in the beginning stages of planning a trip where we would fly into SLC and then go to Moab, arches, canyonlands and ?

How many days would you spend in each place?

Like ot go slow, not too much hiking, but taking the scenic drives, nature, photography ,etc.

WOuld probably do this in spring or fall.
Thanks

You can fly directly into Moab (expensive) or Grand Junction(not as expensive). SLC would probably be a better bargain on airfare. If you fly into SLC you could see Goblin Valley State Park on the way in (probably 2 or 3 hours would do you there, maybe less). If you have plenty of time, spend a couple of days in Capital Reef National Park.

In Arches, you can easily see Double Arch, Balanced Rock, Windows Section, and Park Ave. Those are all short walks from your car, or just look at them from the road, but you should walk up to them if possible. Easy short hike to Landscape Arch (the longest arch in the world and very fragile)is not to be missed, in my opinion.
You can view Delicate Arch from a distance, but if you have it in you at all, make the hike to it, so worth every step. It isn't that long, but it is all up hill going, but then is easy coming back. There is no shade on Delicate Arch route, so do it early or late and have plenty of water. A Fiery Furnace hike is good to do as well.

In canyonlands, Mesa Arch is the big draw. Do drive out to Deadhorse point and check out the view. Similar to that of the Grand Canyon, but the river is gorgeous as it winds through. One of the most scenic spot I have ever seen.

You could do a 4 wheel trip from Moab. Floating, or rafting through Canyonlands is great. There is calm water and white water available.

Both parks really require hiking if you plan on staying long. You can see the highlights in Arches in 2 days easy. Arches is smaller and very easy to manage.

Canyonlands is huge and has 3 seperate areas. The only real way to see it is in an air tour. We did it, and really enjoyed it. You could spend a lot of time in each dsitrict of Canyonlands if you wanted to hike.

I always mention the this to anyone who goes to Moab. The best thing I have done is a sport called Canyoneering with

www.deserthighlights.com

This is hiking, rappelling. They have 1/2 day trips and longer. Very incredible. I know you said not much hiking, but this is truly an experience. I have rafted the Grand Canyon and been on a dog sled on a glacier in Alaska. The canyoneering was less than $100 and every bit as good and rewarding.

Joanel,

How much time do you have? Are you retired and can spend a couple weeks? You could combine Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands with Mesa Verde, or a 3 day raft trip, or a mountain biking trip!

If not too athletic, rafting would be more your style than biking, for sure. No athletic skills needed, just a sense of adventure.

Ideally, I would spend a whole week in the Moab area. 2-3 days in Arches, 2 days Canyonlands, do a 4x4 road like the Shafer Trail, do some sort of raft/float trip. Head out to Castle Valley and up to the La Sals, a beautiful loop drive in the fall.

Photo ops are endless. Many people head out at sunrise and sunset just for photos/ wildlife sightings.

I've seen big horn sheep with babies in Canyonlands on one hike. Watched them for a long time.

Just in case you can't tell, I love the Moab area and go down at least once a year.

Yeah, Dayle. A trip to Mesa Verde would be good if you have the time.

I recently took a similar trip.

started and ended in SLC.

A four hour drive to Moab.

Spent 4 days there hiking thru Arches, spent most of a day in Canyonlands & Dead Horse Point, rafted for a morning and took the Fiery Furnace (++++) ranger led 3 1/2 hour hike. Went to Fisher Towers and hiked there and was lucky to see rock climbers there.

Yes, Delicate Arch (+++++) is all uphill but nothing difficult. Just walk slowly, go late in the day in time for sunset and take water.

We spent a day (stopp in Goblin valley and recommended) in Capitol reef and it was my least favorite place on the trip.

We mad an arc towards the west.

Spent a day in the Boulder/escalante area. Lower calf Creek Falls (+++++) is spectacular but 2 1/2 miles each way and no shade.

