Wanting to visit Utah, need advice

[Midrsv]

I am beginning to plan our next big ride for next year and we think Utah will be the destination. There will probably be 3 to 5 bikes with 6 to 9 people. Those of us that choose to ride from KY will meet those that want to fly in Las Vegas. From there we'll head to Utah.

 

At a minimum we will want to visit Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches national parks. Is it possible to visit these locations out of a central location or will we need to ride some type of loop? We would like to stay a few of days in one place if possible instead of changing hotels daily. Is there a location that we could stay for a couple of days and take in Zion and Bryce and then move to Moab for a couple of days to take in Arches?

 

I've put together a loop route but, since we are not familiar with the area, I am concerned we may need to overnight in some pretty desolate areas which may not have hotels. Therefore, I am seeking advice on how best to see Utah. How many days should we need? Any recommendations on lodging, sites, etc. We'll most likely visit in late May or early June.

 

Thanks,

Dennis

[Tom]

I did that same loop and we stayed in Kanab,UT and you can take in Zion and Bryce with plenty of time to look around. Nice accommadations in Kanab,UT. Then I would go on to Moab as you will want to spend a few days there.Also nice places there to stay. Tom

[Tom]

This shot is in Zion Natl Park...It is spectacular there.

 

 

 

[91nwl]

You've got a nice route there. Couple of suggestions;

 

Take 128 from Moab up to Hwy 70 instead of 191. 128 is a little two-lane paved road that follows the Colorado river through some very nice scenery.

 

Instead of taking 70 all the way to the 15, turn south on 89 and go to Panguitch, then take 143 to Cedar Breaks Nat'l. monument, the monument is nice, but the road is even better. Then take 14 over to 15, or take 14 back to 89 and see Zion from the opposite direction on the way back to St. George.

[cowpuc]

Good Grief I Miss Summer

[CrazyHorse]

Moab is a nice area with Arches and Canyonlands national parks.

[pegscraper]

Just an idea here. If I could ride out west I would like to find some old ghost towns. There's one not far off of your loop, Frisco. Follow Hwy 21 northwest out of Milford about 15 miles and you'll go right by it. My Rand McNally has it marked as Old Frisco Mining Town. That's one I know about, but there have to be more out there than that.

[Mariner Fan]

I'm thinking of riding to Utah but I want to visit Wendover.

[pegscraper]

Another one I know about is a little farther off of your route. Goldfield, NV, about 3 hours northwest of Las Vegas on Hwy 95, just a little south of Hwy 6. This one is still on modern maps.

[Midrsv]

Thanks for the info so far. I'll have to study the map some more. How far in advance should we make our hotel reservations? I'm thinking I should get things firmed up and reservations made by January.

 

Dennis

[Tom]

You should be OK by January but if this is a trip you KNOW is going to happen Do it now ..... we went in April and by nightfall motels were filling up but I had reservations a year in advance. Tom

[utadventure]

Midrsv - The National Parks in southern Utah are great.

 

Zions - you can stay in St. George. The ride to the park is nice and only about 30 minutes away. You can also stay in Springdale, just outside the west entrance of the park. The third option would be to stay in the park at the Lodge. During the summer, the park requires you to ride the shuttle to the sites within the park, except to ride out through the tunnel to the east entrance to Mt. Carmel. You can easily spend a couple of days here.

 

Bryce- this is more of an hour or two stop on your way to Arches. The view from the overlook is amazing and the short hike down (1/3 mile) is nice but hiking the entire route is not what I would recommend.

 

Another stop on the way to Moab would be to take a detour out to the Needles portion of Canyonlands National Park.

 

Arches - again you can spend more than one day here. There are many of the arches that can be seen from the road but if you enjoy hiking, at least take the Landscape arch hike and Delicate arch hike. You may want to consider doing these hikes on different days as Delicate is a moderately difficult hike.

 

A short, fun ride outside of Moab would be to ride up to Dead Horse Point (Utah State Park). This is at the north end of Canyonlands Nat'l Park.

 

The ride up the Colorado river that was suggested is also a nice ride to think about.

 

Going across I-70 you can detour north up through Emery to Huntington (location the recent mine accident) and ride up over the mountain to Fairview. It's a beautiful mountain ride with great twisties. You can then ride south on US-89 back to St. George. I have a place 5 miles south of Fairview that would hold the group for the night if you would like to make a stop in Mt. Pleasant for the night.

 

There are also numerous camping areas if you want to go that route.

 

Feel free to give me a call if I can help with your trip.

 

Dave

[Sailor]

We were there in September. We did the Valley of Fire, if you get a chance it is worth it. We spent a couple of nights in Paige. Did the north rim of the Grand Canyon and Princess point, Bryce and Zion. We also did a 15 mile river rafting trip down Glen Canyou. Monument valley is worth a visit.

[utadventure]

Midrsv - I checked with a friend of mine (Stan) that does a ride in So. Utah every fall. Going from Zions to Bryce and then on to Arches there are some great canyons to ride. He suggestions you stop in Blanding (320 miles) or Monticello (350 Miles) for the night and then go on to Moab the next morning. Also, he suggests that you get lodging reserved soon, as the summer period fills quickly. South of Blanding you can also go to the four corners area. This is were four states meet at one point.

 

On your way back from Arches you may also want to stop in at Goblin Valley State Park. If you saw the movie Galaxy Quest, this is where they filmed the foreign planet scene.

 

Stan offered to go along if time permits. He knows and loves the area. I wish my schedule allowed this ride as well.

 

Dave