Now that I think about it, most of southern Utah’s attractions involve hiking to some degree. Further complicating it is the altitude. I think we were at 8000’ at Bryce. I live at 6000’ so not a big deal, but I saw a lot of folks from sea level gasping for air on the way back up from the bottom of Bryce Canyon. Park ranger said the canyon was only about 600’ down, but it was steep. Picture shows me in a crowd trudging up the last of about 20 switchbacks after I foolishly told my wife that I would “just walk down a little ways”. Ended up at the bottom and went right back up. My glutes weren’t happy, but my new heart valves seemed A OK. Zion was spectacular but mobbed with foreigners on tour buses. Shuttle buses in both Bryce Canyon and Zion . We got nervous about incoming weather (10” show predicted), so hopped in the LX and scooted up to Green River, got another burger and beer at Ray’s Tavern.if you find yourself in that area and you are hungry, Rays the place.
Years ago we took our kids camping and they loved it, despite this Dad no longer giving free shoulder rides
What is your kid situation and planned routing?
I have now added Ray’s to my POI folder in Gaia… we’re suckers for good burgers.
We hit up Bryce last year and have done a fair amount in the southeastern part of UT in previous trips. I think we’re saving Zion and the more rigorous parts of Bryce for when the boys are a little older.
Our squad consists of boys 8 and 9 and the wife and I approaching 50. However, we’re fit and active but live at 1070 feet altitude and even though we hike often we do so in the Blue Ridge mountains which, while tough and rugged, aren’t known for their elevation.
Currently, the plan is to head west quickly with the hopes of finding a killer North Rim Grand Canyon campsite and spending a couple nights there. We have several potential candidates (a couple courtesy of fellow Mud members) but it looks like we will be arriving Sunday morning to that area so I’m debating on a possible delay somewhere close to push that to Monday in the hopes of the weekenders leaving some of the good sites open.
After that we’re headed north to explore the western side of UT and NV Great Basin NP trying to avoid pavement as much as possible and to boondock remote. Meandering our way towards Moab, debating on seeing the salt lake and Cruiser Museum, we’ll likely explore around Manti-La Sal and the Skyline Drive area there. That road is rated a 3 so I should be able to tow our Conqueror through there. Ray’s is conveniently located between here and Moab.
Moab has traditionally been our luxury stop where we get the fancy hotel for a couple nights and do laundry, run trails, enjoy the pool, and decide what’s next.
We’re debating on taking the Rim Rocker in to CO to where we left off last time then head south and do Mesa Verde, continuing on into NM to Bisti Badlands and Chaco eventually ending up for the most adventurous aspect of the trip… my in-laws in Albquerque.
Overall, we’re looking at 25 days and are open to any suggestions. It takes 2.5 days to make it there and the same back home, and we will probably spend 2-3 nights at the in-laws. That leaves the rest to whatever we decide and that could happen over breakfast. Currently, the furthest west we’ve been in UT is just west of Kanab.
Open invite to PM me spots if you don’t want them on blast or may be in any of those areas where our paths may cross. Fair warning tho, we go to bed and get up really early which tends to be problematic for anyone not on eastern time.