Utah Road Trip

This log details an east to west path through southern Utah with a mix of car camping  and hotels.

Day 1: Saturday, March 26
Leave home (Madison, WI) around 9 a.m. This is one day later than planned as we wait out a snowstorm closing I70 and I80 in the mountains. Drive to York, Nebraska. It is very cold and windy and we decide to stay in a hotel. Low will be in the 20s.

Watching for cranes. Did you know they mate for life?

Day 2: Sunday, March 27
Started the day by visiting the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center, then drove backroads watching Sandhill Cranes in the corn fields. We camp at Fort Kearny State Recreation Area and walk to a bridge on the North Platte River where we watch and listen to the cranes coming to the safety of the water for the night. It is an overwhelming feeling. Tens of thousands of birds that look like swarms of nats congregating in the sky. As they approach the sounds are deafening. We stay until past dark and walk back to our campsite. We sleep in the car. The pads and sleeping bags and pillows with ravens keep us warm and cozy. The new Subaru Outback does not disappoint.

Waiting at the Platte River for the evening return of the cranes.

Day 3: Monday, March 28
Sounds of cranes overhead wake us. Jim makes coffee (as he does every camping morning of the trip). We watch more cranes, but decide to head west and try to beat the next predicted storm. Tire pressure in one tire is low, stop to add air. The drive on I70 through mountains and canyons is beautiful. A rock slide in Glenwood Canyon causes a bit of a delay, but what better place to be stalled. The views are spectacular! We stop at a hotel in Rifle, CO for the night and eat at Lilly's Mexican Restaurant. Can't go wrong with good Mexican food!

Fisher Towers in snow storm. Great way to start a trip!

Day 4: Tuesday, March 29
In the morning the tire pressure low again. We drive to a Subaru dealer in Grand Junction. They say it's OK, just overinflated. We go on our way. It is snowing at the Colorado/Utah border. This makes me nervous. Moab, our first destination is not far away. We turn south on Hwy 128. The ride is lovely, but it would be better without SNOW! It's a virtual blizzard at Fisher Towers. After exploring options in and around Moab we decide to camp on the Colorado Riverway Recreation Area/Hal Campground. We drive to Arches National Park Visitor Center and sign up for the first available ranger-led tour of the Fiery Furnace area on Sunday. Jim makes a chicken korma Indian dish for dinner. Perfect heat for a cool night at a beautiful campsite.

Landscape Arch is as wide as a football field! The white streaks in the photo are  hail.

Day 5: Wednesday, March 30
Frost in the morning but blue sky and good coffee. (Jim says it's the best ever.) Hike Arches Devil's Garden Primitive Trail. Start of the trail includes Landscape Arch who's opening is as long as a football field. It snows a bit. Lots of people on the trail. We break off onto the longer trail and visit a couple great arches: Navajo and Double O. We go over one rock ledge and drop that is problematic. (I would have done better at the end of the trip instead of my first day of hiking.) 5.5 hours of hiking. Early bedtime in the car.

First day of hiking on the Devil's Garden Primitive Trail was a little tricky. 

Day 6: Thursday, March 31
Set up tent and sign up for 4 more days at campsite. Still coping with slow leak in tire. Drive to Dead Horse Point State Park. Hike around point overlooking incredible river bend. Then, drive to Canyonlands National Park "Island in the Sky" district. Great views. Take short hike to Mesa Arch. It get's lots of press as a great sunrise arch, so there are almost no people there at the end of the day. Big storm is moving through. We eat at Pizza Hut in Moab and watch tennis on the TV.

View from the tip of Dead Horse Point.

Mesa Arch at Canyonlands. Do the coat and gloves tell you anything about the weather?

Day 7: Friday, April 1
Drive south and visit Newspaper Rock (lots of petroglyphs) on our way to "The Needles" district of Canyonlands National Park. We hike Slickrock Trail with 360 degree views of the area and did a short hike to granary ruins. The day is clear, but cool and windy. Early bedtime again. Begin reading M Train by Patty Smith for my next book group.

An amazing collection of petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock. What was the message?

Canyonland views from Slickrock Trail.

Day 8: Saturday, April 2
Tire is low again. Decide to take it to Chip's Grand Tire Pros in Moab. In less than 15 minutes they found a wire stuck in the tire. We probably drove over a fence wire while searching for cranes in Nebraska. Glad we didn't drive back to the dealer in Grand Junction. Feeling much relieved, we went to hike the local Mill Creek Trail. There's a falls at the end and it had some crazy people jumping in. Hikers need to wade across the stream a couple times. Nice trail, too many people. Fire and early bed.

Poised to jump at the falls at Mill Creek near Moab.

Day 9: Sunday, April 3
Get up early to be at our "Fiery Furnace" guided hike. Christian, the ranger is very good. This is a hike labeled "strenuous" and I considered backing out. But, in the end I decided I would do it. We got to learn how to walk through cracks with hands and legs against rock. I didn't take my camera to minimize bulk in the tight canyons. Beautiful area. 3.5 hour hike. On the way out of Arches we decide to walk part of the "Park Avenue" trail. Back to campground for some rest. I am sitting on the rocks by the river, reading my book with a mug of wine and feeling quite happy. Then a large Great Blue Heron lands about 6 feet from me. As I'm watching him I see movement across the river. It's FOUR big horned sheep strolling by. What a spectacular moment!

