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NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH - A Road Trip


motorhome in canyonlands national park near Moab, Utah
A road trip headed out from Denver and touring the Utah National Parks at Bryce Canyon, Zion, Moab, Canyonlands, and Arches. 
Photo shows: On UT 128 towards Moab & Arches National Park

HOW TO GET THERE

We flew into Denver. You may want to start from somewhere else but as the main part of the trip is a circle, if you go into another airport as your starting point you can break into the circle anywhere. (e.g. headed from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City).

This is a 1500 mile round trip and we did it in a hired motor home, but you could plan out a similar route with a hire car and stay in motels\hotels. Allow another 500 miles or so for side trips. Allow 3 weeks, but you could do it in  2 weeks at a push.

 ROUTE

DENVER

You’ll need to stay overnight before picking up your motor home if you’re arriving from outside the USA, so probably you’ll want to stay somewhere accessible to where you’re picking up your hire vehicle in the Denver area the next day. The last stop is also Denver so the final entry has some suggestions for a couple of nights stay including visiting the City.

GOLDEN

A great overnight stop on the way in or out of Denver. Golden is quaint town with good facilities and a very pretty riverside – Clear Creek Whitewater Park(handy Campsite nearby).
This is an old goldrush town, with a nearby rail museum. There are a couple of galleries in town displaying traditional and modern quilts, an interesting part of local heritage.
GOLDEN CO. - Clear Creek

Leaving Golden you’re in for a haul up and down the Rockies. Snow is still possible into early May, so take it steady if you are there for an early Spring break. Nice views from the top down into Glenwood Springs. If you need a stop before you get there its worth  a brief trip round the outlet mall at Silverthorne. 

GLENWOOD SPRINGS                                   

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool

Glenwood Springs is a friendly town, well worth a night’s stop over. There are good bars and restaurants. (I’d recommend the Glenwood Canyon Brewpub). Linger in town at least long enough to enjoy a long dip in the Hot Springs(photo above). Enjoy dipping in and out of the hot pool (40F) then swim in the main pool which is warm like the Caribbean Sea. Not surprising that lots of locals are here, as many folks have retired to this location to enjoy the fully laid back experience. As an alternative you could sweat it out at the old Indian steam caves at the Yampah Spa which is also in town, or you could save that one for the return journey.

COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT

A stop overnight around Grand Junction will allow you sufficient time to fully enjoy the route out of Colorado state into Utah state. Begin with the 26 mile trip along Rimrock Drive through Colorado National Monument. You would be making a big mistake if you miss this out, as the scenery is on a par with some of the best in the Utah National Parks. Enjoy the sandstone pillars and high altitude vistas from any of the little trails that head off from the Park road. 
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Onto I70 leading towards Moab, take the sliproad off towards Cisco, which is a one horse town that the horse bolted from a good while ago! Out of Cisco take highway 128 to follow the Colorado River valley. This is a stunning route into the Utah National Parks. There are many places where you can pull over to take photos, or just slow your pace right down, for this road is a gift that just keeps on giving.

Colorado River from Hwy 128

MOAB

Moab is a major centre for visitors to the eastern section of the Utah National Parks.
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Its a fun little town and you will want a few nights here before venturing on.  There are plenty of attractions here, the big ones are the Arches National Park and Canyonlands NP.


ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

The eroded sandstone formations in the Park can be appreciated both from afar and closer to along the well established trails from the car parks. The National Park Visitor Center is a good place to start, with maps and other information available. Head out towards Devil’s Garden with plenty of viewpoints and starting points for the trails. 

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Vistas from high above the Colorado River can be enjoyed from the viewpoints on the road at the Northern end of the Park. DeadHorse Point State Park is not to be missed(photo below)- there is a 5 mile trail from the car park that offers great views, and although its mostly flat the 6,000 ft altitude will probably make you puff a bit.

Deadhorse Point above Colorado River

 Leaving Moab on your way towards Blanding you can spend the best part of a day travelling in a visit to the southern section of Canyonlands, which is at Needles State Park, off US191 along UT211. The sandstone pillars here have distinctive red and white striations. As well as enjoying the drive out and back you can get closer in by taking one of the short trails off the park road. You’ll find Canyonlands to be a lot quieter than the Arches NP, it’s a larger area and has fewer visitors. Some of the well-heeled dudes with Coach motorhomes trail their dune buggies into the area but they’re usually a long way off so shouldn’t bother you if you’re on a short hike.  

Newspaper Rock NM

On the way back to rejoin US191 stop at Newspaper Rock National Monument. The petroglyphs on the rock panel are over 2000 years old featuring more than 650 designs. Many appear to be just random representations of people, animals and symbols but some appear to be recording events or telling stories, maybe an early form of social media?

