Southwest trip planning

Holbrook KOA is a good campground.

Just wondering how to start our route starting off with Petrified Forest and then Grand Canyon or starting in Durango Co then on to the national parks and ending in the Petrified Forest. Thanks for all your help also still looking for a campground near Petrified Forest.

MoRookie wrote:
Thanks for all of your help we have enjoyed reading everyones comments. Looking for a campground near petrified forest and also near Zion and Bryce any help please. Also near canyon lands and Arches any campground ideas. I see some campgrounds in this area book out a year in advance so just trying to make plans. Thanks

Do you want to stay in the parks or outside at RV parks?

If you time it right like ending your previous day fairly close, Petrified Forest could easily be done as a drive through with stops along the pull-outs. There's not a lot to do there but just 'look'. The drive starts at I-40, Exit 311 and ends on 180 which you'll take back to I-40 further west. July will be hot otherwise there's a nice place to dry camp at the end of the drive at 180 at the gift shop. The owners allow overnighting. Other than that the only close option is in Holbrook on I-40 at OK RV Park - never been there.

For Zion I'd highly recommend Watchman campground in the park itself. It has electric and water fill-up and dump station. It's easy to hop on the free shuttle where you can get off and on wherever. It's the only way to use the main road in the park during season. You can't drive your vehicle through the park. If not in the park, Springdale just outside the park gate has a RV park. It, too, has access to the free shuttle. It's a nice little town.

For Bryce it will be a lot cooler there and the campgrounds in the park are shaded so you could do that. Again, the free shuttle stops there and you can also walk to the Visitor Center. The best RV park for Bryce would be just outside the gate at Ruby's RV. The shuttle stops there, also. If you're able and the kids would love it...hike the Wall Street Trail which connects to other trails. Going down is a lot easier than coming up. :) We always exit via another trail.

Each national park/monument has a wonderful web site with lots of good information on things to do, road info, camping, etc. Check them out.

Zion Nat'l Park

Bryce Nat'l Park

Petrified Forest Nat'l Park

Also, Arches Nat'l Park is doing major construction next summer so it's going to be tough getting around. If you can, make a reservation for the ranger-led 'Fiery Furnace' hike. It's awesome but in demand.

Here's information of the construction and other helpful info.

Arches Nat'l Park & 2017 construction

We stayed at Ruby's once, just outside of Bryce. Very nice.

Thanks for all of your help we have enjoyed reading everyones comments. Looking for a campground near petrified forest and also near Zion and Bryce any help please. Also near canyon lands and Arches any campground ideas. I see some campgrounds in this area book out a year in advance so just trying to make plans. Thanks

Don't pass up some of the great Utah state parks along the way. Some of my favorites include Dead Horse Point, Goblin Valley, Kodachrome Basin, and for a great view, Goosenecks SP.

First time to Grand Canyon (or anytime) --- South Rim, Trailer Village. Hike rim or down some. Take a mule ride down a ways. Enjoy sunrises and sunsets all along the Rim.

Zion for short stay unless you are very serious hikers. We love Bryce and glad you are going to Cap Reef as it is once of our favorite place -- nice hikes in both places for all levels of hiking. Love Arches and do the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands - south section is a long drive from a stay in Moab and only for kinda serious hiking and not much else there.

See www.LaurenBarbara.com and the Wanderings link for pictures (not sure why they did not come up as a link on here as I went to the section that should post it).

Also email me at LaurenH517@gmail.com or send me a private message if you would like; I would be glad to help you.

Enjoy - we love all these places and have been there several times.

Executive wrote:
Don't forget Meteor Crater and Winslow Az, (Standing on the corner, Eagles). I would recommend the KOA in Holbrook. Clean park and an excellent base. The boys will like the WigWam Motel, (CARS fame) in town. Ask and they'll let you see inside the teepees. If you enter Petrified Forest from the SOUTH you'll exit the North and enter the Painted Desert from there. Stop at the curio shop outside the park for your petrified rock. Steep fines for pilfering any inside the park.

Trailer Village is the only place to stay especially with the kids. Free trolleys stop right outside the gate. Elk will visit you inside the CG. Lots of places to hike and sightsee. Be sure to enjoy the canyon sunrise and sunset. Very different perspectives. The trolleys will shuttle you everywhere in the village and they're free.

We liked the Portal CG in Moab for visiting Arches and Canyonlands. Swimming pool for the kids.

Finally, in Durango, United Campgrounds is the place you'll want to stay. The steam train runs right thru the center of the cg twice daily. The shuttle stops at the entrance and for a buck, it'll take you to town where you can pick up the train to Silverton. We like taking the train up and back but you can take the train up and the bus back depending on your choice....enjoy the trip...Dennis

Geez, now you are making me want to go back!

2gypsies wrote:
For a first time visit I'd suggest the South Rim of Grand Canyon. We enjoy the North Rim for the quietness but we've been to the South Rim often. There's lots to do there. Try for a site in Trailer Village near the rim. The free shuttle stops just outside the campground. If you don't need hookups your 28' would fit in Mather, a very nice shaded campground near Trailer Village. There are showers available.

^^^^ Agree with this. We've been to the north and south rims. Both are terrific. I would also try for Trailer Village if you can get a spot. A great location and you can pick up the shuttle bus right at the campground. 2 - 3 weeks is awful short to do all of those stops justice. A couple of years ago, we did a 2 1/2 week trip to the south rim, then on to Moab for Arches and Canyonlands. We had a terrific time, hiking down Bright Angel Trail to the 3 mile stop, hiking the entire canyon rim trail, and more. Then we hit all of Arches and spent a good bit of time in Canyonlands. In the end, we were wishing for more time.

Someone above who mentioned the North Rim made a great point. When we went to the North Rim, we also headed to Zion and Bryce. That was also a great trip; and those parks make a great "bundle" with the north rim. Other trips to Moab included Mesa Verde and Durango, so they may be a good addition to the south rim and Moab.

I guess the key is how much time do you want to spend. There are so many beautiful places in that area that you'll want to go back. If you want to take your time, consider breaking this up into a couple of trips (South Rim, Moab, Mesa Verde, Durango and then North Rim, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef for examples). If you want to get full exposure to what's out there and then go back for a more detailed visit to specific places, then seeing it all may be the way to go if you think the pace will be acceptable.

Hope this helps.

Don't forget Meteor Crater and Winslow Az, (Standing on the corner, Eagles). I would recommend the KOA in Holbrook. Clean park and an excellent base. The boys will like the WigWam Motel, (CARS fame) in town. Ask and they'll let you see inside the teepees. If you enter Petrified Forest from the SOUTH you'll exit the North and enter the Painted Desert from there. Stop at the curio shop outside the park for your petrified rock. Steep fines for pilfering any inside the park.

Trailer Village is the only place to stay especially with the kids. Free trolleys stop right outside the gate. Elk will visit you inside the CG. Lots of places to hike and sightsee. Be sure to enjoy the canyon sunrise and sunset. Very different perspectives. The trolleys will shuttle you everywhere in the village and they're free.

We liked the Portal CG in Moab for visiting Arches and Canyonlands. Swimming pool for the kids.

Finally, in Durango, United Campgrounds is the place you'll want to stay. The steam train runs right thru the center of the cg twice daily. The shuttle stops at the entrance and for a buck, it'll take you to town where you can pick up the train to Silverton. We like taking the train up and back but you can take the train up and the bus back depending on your choice....enjoy the trip...Dennis