Wyoming, Utah, Colarodo

[nsraja]

Folks, I had a 12 day trip planned from Houston to Rocky Mountain to Dinosaur National Monument to Yellowstone to Arches to Canyonlands to Carlsbad to Houston. I want to add 4 more days to the trip and I feel like I should spend that time in Utah or Colorado area. But I am all ears if you have other recommendations within WY, UT and CO.

If you had 4 extra days to spend in WY or UT or CO, where would you be? Splitting time between places is fine with me. I had scheduled only a day (and night) at Rocky Mountain and that's what made me think I should add days and spend more time.

 

[ducksface]

National parks in moab utah are great.
Also,
We've been to dinosaur once and found it closed the next 6 times we were driving by.
Call them.

 

[saddlesore-THOR]

When You head back to Houston, take I-90 and check out the Devils Tower, The Mount Rushmore area and the Bad Lands of SD.

 

[Greybaer]

Folks, I had a 12 day trip planned from Houston to Rocky Mountain to Dinosaur National Monument to Yellowstone to Arches to Canyonlands to Carlsbad to Houston. I want to add 4 more days to the trip and I feel like I should spend that time in Utah or Colorado area. But I am all ears if you have other recommendations within WY, UT and CO.

If you had 4 extra days to spend in WY or UT or CO, where would you be? Splitting time between places is fine with me. I had scheduled only a day (and night) at Rocky Mountain and that's what made me think I should add days and spend more time.

As a Utah native I would suggest you consider Bryce Canyon NP and Capitol Reef NP, via a drive through Escalante over Boulder Mountain.

A great route from Arches/Canyonlands would be to head north to I-70, go west, and then take route 24 south to Hanksville. From Hanksville you'll head west and drive right through Capitol Reef. There's a wonderful campground in the park at Fruita, or a really nice commercial RV Park called Wonderland RV Park at the Boulder intersection in Torrey.

From Torrey you'd take route 12 over Boulder Mountain, an amazing alpine forest that leads down into the crazy quilt red rock of Boulder and Escalante, and then past Cannonville to Bryce Canyon. Ruby's Inn has a really nice RV Park right at the entrance of Bryce, and there's also an abundance of boondocking spots nearby if that's your thing.

From Bryce you can go west to old 89, and work your way back down through Fredonia AZ, Tuba City, AZ, and onwards to Gallup, NM. From there you can head down to Carlsbad and then home.

 

[Mark54]

Folks, I had a 12 day trip planned from Houston to Rocky Mountain to Dinosaur National Monument to Yellowstone to Arches to Canyonlands to Carlsbad to Houston. I want to add 4 more days to the trip and I feel like I should spend that time in Utah or Colorado area. But I am all ears if you have other recommendations within WY, UT and CO.

If you had 4 extra days to spend in WY or UT or CO, where would you be? Splitting time between places is fine with me. I had scheduled only a day (and night) at Rocky Mountain and that's what made me think I should add days and spend more time.

Just West of Canyonlands and Arches is a must-see: Goblin Valley State Park. We just got back from the mighty five and added that plus the 4 corners at the SE corner of Utah. Goblins are amazing.

 

[Lt Keefer]

You're talking more than 4,000 miles in 12 to 16 days. Are you planning on driving 12 hours a day? I don't think you are scheduling enough days to do any of the stops justice. I guess it's possible if you are just gonna drive by the gate and head out to the next spot but there doesn't seem to be any time for stopping.

 

[ducksface]

You're talking more than 4,000 miles in 12 to 16 days. Arg.

915 miles is our record day.
We often drive similarly.


About things like Yellowstone and Arches;

The old joke goes;
'It just doesn't take me very long to look at a horseshoe'.

We tour, not immerse.


Or,
The
Op
Has not planned correctly.

 

[nsraja]

@Greybear @Mark54

Unless someone says Colorado has something special then I might just spend the extra 4 days in Utah.

