Utah’s 5
 

We are planning a trip to Utah in September to do Utah’s 5 National parks and a couple monuments. We are flying into Vegas and traveling up 15 to start at Zion - renting ebikes the first day and dry pants, etc the 2nd to hike the Narrows (or part of it 🙂). Then we have 4 1/2 days to do Bryce, Capital Reef, Grand Staircase and Escalante. We meet friends in Moab where we will stay and base to do Arches and Canyonlands. We have a Jeep tour 1 morning in Arches and a dinner cruise in Canyonlands on the Colorado one evening (hope there is still water 😢). We have 4 1/2 days in Moab too. We have been doing a lot of reading on here and want to add the Hoodoos. We are hoping for any advice anyone can give us. Thanks and safe travels to all!

Grand Staircase and Escalante are one and the same: https://www.blm.gov/programs/nationa...ional-monument

The one activity which does not take time to get to is the hike to Calf's Creek Falls right off highway 12:

https://flic.kr/p/7uso4z
Other sights such as the slot canyons required more time commitment than you see to have in your schedule. It is also possible to go from highway 12 to Lake Powell in a few hours, but that would take you out of your way going to Moab:

https://flic.kr/p/7uspFX

In Sept you will neither need nor want dry pants to hike the Narrows. You really only need them in May when the water is frigid from snow melt.
I recommend water hiking boots and a walking stick, and be prepared to enjoy getting wet in any deeper sections or when criss crossing the river on your hike.

The few days after Zion seemed rushed to me - as much time driving as actually enjoying being anywhere but that's up to you. An overnight at Bryce is highly recommended for the opportunity to see the stars. Dry, clear air, dark skies and 8000' elevation make for fantastic viewing - just laying on a blanket with your eyes open for a while.

Your days in the parks are fewer if you include the time to travel to them. That said, the drivers in the area are spectacular and will have plenty of opportunities to stop for photos if that is your style. Include route 12 for some beauty.

While in Moab, do head down to both Island in the Sky and the Needles district of Canyonlands. Check out Fisher towers, look for some of the petroglyphs along both sides of the Colorado river,

Goblin Valley State Park (hoodoos) is a side trip off the main highway between Capitol Reef and Green River. You can wander among the hoodoos for an hour or two if it is not too hot but don't get lost. I used my GPS to find a geocache and used it to get back to the parking area.