Impossible to see, but I'm pointing at the sheep and the heron is just to my right.

Day 10: Monday, April 4
Leave our lovely campsite and drive south on Hwy 191 to Blanding, UT to visit Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum. Splendid displays of ancient peoples including an excavated ruin that includes a kiva. It is also a research facility. Great place! We drive west on Hwy 95 stopping at ruins near the road. We drive the loop at Natural Bridges National Monument but we don't take time to hike or really explore. Then drive north with more great views. Cross the Colorado River. Stop for the night in Hanksville. The Whispering Sands Motel is really the only place to stay. 

Day 11: Tuesday, April 5
Drive to Capital Reef National Park and camp in their campground. Not much else in the area. Some National Forest campgrounds aren't open yet (higher elevation). We check out the house where a Mormon family lived and splurged on a mixed berry pie. The original orchards are still maintained. Trees are in blossom. Hike the Capitol Gorge Trail which was the original way into the area. Also hike up to "The Tanks" (water holes in rocks in the canyon). Very windy day! We drive out of the park to check out the birds at the Bicknell Bottoms.

A view of our campground from the Rim Overlook trail in Capitol Reef.

Day 12: Wednesday, April 6
Hike the Rim Overlook Trail in Capital Reef NP. 2.3 mi one way, elevation gain 1,000 ft. Spectacular views over the park. Drive out of park looking for shade. Park in the Dixie National Forest and do some bird watching and resting.

Petrified Forest State Park in the Escalante area. 

Day 13: Thursday, April 7
Leave Capital Reef NP and drive south on Hwy 12 through the Dixie Natl Forest. We keep going up and up and up. Snow in patches. Beautiful views. After coming down, we get a campsite at Calf Creek Recreation Area. Good rock cliffs and river sounds. After setting up we drive to Escalante, UT for lunch at Escalante Outfitters. Great pizza, WIFI, and state liquor store to restock wine. Visit Petrified Forest State Park. Good hike. Many birds on the lake at the park headquarters. Drive to Devil's Garden thirteen miles down Hole in the Rock Road. Unpaved washboard. Great rocks, arches, HooDoos. Back to campsite. Quiet.

Devils Garden is a playful area if you can stand the 13-mile washboard drive.

Day 14: Friday, April 8
Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail (about 6 miles round trip). Great waterfall. Popular trail. Rain when we get back. Nap in car. Walk in the rain.

Lower Calf Creek Falls is huge and worth the hike.

Day 15: Saturday, April 9
Leave campground and head to Kodachrome Basin State Park. Great hikes. Beautiful chimney, arches. etc. Stay in Tropic, UT overnight.

Cows at Kodachrome Basin State Park. 

Can you see the people on the ridge? Great hikes and views at Kodachrome Basin.

Day 16: Sunday, April 10
Visit Bryce Canyon National Park. Very cold. Snow was still on the Bristlecone Trail. Then we hiked the Navajo Trail. It was only open one way, so we took the switchbacks down into the canyon and then hiked back out. Spectacular views of Hoodoos. Seems unreal. We leave the park and drive west through Red Canyon. It, too, is amazing, but it's too early for camping. We drive to and through Zion National Park taking in the eastern part of the park with the rocks and tunnels, but it's getting late and there is no room in the campgrounds. We drive west to La Verkin and stay at a Best Western. 

The rock formations at Bryce are almost too strange.

The Navajo Trail at Bryce; easer to come up than down.

Day 17: Monday, April 11
Drive back to Zion National Park to get in line for a campsite. Nice site in the South campground; cliffs above and the river is near. Set up camp and make more morning coffee! Take park shuttle to end and hike the Riverway to the Narrows. But the Narrows (a famous slot canyon) is closed because of high water. Great views up and down the canyon. Lunch on rock over the river. Shuttle to Lodge. Hike to Lower and the Upper Emerald Pools. OK, but too many people/school kids. A warm evening in the campground.

A major bummer.

Emerald Pools. Good hike; too many people.

Day 18: Tuesday, April 12
Jim heads out early to hike Angel's Landing and I hike Watchman Trail. The wildflowers are blooming. This is one of the best hikes I've taken; fewer people, spectacular flowers, some elevation, but not grueling. Warm day. Visit the park Museum and catch a ranger talk on how the rocks formed. Intended for kids, so it was perfect for me! Many families in campground. It's spring break for Utah schools!

Day 19: Wednesday, April 13
Drive to the north part of the park and hike at Kolob Canyons. Hit the road and drive to Vernal, Ut. The 7/11 Ranch Restaurant has a special section of their menu called "Protein Menu" that leaves out all the bread and potatoes. I had a steak and bowl of broccoli and cauliflower. Stay at the EconoLodge. Watch television and see that a major storm is coming to the rockies. Yikes!

Day 20: Thursday, April 14
Visit Dinosaur National Monument. Amazing dinosaur quarry. We drive through the park stopping at some of the petroglyphs and other sites, but we need to head east and beat the storm. Good dinner in Laramie, Wyoming at the Crowbar and Grill. Keep driving until somewhere in western Nebraska where we crash at a Motel 6. It's so windy no trucks are on the road.

The building encloses a real dig with dinosaur bones exposed.
There are two levels with a section open to touch real bones!

Bones in rock; lots of them!

Day 21: Friday, April 15
Drive east. Home around 9:30 pm. Whew! Gorgeous weekend in the forecast for Madison!