meggies

After five nights in Kanab and five nights in Escalante next May, we have two nights to fill on the way driving back to Las Vegas to fly home. We've been to Bryce and Zion a few times and this time we'd like to stay somewhere else; somewhere scenic and quiet for a couple of days; someplace good for short easy walks, as well. Any good suggestions? Thanks for all advice.

WhereAreWe

Are you camping or staying in a hotel? Snow Canyon State Park? Valley of Fire State Park? There are campgrounds in the national forest but that doesn't work if you aren't camping.

Capitol Reef/Fruita is not on your way back but it's not too far out of the way.

sylvia3

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park!

emalloy

I do like Valley of Fire, but only have been there at cooler times of the year. You can drive through it and head around Lake Meade to Hoover Dam.

Or head a little west to Cedar Breaks or down to the North Rim of Grand Canyon.

I've read about some fancy spas in the St. George area too.

meggies

Thanks, all. We will stay in a hotel for the two days. We will head from Escalante toward route 15 and then south. We looked at hotels in Brian Head, but DH doesn't sleep well in high altitude. We will probably stop at Cedar Breaks as we head west. If, after that, we stay two nights in Cedar City, would there be some nearby scenic areas that we could drive to, or easy walks we might do on our full day in the area?

WhereAreWe

Cedar Breaks isn't very large but worth a stop.

Have you been to the Kolob Canyon section of Zion? If not, it's about 20 minutes from Cedar City. Easy drive to some relatively easy hikes in that area. Otherwise, there are some hikes in the Dixie National Forest but I'm not very familiar with those. I did one a decade ago and I don't remember it being very difficult but you're definition of an easy walk may differ from mine. Look at the Cedar City ranger district hikes in the link below and see if any sound good.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/dix...24780&actid=50

lgott

Exactly when in May are you talking about? I see you're spending ten nights before heading back toward Las Vegas, but that still leaves some wiggle room. The Cedar Breaks scenic drive opens in "late May", depending upon when the plows clear the road. I think it actually can open sooner than that, but there's no guarantee. Even once open, the road surfaces can ice over at night, given average lows around freezing mid-May. I did that once, and it was a tense drive. Grand Canyon's North Rim was also mentioned; the road is closed until May 15.

meggies

Thanks, all, for the advice. We will be heading toward Las Vegas at the end of May and will check conditions before deciding to drive the Cedar Breaks road. As well we are open to any and all alternative suggestions. Speaking of easy walks, or easy drives, we are hoping for ideas for Kanab and Escalante for the five days we will stay in each. We won't be doing any climbing over rocks. Paved trails would be best, or easy flat dirt or gravel trails, two miles round trip or less. We're getting older, 82 and 73, but still enjoy being outdoors, soaking up beautiful scenery. I like to take photographs, so hope to find some easy drives to beautiful places. We drove over the Devil's Backbone, if that's the one on route 12 near Boulder, coming down from Capitol Reef, a couple of years ago and we plan to avoid that this time! We're not good with that kind of road!

StantonHyde

Click on my user name for a trip report to Escalante and Kanab. Kanab doesn't have as much for easy hiking trails. Lots of ATV stuff if you like that. You could drive down Hole in the Wall Road and take lots of pix and do some super short easy walks. Calf Creek Falls near Escalante is a nice easy walk--you don't have to do the whole thing, just do a mile, turn around and come back. Snow Canyon near Cedar City and St. George is nice. I loooooove the Kolob Canyon section of Zion--uncrowded. There are some nice easy walks there as well.

Vttraveler

I agree the Kolob Canyon section of Zion is beautiful and much less crowded than the main section of the park. There is a big construction project there this year so check to be sure that will be complete before planning to spend time there.

meggies

Thanks, Stanton and VT. I am grateful for your advice. Stanton, I googled as you advised. I'm wondering if there is another location in which we'd be better advised to choose, instead of Kanab, for our first five night stay. We stayed there one night a couple of years ago, ate at the Rocking V and with another couple took a jeep trip and walk through the nearby Peekaboo Canyon, which was a very pleasant adventure. However such trips with private guides are expensive, we aren't as nimble for climbing over rocks to access lovely places, we don't do ATV and maybe Kanab isn't what we need for five days this time. We've stayed on the North Rim of the GC and in Page, been to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, Moab, Bryce, Zion, Capitol Reef. We do travel a lot. However, the drives to Pipe Spring National Monument, Coral Pink Sand Dunes and Jacob Lake do look appealing. Not sure if sections of the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument or Marble Canyon are easily explored. The Wave is beautiful, but there's the climbing situation (not to mention the lottery). Thanks to all for your patience with us and for the generous advice that comes on this board, whenever we've asked!

emalloy

With the number of days you have, I would go to Moab and visit Arches and Canyonlands Island in the Sky for part of this trip. There is much to see in both of these parks that can be done with easy short walks. Neither has lodging (other than camping) in the park but there is plenty in Moab.

WhereAreWe

Are you tied to southwestern Utah? What about Sedona? Monument Valley?