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I asked about this idea before going in this thread: Anyone driven Utah's Big 5 National Parks...?? Someone asked for a report, so here it be...
Over 1100 miles driven in six days, mostly between parks, but almost all of it was scenic. It was like southern Utah is really one big nature park at times, but then there were dozens more than the ones I visited along my route. This was my trip...
Sunday was tough! I overnighted in Lubbock after a family reunion there, then woke up at 3:30am worried about whether I had successfully set my alarm for 4, so I started then and got to the airport early for my 6:15am flight. I awoke again as my first flight arrived in Denver early so my 4+ hour layover evolved to 5, a very long time to spend in any airport. My United Club passes helped, but not tremendously. Finally I got to nap again on my flight to St. George, arriving on time at 1:14pm with 102 degree weather to greet me. Had to start getting used to such for the week.
I signed for my car rental and found it not too far from the space I'd been told it was parked, then hit I-15 north thru town, stopping briefly for two gallon jugs of water to carry for emergencies and a pack of sodas for stops during the week, knowing that stores would be miles apart at times. Found Cedar Break NM okay up high on the first of many desert mountains, pulled in to show my Parks pass, fill my thermoses at the Visitors Center, and headed to the edge for my first view of the huge canyon. I think there were four different places to park & view as I drove around the park, and the views were all breathtaking. It was a little chilly above 10,000 feet after leaving the oven known as St. George about an hour earlier, but nice.
From there I headed north up I-15, then west along I-70 as far as Salina for my scheduled overnight stop. Nothing rewarding there, but a good place to top of the gas tank, eat supper, grab some Subways for lunches to follow, and crash for the night. I think the warning sign on the freeway said "No services for 105 miles." I put a couple of sodas, my two liter thermoses of water, and the two – six inch subs in the room fridge for the night, then in the morning stuck the thermoses in my backpack and the sodas & subs on ice in a little Igloo cooler I'd brought along for the purpose. I filled my pint thermos and commuter cup with coffee at breakfast, then hit the road as early as possible.
Monday morning's scenic drive to the east side of the state was entertaining enough, at 80mph most of the way, then I turned south towards Moab, arriving at Canyonlands NP in about three hours. This huge park is actually divided into three different sections, with Island in the Sky section closest and most appealing to an old coot with a bad knee in a rental car, so that's the one I toured. I'm sure the other two sections are very rewarding to those younger & fitter with vehicles up to off pavement adventures, but I enjoyed this one just fine.
I went to the end of the road to try a listed “easy” hike to view a crater, and I guess it was only a mile round-trip, but steep! Sitting water breaks were certainly taken both ways. The destination was enjoyable altho I am not one to get too close to a cliff edge with no guardrails, and I still got a decent view and some shots. Back at the car, I broke for a sub & soda, then started driving the rest of the two roads, hitting the pullouts for various high views & shots of the badlands below where the Colorado river meets the Green river. I may well overuse the word “breathtaking” throughout this report.
I gassed up and spent the night at a Moab hotel, packing my remaining sub with sodas and refilled thermoses in the room fridge, setting my alarm for 5am for an early start the next day, but that failed. I woke with a stomach bug, reset the alarm for 6:30, then headed for Arches NP. I'd failed to pack Pepto-B just in case, but tried to forge ahead the best I could, not waiting on stores to open. No hikes at all, but I did enjoy the lovely drive up into the park, stopping at most pullouts for views & shots. I noticed that many cars were bypassing me tho, seemingly in a hurry to get to road's end? Devils Garden at that end is the star of the park, with a short hike to view great arches, and I just missed that by the time I got that far. Next time...!!
Having seen as much as I felt up to trying, I hit the road returning the way I'd came as far as Green River where I acquired Pepto-B that made the rest of the day easier, then continued on to Goblin Valley SP, a must see. I’ve seen Hoodoos before, but there were hundreds at the end of the road, some grouped, some individuals, and some fallen. For the avid camper & hiker, there are actually three valleys to see there, but I enjoyed my brief stop and short hike. Finally felt good enough for lunch, and out came the sub & soda. Subs can get boring after a few days I know from other trips, but are so handy when try to cover many miles & sites everyday.
I motored on down the road towards Capitol Reef NP, just amazed at the sights to see along the way, visited the old Mormon settlement and the Visitors center, then called it a night. No room fridge, but I worked around that okay as I was temporarily out of subs. The next morning I iced down sodas, doubled back to tour the scenic park drive with majestic cliffs, formations, valleys, 1,000 year old petroglyphs, and a failed uranium mine, then doubled back again to town to pick up subs before heading towards Bryce Canyon NP. Google maps suggests a faster route heading northwest first, but I chose a little slower route heading south into Grand Staircase NM.
(continued)
Over 1100 miles driven in six days, mostly between parks, but almost all of it was scenic. It was like southern Utah is really one big nature park at times, but then there were dozens more than the ones I visited along my route. This was my trip...
