If you're going to Arches and Moab, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT miss Canyonlands National Park (about 45 min. south of Moab). Some of the most spectacular hiking in the country.

OK
I have been very busy for the last few days balancing several things, not the least of which is Cal getting to 4-0 on the year:woohoo

I have also made some modifications on our itinerary, partly based on your comments and partly based on what's available lodging-wise at this late date.

So we have deleted Green River as a destination, buying us 3 additional nights to reallocate. We are adding at least one day to Zion and one additional day to Moab/Monticello/Arches/Canyonlands.

That leaves us one more day to play with. We have decided to use it in one of the following places:

1) A second full day in Park City
2) A fourth night in Zion/Kanab general area
3) We probably could be talked into spending a fifth night in the Arches area.

What do you think?

Understand that deleting Green River as an overnight stay does not mean we won't be attempting to drive through and see some of the highlights of the area at some point on our trip.
And we are keeping the 2nd day in Bryce because we can use as flex time to either get to Zion earlier the following day or see some other areas that we might have tried to see from Green River.

Thanks so much for the diet conscious advice on food and the feed back on must see locations for sublime beauty and peace. All of us Bear fans deserve that experience even now, as these games take their tole on our nerves.

Hope to see some of you at the game
And I hope Utah has shot their wad against the Ducks.

Native southern Utahn that now lives in the Salt Lake valley. A few suggestions as well. Sorry if any of these are duplicates as I haven't been through every post in the thread. Making sure you hit Canyonlands/Arches is a great idea. My favorite parks are Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef in that order. Frankly there isn't much about Capitol Reef that gets me excited but to each their own.

One thing that will help you out money wise is to look at small towns near the parks, not right by them. For example, instead of looking at rooms at Bryce Canyon, search Panguitch which is about half an hour away. It's a small tourist town but the rooms are a lot less albeit much simpler as well. It's a fun walk around town to see some of the early pioneer homes.
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As for Bryce, try to get there as early in the morning as you can. Sunrises are amazing with the low light. Hike the trails during the day then go back to the overlooks at sunset to take more pictures. Also, while you're hiking, remember this.
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Yes, that's nearly 2 miles above sea level. Drink twice as much water as you think you need. Altitude sickness is a real thing. I've had it and I wouldn't wish it on an enemy. Also watch your alcohol consumption. That's another contributor.

At Zion check the Hurricane/Laverkin area for rooms. Again, you'll be about half an hour out of the park but the money you'll save is worth it. Even though it's early October, check with the park about the flood conditions. Flash floods come up quickly and a recent floods killed seven hikers in the park. I don't know how strenuous of an experience you want. Weeping Rock & Emerald Pools are very easy hikes. The narrows are a lot of fun but bring an extra pair of socks. To really appreciate them you'll want to wander a ways upriver from the end of the trail in the river. By the way, if you're a real thrill seeker, do Angel's Landing. It's a strenuous hike and the last 100 yards or so are on a pathway maybe six feet wide with a chain to hang on to. You'll want to do that. I don't know the official distance but from what I've been told it's about 750 feet straight down on the right but luckily only about 500 if you fall to the right.
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When you head for Arches try looking in Monticello and Blanding in addition to Moab. Again, bit of a drive but less expensive rooms. Another option is a new "glamping" site where you can camp in style with amenities like running water, etc. Definitely take the hike to Delicate Arch but talk with rangers about other sites to see as well. Personally I'd recommend Landscape Arch. It's huge and it's starting to lose parts of its center which means it won't be around long.

As for everywhere in Southern Utah, make sure you have your map and don't wander off of the trails, especially in Arches & Canyonlands. It's easy to get lost and it's dangerous and expensive for people to come and get you. Again, I can't emphasize it enough: Hydrate. The humidity probably be in the mid teens and the water will suck right out of you.

Feel free to ask if you have any other question!

Thanks for the contributions:

Any can't miss camp sites easy to get to by car in any of the parks (esp. Zion and Arches/Canyonlands)?
If you were going to take 1 day trip or overnight rafting without getting into challenging rapids, where would you go and would it be guided or solo and who would be the guides?
One point to know: My itinerary is general area. So when I say 2 nights in Bryce or 3 nights in Capitol Reef, I am planning to see the areas near by as well.
So I could reduce Capitol Reef stay and increase Zion/Kanab stay by one but that would mean only 2 days in the entire Capitol Reef area and then 5 days in the Zion area.

Thanks in advance for all the great feedback. I am definitely using it.

61_Shasta;842557650 said:

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Definitely take the hike to Delicate Arch but talk with rangers about other sites to see as well. Personally I'd recommend Landscape Arch. It's huge and it's starting to lose parts of its center which means it won't be around long.