@Lt Keefer - yes it is a stretch. I will drive the whole day and the next day will be sight seeing and repeat the cycle. I can do 800 miles easily (like @ducksface, yes we tour and not immerse at least until we have visited enough places), been doing that for the last 25 years and still not getting enough of it. Driving a rolling thunder does take a toll on the body for sure but it gives me a sense of achievement as well. It is selfish in a way, I did offer my wife and kids the option to fly down to Denver or Bozeman and they turned it down. I must get the Hellwig sway bar at least for them.

@saddlesore - I went to Devils Tower and Rushmore on my way to Yellowstone last year.

 

[MJC68]

You're talking more than 4,000 miles in 12 to 16 days. Are you planning on driving 12 hours a day? I don't think you are scheduling enough days to do any of the stops justice. I guess it's possible if you are just gonna drive by the gate and head out to the next spot but there doesn't seem to be any time for stopping.

BINGO! LT Save the gas and watch The National Parks Americas Best Idea by Ken Burns.
Seriously in Yellowstone you can get hung up in a Bison Jam or worse. In several of the National Parks you must schedule an entrance time.

AND Colorado has some of the most beautiful mountains, hikes and drives in the country. Colorado is home to the most (58) 14 teeners (14,000'+) peaks in the lower 48. Additionally, there are Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado National Monument, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument there are a couple more, these are just the ones we have visited.

IMHO, if you are limited to two weeks do the Mighty 5 in Utah and really take the time to see the parks.

 

[nsraja]

BINGO! LT Save the gas and watch The National Parks Americas Best Idea by Ken Burns.
Seriously in Yellowstone you can get hung up in a Bison Jam or worse. In several of the National Parks you must schedule an entrance time.

AND Colorado has some of the most beautiful mountains, hikes and drives in the country. Colorado is home to the most (58) 14 teeners (14,000'+) peaks in the lower 48. Additionally, there are Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado National Monument, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument there are a couple more, these are just the ones we have visited.

IMHO, if you are limited to two weeks do the Mighty 5 in Utah and really take the time to see the parks.

Wow, thanks for the list on Colorado. Now you got me thinking about Colorado It's like Colorado saying "I ain't no less".

Yes, entrance time is another scare in addition to unavailability of campgrounds. Staying inside the parks is the best thing that can happen to RVers.

 

[paulwadley]

Check out Bear Lake in Northern Utah/Southern Idaho. There is a KOA at that location and so much to see and do there.

Paul

 

[Greybaer]

Check out Bear Lake in Northern Utah/Southern Idaho. There is a KOA at that location and so much to see and do there.

Paul

Heck if you come to Bear Lake you can stay with me. I have an RV pad in the back yard you're welcome to use (we live in Garden City).

The Colorado options MJC62 listed are all amazing too. We're doing Black Canyon in June, but we're dragging motorcycles to actually see the canyon.

Mesa Verde would actually be on your way back from Southern Utah to New Mexico, and is wonderful. It's a bit of a drive up and back to see the ruins but worth the trip.

As for mileage, we just returned yesterday from our semi annual trek to the Carolinas to see the kids/grandkids. 4500 miles in 15 days. It felt just a but rushed, but we got to see some cool stuff and see lots of new country. This time we swung down thru Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, Atlanta was our only major mistake. Traffic was horrendous.

 

[nsraja]

Heck if you come to Bear Lake you can stay with me. I have an RV pad in the back yard you're welcome to use (we live in Garden City).

The Colorado options MJC62 listed are all amazing too. We're doing Black Canyon in June, but we're dragging motorcycles to actually see the canyon.

Mesa Verde would actually be on your way back from Southern Utah to New Mexico, and is wonderful. It's a bit of a drive up and back to see the ruins but worth the trip.

As for mileage, we just returned yesterday from our semi annual trek to the Carolinas to see the kids/grandkids. 4500 miles in 15 days. It felt just a but rushed, but we got to see some cool stuff and see lots of new country. This time we swung down thru Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia, Atlanta was our only major mistake. Traffic was horrendous.