BLANDING

A useful stopover before your onward journey towards the Western section of the Utah National Parks. From Blanding you’ve got about 100 miles driving through the spectacular scenery on the way to Hanksville. The section through Glen Canyon National Park and down to Lake Powell is particularly dramatic. You could rush through this but why would you want to with ample opportunities to pull over, take a breather and get your camera out?

HANKSVILLE

Another useful stop over as the next section of the drive will occupy you for a full day with plenty of time for stops and short walks as you head through Capitol Reef National Park and Escalante National Monument to Cannonville.

CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

The 8 mile long scenic drive through the National Park is well worth the hour’s detour off  Highway 12 that the return journey will take you, with stops for photos and taking in the air.

CAPITOL REEF N.P.

The Visitor’s Center at the start offers a guide to the main sights on the drive. You’ll see the multi coloured cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges that the park is famous for.

ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT(GRAND STAIRCASE) 

Continuing on Highway 12 there is more spectacular scenery on the way down to Cannonville. The panorama from Head of the Rocks viewpoint allows views from your 8,000 ft vantage point stretching to 125 miles – phew!

CANNONVILLE

Overnight here to give yourself a full day to take in the unique delights of Kodachrome State Park.

KODACHROME BASIN STATE PARK

Avoid any temptation to rush by on the way to the more headline destinations of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, for a treat awaits you in this quiet, remote yet compact beauty spot. 
Kodachrome Basin SP

Easy trails lead off fromthe park road. There are more than 60 sandstone monoliths ranging from people height up to 170 ft. The colour and contrast of the stones and vegetation are as marked as you will see further on in nearby Bryce Canyon. The cosy dimensions of the park make this a special place as you walk the trails.

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Leaving Cannonville you’re close on to Bryce Canyon National Park, but you’ll need a few days here to appreciate all the park has to offer. There is a good shuttle service from the Visitor Center that helps to get you out to and back from the various trail points.
BRYCE CANYON N.P.
Athough its hard to avoid some elevation on some of the trails most are not too steep and there’s quite a lot of fairly level walking available particularly on the rim walk. Ruby’s Inn Campground is well placed for the park and has the added advantage of having Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill nearby where you can dine with the cowboy minstrels.

 ZION NATIONAL PARK

Its not a long drive to get to Zion NP from Bryce Canyon, so take time to stop off at KOLOB Canyons, which are a different aspect to what you will be seeing in Zion, well worth the effort to take in on your way. You’ll want at least a couple of nights stay to visit Zion, and Zion River Campground is a good base with its own shuttle service into the Park. 

Virgin River, Zion NP
The trails along and above the Virgin River provide some gentle and tranquil walking in this spectacular scenery.

RICHFIELD

It is a 140 mile trip from Zion to Richfield. The return part of the road trip loop does not cover any National Parks but there is plenty to see, starting with the Petroglyphs at Parowan Gap and then more at  Fremont Indian State Park.

 GREEN RIVER

It is a scenic 140 mile drive from Richfield to Green River. Surprise vistas for a lot of the way there, and some great Viewpoint stops across the San Rafael Swell. In particular the road snaking down Spotted Wolf Canyon yields an exquisite panorama.

I50 through Spotted Wolf Canyon leading to Green River

 In Green River it is well worth visiting the ‘John Powell River Museum’, which traces the first full explorations of the Green and Colorado Rivers. From here it is a 370 mile journey back to Denver.

GRAND JUNCTION

Rock Art, Sego Canyon, Thompson Springs
Between Green River and Grand Junction you will find Sego Canyon, Thompson Springs with further examples of Native American rock art. Unfortunately some ‘good ol’ boys’  have taken pot shots at some of these. Not sure what century this vandalism was committed but judging by the holes in some of the road signs there is still some of this bad behaviour going on.

Back in Grand Junction , if you stay at the KOA campsite it is possible to take a tranquil walk on the Old Spanish Trail from the back gate.

 GLENWOOD CANYON, GOLDEN & DENVER

You may want to stop over again, or if you passed them by on your way, at Glenwood Canyon and/ or Golden on your way back to Denver. In Denver accommodation is plentiful but if you want straightforward walking into town but don’t want to pay city center hotel prices you should consider somewhere near Confluence Park/15th Street, which has an elevated walkway from the section outside the center that takes you right into downtown Denver. Walking through the adjacent riverside park is also very pleasant. 
Denver Art Museum
In the center it is well worth visiting the 16th Street mall, and the Denver Art Museum that has some nice Native American artefacts and works by local artists. Have a safe  journey home!

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