Myer

Horseshoe Bend isn't a problem.

The no guardrail part is the end and not along the walk there.

I was there in 2007. It's a 3/4 mile hike on level ground.

When I got to the end I was afraid to go to the edge to look down. But I knew I had to see and photograph it.

I lied down on my stomach and crawled to the edge. It was fine.

As Utahtea said. Watch the kids and don't let them run around.

From Horseshoe Bend I took the short drive over to Antelope Canyon.

I would make sure to do both of those when the sun is high in the sky and for sure before the sun starts to go west as it would be in your face at Horseshoe Bend.

While in the area there's one other very short sight to see.

The Best Dam View.

Going on Rt 89 and a little after crossing the bridge over the Colorado River. There's a road on the right (west side) with the name Scenic View Road.

This is above (north of) Horseshoe Bend and Rt 98 to Antelope Canyon. So if you're coming from Utah you stop here first.

Near the start of the Scenic View Road you'll see a parking lot on the right. There are some rock stairs and a built viewing area. This gives you a perfect, straight on view of the dam.

Definitely worth a half hour.

Parts of Rt 12 definitely got to me a lot more than Horseshoe Bend. Just go slowly. I used to laugh a write that the yellow line in the center is meant to straddle.

I didn't think the Hogs Back was so bad. It's pretty straight. It's those steep, curvy roads that I don't like.

This is a beautiful part of the country. Use suntan lotion, cover your head, drink a lot of water and drive slowly.

cd

Do the steep, curvy roads have drop offs with no guardrails?

StantonHyde

Some do, some don't. But think about it--how many times do you bump the guard rails when you drive??

cd

You're right

utahtea

cd, The hogback is only about a quarter mile stretch. Here's a picture of it from the air. http://www.mattwatkins.org/images2/hogsair.jpg This section isn't that curvy. There are other sections that are curvy but don't have the drop offs.

Here is a link to the Hwy 12 guidebook. http://www.scenicbyway12.com/wp-cont...oute_guide.pdf

The first time we did the hogback it was POURING down rain. We could hardly see the road, let alone the drop offs. We were coming from Bryce and we were just making a day trip to Anasazi State Park. Once we arrived in Boulder, Utah the sun came out. Imagine our surprise as we drove back over the hogback and could see the drop offs! None in my family have height issues but we were amazed at the scenery.

Utahtea

Myer

I guess the problem isn't the car. It's in our heads.

It's amazing how much easier it is to drive when you go slowly. Don't be intimidated by somebody up your butt. Pull over at the next pullout and let them by. Until then, too bad for them.

cd

Thanks Utahtea for the links. I really can imagine your surprise, I dearly hope it is not raining when we are driving there.

Myer, DH will drive slowly because I am such a winnie. I remember driving into Yosemite and being almost catatonic I think that was Hwy 20. When we left, we took hwy 40 and it was fine. Falling off a cliff is a fear of mine.

utahtea

cd, I'm sure it was Hwy 120 that you drove into Yosemite. So you're not taken by surprised, there will be other roads on your trip that are going to have drop offs. On Hwy 12 after you leave Boulder, Utah you do drive a mountain road but it's not a bad one. In Zion from the valley floor up to the tunnel but there are short guardrails on most of that. The drive into Arches has a few switchbacks right after you enter the park.

Hopefully the beautiful scenery will help lessen the fear.

Utahtea

cd

Thanks again Utahtea. Sure hope it's not raining. I guess prayer and Xanax will help.

cd

Just returned from this trip and want to again thank everyone who helped me plan it.
We started with 3 days in San Diego on a friends boat, the weather there is absolutely perfect!!70's and sunny!
We then drove to Las Vegas for 2nights and that was one night too many We then drove to Zion for 3nights, Bryce-one night, Capitol Reef 2 nights LOVED Capitol Reef! Moab 2nights for Arches and Canyonlands, did not really realize Canyonlands was a 140 mile round trip from Moab, would not do that again. Then on to Monument Valley for one night and then Lake Powell for 3 nights before returning to LV to fly home.

One of the highlights of our trip was Scenic Byway 12 in Utah between Bryce and Capitol Reef. Awesome! The Hogback was a little scary with no guardrails but at 25 MPH not too bad and just beautiful!

Once we left San Diego the rest of the trip was really hot, between 100 and 111 everyday, I don't care if it is a dry heat, a sauna, is a sauna, is a sauna, We used one day at Lake Powell for a boat trip to Rainbow Bridge and 5 hours on the water was heaven with the stone gaps raising on either side of our boat once we neared Rainbow Bridge was again awesome. DH hiked to the Bridge, I stayed on the boat...it was 111 degrees and just too hot.

The next day we did the float trip down the Colorado beginning at the Glen Canyon Dam. The interesting part of that trip was the ride on a bus thru a long tunnel in the stone to the bottom of the dam where you boarded the floats. Again, it was so hot it took some of the enjoyment away for me. I'm such a wuss, I can only imagine how bad it would have been in August! Thanks again one and all, even with the heat it was a great trip!

wekewoody

cd, Your trip sounds great.

Where did you stay for the two nights around Capitol Reef? What did you do there?

cd

At Capitol Reef we stayed at: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwest...ertyCode=45068 We asked for a balcony room overlooking the mountains and it was very nice. A balcony with a view is so nice for morning coffee. There is a restaurant and motel across the street. The restaurant has a fantastic view so we had dinner there. We just spent one and a half days driving and exploring Capitol Reef, the little dirt roads that you are allowed to take are wonderful, views surround you with tall sandstone mountains right beside the narrow roads. We loved it. However, I think if you are not going to take hikes one day would be enough. We spent some time in the tiny town of Torrey, they have a great bakery/deli with homemade donuts every morning in the Trading Post.

wekewoody

Thank you!

spirobulldog

Ive done most of the major stuff and some off the beaten path stuff in Utah. One of the things I hope to do sometime is Rainbow Bridge. It's high on my list. Capitol Reef is my least favorite park in Utah, but I did stay there 4 nights and hike about 30 miles during that time. The colors are better there than anywhere else and very few people there. The hiking is very nice, but just no super spectacular destination. I like a serious awesome arch or a waterfall or even a tremendous view on my hikes. CR doeesn't really have that, but does have a little bit of everything. I might try backpacking there sometime as I think it would be nice too. Only trick would be having to carry a ton of water or finding it.
Thanks for reporting back.

cd

The colors of Capitol Reef is what we loved about the park, that and the fact that we only drove, not hiked, so driving on the narrow dirt roads with the walls so close to us was a treat.
Hiking to Rainbow Bridge will be an easy hike for you, a mile and a half each way, but we are not hikers and it was 111 degrees, so hard for us. That is why my husband did it and not me. We loved the boat ride there. The closer you get to the bridge, the narrower the walls become and is quite beautiful.

utahtea

cd,

Glad you enjoyed your trip. You just never know when it will be hot and when it won't. We went in August two years in a row several years ago and the heat wasn't as bad as you had it. When we did the float trip on the Colorado River our guide gave us little disposable towels to dip in the river and put around our necks. It REALLY helped! He also gunned it though another boats wake to get us wet to cool us off. I'm so glad you liked Capitol Reef. I was heartbroken last year when we got kicked out in October when the government closed all the parks!

Utahtea

cd

Thank you Utahtea!Thank you!

emalloy

cd, Sounds like a wonderful trip. I agree that the trip down to the Colorado river to get the float trip was very interesting too, we did it when it was cool, so the boat ride was lots of fun.

Thanks for reporting back

cd

I would have loved it to be cool.