Then went to Bryce Canyon (+++++) with a morning stop at Willis Creek (+++).

The drive back to SLC is very pleasant and easy.

You can see photos at:

www.travelwalks.com

we have been to mesa verde - loved it.

time is somewhat flexible, somehwere between 1-2 weeks.

hiking long distances is out. short hikes ok. very high altitude not great either.

thanks for the ideas so far.

want to go before gets hot or afterwards. so late april early may? or late sept? early Oct????

May would be nice for blooms, i think. I don't know what it would be like in fall, I don't think much color. Either time would be light on the crowds.
Landscape is a short easy hike. How long of a hike can you go? I would be temtped to raft or float a day or two. An overnight stay in canyonlands under the stars would be fantastic or you could opt for just a day tour. There is horse riding and atv tours in the area as well. We didn't do any of those.

If you aren't doing much hiking you could probably see all 5 parks in Utah and even the North Rim of Grand Canyon with 2 weeks. That would give you 2+ days in each location and really they aren't that far apart. Of course, a week in Moab would be good as well.

Joanel,

Nothing in the Moab area is very high altitude, except for the La Sal mountains east of town. They go up to 13,000 and visitors do not usually do that!

Canyonlands Island in the Sky District is higher altitude than Moab, but you wouldn't be doing any long hikes there. Mesa Arch is only .5 mi. round trip. My 78 year old parents did that little hike a couple of years ago with no problem at all.

I would take the time to enjoy the area from different perspectives - a float trip, a 4x4 trip, an scenic air tour. Not physically demanding, but so fun and so different that just driving to various viewpoints!

Re: weather and temps. I always go spring or fall. Late April/early May is great. You'll have some wildflowers, possibly a little rain. Views of the snow capped La Sals in the background of your photos - gorgeous! Daytime temps can be from 60 - 80's, just depends on Mother Nature. Spring weather is a little less predictable than fall.

Late Sept/ early Oct daytime temps will still be in the 80's. Much less chance of rain. I sometimes go in late Oct for my birthday and it's still nice temps and uncrowded.

If you go in April, make sure to avoid Easter week! Jeep safari and thousands of rock crawlers in town. Forget trying to get a meal in a restaurant!

Myer's travelwalks photos - they are marvellous. Thank you!
Loved the climbers on Fishers Towers.
We'll be driving from Cedar Creek to Torre. Is Willis Creek a trip one could do unaccompanied in a 2wd car from Escalante on the way?

Carabella,

We had a 2-wheel drive rental.

As soon as you turn into Canonville (south) there's a Visitors' Center on the right.

Stop and ask for instructions.

You go south a few blocks and then it forks left for Kodachrome Park and Grosvenor Arch and Willis Creek to the right.

There are one or two kind of steep, dirt hills on the dirt road but not on turns. So just get up some speed on the way up.

Unfortunately there's no marker. However, there's a parking lot on the right side just before you get to the creek that goes across the road. There's one of those register boxes in the parking lot. If you get to the creek in your car you went too far. Just turn around and go back 40-50 yards.

They told us about the register box in the Visitors' center so I knew we were at the correct parking lot.

While the first slot canyon isn't the best of them, you get into it within a couple of minutes of leaving the parking lot.

No hard ups or downs. You just walk between the walls and keep jumping across the little Creek as it meanders back and forth.

It even has two little 6-8 ft waterfalls. Neat.

It would have been nice if it was sunny so we'd have the sun bouncing around. But at least it didn't rain.

It must have rained somewhere during the morning as the water was an inch or so higher on the way back.

We went about 4-5 sets of slots and then decided to turn around.

Definitely worth the couple of hours and it's very close (about 20 minutes) to Bryce Canyon.

Last year I was there and didn't know about Willis Creek. I went left to Kodachrome Park and Grosvenor Arch. The road to Grosvenor Arch is more difficult. Anyway, I'd take willis Creek any day over the others.