Anyone driven Utah's Big 5 National Parks...??

[Hoag]

One warning - Moab in July is hotter than - well it's a preview of hell!
Been there done that - will go back during a different part of the year.

My favorite time of year is late February / early March. It can occasionally drop below freezing at night, but daytime highs are very comfortable (usually low to mid 60s). In addition to that, the La Sal mountains are snow capped and you might get a light dusting of snow in the parks so the photography is spectacular. As an additional benefit, if you make the trip up to the Mesa Arch for sunrise, you can expect that the sun will rise near the centre of the arch. (The one big drawback is that on the drive up to the Mesa Arch, it is not uncommon to find cows laying on the road to try to stay warm in the "open range" part of the drive. Trust me, a Black Angus cow on a road in a dark sky preserve is very hard to see at night! It blends in very well!) The final benefit is if, like me, you do most of your photography at sunrise and sunset, these occur at reasonable times at that time of the year. On my trip in June, I was getting 3:30-4:00am wake-up calls just to make it out for sunrise and not getting back to the hotel till after 10:00pm after shooting sunset.

 

[DandyDon]

Well, I posted my report on this same forum, and linked it here...

One warning - Moab in July is hotter than - well it's a preview of hell!
Been there done that - will go back during a different part of the year.

Yeah, I took a screen shot on my phone of 106F one day. I expected such, but then I took my family to Death Valley to get a photo of them by thermometer at 112F. We left right after that, and the fine rental car survived going up a couple of steep mountains getting over to Owen Valley, AC on high all the way.

My favorite time of year is late February / early March.

Yeah, but you risk ice & show on the high roads. Skip Cedar Breaks and Escalante. Gawd that road to Escalate was scary at 25mph.

(The one big drawback is that on the drive up to the Mesa Arch, it is not uncommon to find cows laying on the road to try to stay warm in the "open range" part of the drive. Trust me, a Black Angus cow on a road in a dark sky preserve is very hard to see at night! It blends in very well!)

Yeah, and if you hit one, it's your fault, your expense for the cow, too. Honk often, so they will look. Cow eyes reflect well in the dark.

 

[Hoag]

Yeah, but you risk ice & show on the high roads. Skip Cedar Breaks and Escalante. Gawd that road to Escalate was scary at 25mph.

Given that the average daytime highs in February to March are in the 50s to 60s with lows in the Mid 20s to low 30s, snow can not be totally ruled out, but the chance of snow accumulating to the point that the roads become impassable or unsafe is pretty slim.

Yeah, and if you hit one, it's your fault, your expense for the cow, too. Honk often, so they will look. Cow eyes reflect well in the dark.

So you are saying that my warning to keep an eye out for them is a good thing for drivers to be aware of.

 

[DandyDon]

Given that the average daytime highs in February to March are in the 50s to 60s with lows in the Mid 20s to low 30s, snow can not be totally ruled out, but the chance of snow accumulating to the point that the roads become impassable or unsafe is pretty slim.

I'd be more worried ice lingering in the shade of trees and cliffs. Not much at Moab, but I crossed many roads over 7,000 feet, some over 9,000 & 10,000. Have you ever driven the road thru Escalante, along that narrow ridge of curves? Wicked!

So you are saying that my warning to keep an eye out for them is a good thing for drivers to be aware of.

Oh yeah, I grew up in farm & cow country, chasing strays that got out when temporary, electric fences went down in storms, always watching the road closely at night for escapees. Black cattle are the worst about kicking when working cattle and the worst about road hazards at night. Their eyes show well in the dark, but they don't look at you until they hear you, so honk every mile. Worse than hitting a deer, but not as bad a hitting a hog. At least hogs are smart enough to hide faster than deer or cattle, altho I have seen cars totaled by wild hogs.

The wilds of southern Utah are great for touring and exploring, and you meet people from all over the world on the parks.

 

[DeputyDan]

When we were there we lost the rental car to a mule deer.
The rental car folks said that they lose about two cars a week during the summer.

 

[DandyDon]

When we were there we lost the rental car to a mule deer.
The rental car folks said that they lose about two cars a week during the summer.

A common risk in many areas with the deer population today, after we killed off most of the wolves and cougars. We see them close to my home at times, and deer don't seem to learn to dodge cars like hogs do, thanks goodness for the latter dodging. Texas Liability insurance will cover damages and losses to rental cars, so I don't need to buy their CDW, but I wouldn't want the risk to life & limb.

I am so tempted to go back to Moab for another try at Devils Garden at sunup after missing it last trip. I'll be in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta in October for 3 nights, then I could drive 365 miles to Moab instead of 355 home, overnight there, then an early run into the park to beat the crowd, then a second night in Moab as tired as I'd be. Then I'd want to return by way of Monument Valley since I missed it in a blizzard on a tour that way once. Only 70 miles out of the way, but then it'd be 644 miles home after MV - ugh. That'd be another night in ABQ, making it almost a week on the road again. Oh well, "Old men ought to be explorers." I might talk myself into it. Redeem a couple of free nights with Hotels.com, and extra $100 in gas, and I eat cheap.

 

[Hoag]

@DandyDon my typical route would be to fly into Las Vegas and then go to Page AZ, Monument Valley and then to Moab. I would then return to Las Vegas via the interstate (I-70 to I-15). (Or I would do the same loop but in the clockwise direction.)

The only time that snow even became a factor was once they had part of the hike up to the Delicate Arch rerouted due to ice on the trail, but I have never seen a road closed due to it.

 

[DandyDon]

@DandyDon my typical route would be to fly into Las Vegas and then go to Page AZ, Monument Valley and then to Moab. I would then return to Las Vegas via the interstate (I-70 to I-15). (Or I would do the same loop but in the clockwise direction.)

The only time that snow even became a factor was once they had part of the hike up to the Delicate Arch rerouted due to ice on the trail, but I have never seen a road closed due to it.

Have you ever driven the road thru Escalante, along that narrow ridge of curves?

Well, I don't care if I ever see Vegas again, unless it's on the way to Death Valley - that I'd repeat. I bet snow in Page was a factor the year I tried to visit Monument Valley. I heard "Your our first visitor" at three different parks in one day, and the road to Grand Canyon Village was closed still when I got that far. I remember talking to a bus driver at a pullout the next day on the way in who had been snowed in at the Village for three days with a full load of Chinese folks. My daughter works with Chinese kids who come here for all of high school, but these kids have to learn English first. I ought to accept her invitation to go with her next trip she has over there.

Anyway, St. George would cut your mileage to Page over a hundred miles. So, you're leaving off Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef, Bryce Valley (misnomer that is), and Zion...??