they paved that short section of dirt road), do the short hike to Mesa Arch, stop at Dead Horse State Park and then take the 4 x 4 Long canyon back to the Potash road and Moab. If you start early...this can be done in one day.

Utahtea

utahtea

Pictures from our 4 x 4 Potash, Shafer, & Long Canyon trip. This was before the digital camera....I guess we will just have to do this trip again!

http://www.utahtea.lithium.com/pages...shafer2001.htm

Utahtea

Dayle

Hi Jill,

If you have 2 days in the Moab area, you can spend 1 doing the planned activites for Arches and 1 day for the Canyonlands activites and Shafer Trail drive.

I really doubt that you will have time for Fisher Towers (nice, but not a must in my opinion), and you definitely won't have time for a canyoneering trip. Needles is out too.

If you want to do the Fiery Furnace, you may have to sign up the 1st day for the following day. The nice thing about the hike is that it's mostly in the shade and will be about 15 - 20 degrees cooler than the rest of arches. Good for the afternoon.

You could spend a week in Moab and not even scratch the surface. You will probably want to come back and stay longer.

Have fun!

KMK

I did the Desert Highlights Lomatium Canyon trip - it was WONDERFUL! - I wouldn't cut that out, it was SO worth it, if it is the type of adventure you are interested in....that said, you go into the Fiery Furnace area (much, much further in than the national park tour, so don't worry, you won't see the other tourists), so you can definitely cut out the Fiery Furnace hike when you do this.

I would also think about cutting Needles, maybe Fishers Towers, if you need to cut further.

justme22

firey furnace tour is really neat, sign up for it right away! per other posters tho, if you don't need to do the area twice so if you do the canyoneering trip, by all means cut out the furnace

for something a little different you can also consider renting mountain bikes for a different type of tour in moab. some good trails there.

christy1

Another vote for the Fiery Furnace, whichever guide you choose to go with. It's just fantastic in there.

Needles is my favorite portion of Canyonlands NP, but I'd recommend that you delve a little deeper in if you go there. Squaw Canyon/Big Spring Canyon, Lost Canyon, and Chesler Park are all amazing hikes. The short walks you have listed just don't do the place justice. Also, maybe since you have only two days, you should stick closer to Moab.

I agree that the drive to Fisher Towers could be cut. I know I'll be in the minority on this, I don't find either Grandview Overlook and Mesa Arch very exciting, compared to so many other places in the Canyonlands/Arches area. They are easy and accessible walks, which is why they are appealing to so many. I like the view at Dead Horse better than Grandview. See a sunrise from DH.

Jill2

Wow- thanks everyone for the great advice! I've decided that we'll leave later on Friday to fit more in. We will skip Needles and Fisher Towers. We'll do either Fiery Furnace or Lomation Canyoneering trip. We'll probably spend a full day in Arches too. And go through part of Island in the Sky and Dead Horse.

I need to stick to shorter hikes due to osteoarthritis in both feet (started in my early 30s - yuck) But my husband and kids can take pictures for me if I stop early on some trails.

Happy trails and thanks again! - Jill

asdaven

I did Arches and Island in the Sky in two days last summer. In Arches, I did the scenic drive, Delicate Arch Hike, the short Delicate Arch Viewpoint hike, and hiked to Landscape Arch in Devil's Garden. I would add Devil's Garden to your list, even if you just hike to Landscape Arch which is a short,easy hike. I'd might cut the Fiery Funace Hike, there is a viewpoint from the road you can see it, but the hike goes down into it. In Island in the Sky, I drove the roads, did the Mesa Arch Trail, and did Dead Horse Point, and took the very short hike to Upheval Dome Viewpoint. Reccomend the Mesa Arch Trail and I would add the very short Uphevel Dome Viewpoint Trail, it only takes ten minutes or so and is both interesting and scenic. Also, don't miss Dead Horse Point. I would prioritize Island in the Sky and Arches.