Sunday was tough! I overnighted in Lubbock after a family reunion there, then woke up at 3:30am worried about whether I had successfully set my alarm for 4, so I started then and got to the airport early for my 6:15am flight. I awoke again as my first flight arrived in Denver early so my 4+ hour layover evolved to 5, a very long time to spend in any airport. My United Club passes helped, but not tremendously. Finally I got to nap again on my flight to St. George, arriving on time at 1:14pm with 102 degree weather to greet me. Had to start getting used to such for the week.
I signed for my car rental and found it not too far from the space I'd been told it was parked, then hit I-15 north thru town, stopping briefly for two gallon jugs of water to carry for emergencies and a pack of sodas for stops during the week, knowing that stores would be miles apart at times. Found Cedar Break NM okay up high on the first of many desert mountains, pulled in to show my Parks pass, fill my thermoses at the Visitors Center, and headed to the edge for my first view of the huge canyon. I think there were four different places to park & view as I drove around the park, and the views were all breathtaking. It was a little chilly above 10,000 feet after leaving the oven known as St. George about an hour earlier, but nice.
Caution: Check weather and road conditions before heading up there in fall or spring, and think twice before trying it in winter! I think I passed one ski resort along the way.
From there I headed north up I-15, then west along I-70 as far as Salina for my scheduled overnight stop. Nothing rewarding there, but a good place to top of the gas tank, eat supper, grab some Subways for lunches to follow, and crash for the night. I think the warning sign on the freeway said "No services for 105 miles." I put a couple of sodas, my two liter thermoses of water, and the two – six inch subs in the room fridge for the night, then in the morning stuck the thermoses in my backpack and the sodas & subs on ice in a little Igloo cooler I'd brought along for the purpose. I filled my pint thermos and commuter cup with coffee at breakfast, then hit the road as early as possible.
Monday morning's scenic drive to the east side of the state was entertaining enough, at 80mph most of the way, then I turned south towards Moab, arriving at Canyonlands NP in about three hours. This huge park is actually divided into three different sections, with Island in the Sky section closest and most appealing to an old coot with a bad knee in a rental car, so that's the one I toured. I'm sure the other two sections are very rewarding to those younger & fitter with vehicles up to off pavement adventures, but I enjoyed this one just fine.
I went to the end of the road to try a listed “easy” hike to view a crater, and I guess it was only a mile round-trip, but steep! Sitting water breaks were certainly taken both ways. The destination was enjoyable altho I am not one to get too close to a cliff edge with no guardrails, and I still got a decent view and some shots. Back at the car, I broke for a sub & soda, then started driving the rest of the two roads, hitting the pullouts for various high views & shots of the badlands below where the Colorado river meets the Green river. I may well overuse the word “breathtaking” throughout this report.
I gassed up and spent the night at a Moab hotel, packing my remaining sub with sodas and refilled thermoses in the room fridge, setting my alarm for 5am for an early start the next day, but that failed. I woke with a stomach bug, reset the alarm for 6:30, then headed for Arches NP. I'd failed to pack Pepto-B just in case, but tried to forge ahead the best I could, not waiting on stores to open. No hikes at all, but I did enjoy the lovely drive up into the park, stopping at most pullouts for views & shots. I noticed that many cars were bypassing me tho, seemingly in a hurry to get to road's end? Devils Garden at that end is the star of the park, with a short hike to view great arches, and I just missed that by the time I got that far. Next time...!!
Having seen as much as I felt up to trying, I hit the road returning the way I'd came as far as Green River where I acquired Pepto-B that made the rest of the day easier, then continued on to Goblin Valley SP, a must see. I’ve seen Hoodoos before, but there were hundreds at the end of the road, some grouped, some individuals, and some fallen. For the avid camper & hiker, there are actually three valleys to see there, but I enjoyed my brief stop and short hike. Finally felt good enough for lunch, and out came the sub & soda. Subs can get boring after a few days I know from other trips, but are so handy when try to cover many miles & sites everyday.
I motored on down the road towards Capitol Reef NP, just amazed at the sights to see along the way, visited the old Mormon settlement and the Visitors center, then called it a night. No room fridge, but I worked around that okay as I was temporarily out of subs. The next morning I iced down sodas, doubled back to tour the scenic park drive with majestic cliffs, formations, valleys, 1,000 year old petroglyphs, and a failed uranium mine, then doubled back again to town to pick up subs before heading towards Bryce Canyon NP. Google maps suggests a faster route heading northwest first, but I chose a little slower route heading south into Grand Staircase NM.
Caution! The 28 mile road from Boulder UT to Escalante is not for the faint of heart. It goes over mountains instead of around, and curving along the top of a skinny ridge with severe drops on both sides. The 25 mph limit was generous! I think my high point for the day was 9,600 feet. I did it less than an hour. It used to take 3 days by mule train to deliver the mail. Think twice before trying it in colder weather!
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