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I second this. Both are incredible and completely different.

Rushinbear;842553663 said:

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Also, to appreciate Bryce you need to hike down to the valley floor and walk among the hoodoo's. Wall Street must be seen and can only be seen from there (in fact, you can't see it any other way). This will take two days, that and to see everything else, especially sunrise at Sunrise Point (or whatever it's called). We couldn't find any top accommodations, so we stayed at the big tourist motel at the start of the road going in. Forgot what it is called. It was ok, but kitschy.

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Totally agree about getting out of the car and down into Bryce.
Hiking down into the spires provides an entirely different experience. We felt sorry for the bus tours that we saw stopping at the rim for a quick pic before continuing on; they missed so much.

heartofthebear;842557942 said:

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Thanks for the contributions:

Any can't miss camp sites easy to get to by car in any of the parks (esp. Zion and Arches/Canyonlands)?
If you were going to take 1 day trip or overnight rafting without getting into challenging rapids, where would you go and would it be guided or solo and who would be the guides?
One point to know: My itinerary is general area. So when I say 2 nights in Bryce or 3 nights in Capitol Reef, I am planning to see the areas near by as well.
So I could reduce Capitol Reef stay and increase Zion/Kanab stay by one but that would mean only 2 days in the entire Capitol Reef area and then 5 days in the Zion area.

Thanks in advance for all the great feedback. I am definitely using it.

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There are three campgrounds in Zion National Park. Traffic starts slowing down by October so you may be able to snare one in the Park. If not, here is a website that I found that has very accurate suggestions.
http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/accommodations.cfm

I did forget about Mt. Carmel Junction for accommodations but it's a viable alternative. Spending that much time in the area, definitely budget out a day for the Kolob Canyons part of the park. Its entrance is separate from the main entrances off of the 15 freeway between Cedar City and St. George. One other consideration (not meaning to add more to the plate) if you have a four wheel drive SUV/Crossover you can also reach a part of Grand Canyon that doesn't charge for entrance and is generally very private. If you go to St. George turn south from the St. George Boulevard exit to River Road. Keep following River Road past the industrial park and eventually you'll enter Arizona. Keep going for about 60-70 miles of dirt road (BLM Road 105) and you'll find yourself at the Grand Canyon. There is a large beach just about a 10 minute walk down an easy trail. Capitol Reef Arches and Canyonlands I can't really help you with as I'm from the Southwest part of the state, not the east.

heartofthebear;842557060 said:

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OK
I have been very busy for the last few days balancing several things, not the least of which is Cal getting to 4-0 on the year:woohoo

I have also made some modifications on our itinerary, partly based on your comments and partly based on what's available lodging-wise at this late date.

So we have deleted Green River as a destination, buying us 3 additional nights to reallocate. We are adding at least one day to Zion and one additional day to Moab/Monticello/Arches/Canyonlands.

That leaves us one more day to play with. We have decided to use it in one of the following places:

1) A second full day in Park City
2) A fourth night in Zion/Kanab general area
3) We probably could be talked into spending a fifth night in the Arches area.

What do you think?

Understand that deleting Green River as an overnight stay does not mean we won't be attempting to drive through and see some of the highlights of the area at some point on our trip.
And we are keeping the 2nd day in Bryce because we can use as flex time to either get to Zion earlier the following day or see some other areas that we might have tried to see from Green River.

Thanks so much for the diet conscious advice on food and the feed back on must see locations for sublime beauty and peace. All of us Bear fans deserve that experience even now, as these games take their tole on our nerves.

Hope to see some of you at the game
And I hope Utah has shot their wad against the Ducks.

---

Whoa there! I suggest you skip Vernal, UT unless you plan to visit Dinosaur National Monument or raft the Yampa River. However, if you do go I suggest a couple of excellent places:

1/ The Utah Natural History Museum is a first class professional venue. They've created a definite "must see". Spend a couple of hours.
2/ Dinosaur National Monument.
3/ Betty's Cafe for breakfast. Go early and sit near the local ranchers arguing about the grange, public lands and all the drilling.
4/ Tacos El Gordo for "food truck style cuisine". Highly recommended. Rustic but excellent food and real good people.
5/ The Quarry "grill and steakhouse" envisions itself as a grill pub supreme, but the food fell short on both visits; the beer was good.
6/ River Runners Transport for rafting supplies and booking. The folks who run this place are retired from the East Bay (Pleasanton).

It would be good hear more about your UT travel exploits for those of us who will make another trip or two to southern UT.