Much appreciate it Greybear, so kind of you. Hard to find people like you, if you happen to be in the Houston area my drive way is yours to use with 30 amp connection and water (give me a holler).

I have attached an all of Utah plan, still selling it to my kids and wife. I will draw up an all of Colorado plan and see what it looks like.

 

[ducksface]

If that's the trip route, a must see is
Canyon de Chelle(pronounced as 'shay') on the Navajo rez.
Also
Third mesa on the Hopi rez.

Homolovi are great ruins.

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

Different strokes. Our daughter visited NYC and absolutely loved it. She must have been adopted by aliens!! THAT is the LAST place in the UNIVERSE we would visit!!

Point being beyond logistics, destinations have a tremendously varying appeal. As an example after 6 weeks in Colorado last year (which we loved), we had enough of conifers...we missed the green grass and oak forests back home!

 

[nsraja]

Different strokes. Our daughter visited NYC and absolutely loved it. She must have been adopted by aliens!! THAT is the LAST place in the UNIVERSE we would visit!!

Point being beyond logistics, destinations have a tremendously varying appeal. As an example after 6 weeks in Colorado last year (which we loved), we had enough of conifers...we missed the green grass and oak forests back home!

I put off NYC for a very long time because I wanted it to be a proper trip. Finally I did 4 years ago, I hated DC and NYC (except Lincoln Memorial and Supreme Court - which to me stood as symbol of good eventually overcoming evil), mostly the narrow beaten down roads and the landscape overall. That said where ever I hopped out in NYC to grab food, the conversation I had with people of NYC were surprisingly pleasant.

 

[Dan-sr@perra-us.net]

Folks, I had a 12 day trip planned from Houston to Rocky Mountain to Dinosaur National Monument to Yellowstone to Arches to Canyonlands to Carlsbad to Houston. I want to add 4 more days to the trip and I feel like I should spend that time in Utah or Colorado area. But I am all ears if you have other recommendations within WY, UT and CO.

If you had 4 extra days to spend in WY or UT or CO, where would you be? Splitting time between places is fine with me. I had scheduled only a day (and night) at Rocky Mountain and that's what made me think I should add days and spend more time.

Us 50 Between Gunnison and Montrose is closed, plan your route through Colorado with that in mind. If you can try to visit Mesa Verde. The cliff dwellings tours are spectacular. Mesa Verde is west of Durango off highway US 160 near Cortez.

 

[Lt Keefer]

An 800 or 900 mile driving day is insane. Since your speeding by everything, why not just fly?

 

[ducksface]

There are few places we haven't been.
Op has been travelling for 25 years.
What would we see worth stopping for on our 6th trip from Oklahoma City to Gallup?
We've been down every farm road to be had a goin' down.
I've many times posted the pics.
https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f28/how-we-rv-27696.html

I'm not looking for societal drift or cultural shift or El Dorado or some narrow minded theory on the anastazi or where Leonard nimoys childhood house is.
We're just seein'.

And
Lifelong I swore I wouldn't even fly over NYC.
A trip stalled us there for five days.
I loved Manhattan, found the people charming and interactive. I went from totally disgusted to roof-top bars and loud new aquaintances in 30ish hours.

I don't fly because people dress like bums and smell like petuli or worse.(I'm quite proud that I cannot spell petchuli)

 

[nsraja]

An 800 or 900 mile driving day is insane. Since your speeding by everything, why not just fly?

Hahaha. I am a godzilla driver, at least for now. I have been to some of the most popular parks many times. RV'ing for the last 3 years and I am going to these places in RV all over again. And I am yet to complete a few important ones.

The reason I posted this question is for the tips I gathered from you folks. For example I would not have found out about Mesa, Hopi villages, Goblin, Escalante, Black Canyon and the "why not just do the mighty 5 of Utah" kind of perspective. Certainly helps with planning and avoid missing these places. Please keep it going.

@ducksface - the blackish gravel road on this post (https://www.thorforums.com/forums/f28/how-we-rv-27696.html) is looking Jurassic. Google once led me into a gravel road like this but I turned back.