Utah base camp?

SteveAE wrote:
Maybe it would help to know what you are interested in. We like to hike and explore ruins in the less crowded (and often more remote) areas. In addition we like to have our dog with us which tends to put us on BLM, National Forest, and National Monument land. So our usual haunts are the Escalante area, Arizona Strip, San Raffel Swell, Comb Ridge/Cedar Mesa, and Moab areas. There are great places in any of these locations to set up a base camp from which to explore. But first you have to decide what you are interested in (i.e.; the ruins tend to concentrate in the SE corner of the state where the best slickrock hiking tends to be a little further north. Exploring these areas tends to take a bit of adventure as there are few marked (or even identified) trails. But for those who have the skill and willingness to explore, the rewards are great.

If, on the other hand, you are into National Parks (and all their accompanying rules), there are plenty of those in Utah as well. Trails in the parks will be better marked ..... and traveled.

I suggest you start with this book.

Hope this helps,
Steve

X2! Even if you aren't a photographer, this series will introduce you to some of the most gorgeous locations plus some historical and cultural sights. The series has: Oregon, Washington, Northern California, New Mexico/Colorado, Arizona with Southern California due out in 2014 sometime. They cover the national parks plus off the beaten path locales such as the Wave, White Pocket, San Rafael Swell, etc. As a photographer, I use them for reference and to explore the vicinities.

Like Steve, we tend to explore the backroads of BLM, USFS, state parks and monuments because our dog is with us and he is restricted to campgrounds and parking lots at the national parks.

Bryce would be central to Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome SP and Cedar breaks. Ruby's I have heard is good. It depends on how far you want to drive. You are from the west; you know how vast the distances are. Pick where you want to visit, draw a circle of how far you want to travel then pick a centrally located CG. We like to spend more that one or two nights so camp more closely to our chosen target.

Happy tails.

If your wife likes photography, then your really do need to get the book I referenced earlier. Once you guys spend a few days flipping through it, you will have a better idea of where you want to go. Then get back on and ask about places to base camp from. I am not likely to be monitoring this threat then, but free to send me a PM if you are interested in one of the areas (just not in N. Parks...because we avoid them like the plague) that I referenced earlier.

Dogs can hike just fine too (unless they are really old). Some hikes are exposed (i.e.; risk of falling), so at a minimum you will want a leash along...besides being required by most agencies. Some of our hikes get a bit crazy so I usually bring a harness (for the dog) and length of rope (for all of us) along as well. The rock is abrasive so you may want to help your dogs out by conditioning their feet for a few months before going....by taking hikes. Once they experience plants with thorns, they will learn to stay clear. There are booties that may help, but they can effect the dog's ability to scramble up slickrock. A fabric water bowl (for the dogs) is easy to bring along and will help conserve water. Some hikes are even in the water for much of the distance so they will need to be comfortable swimmers.

Here is a website you may want to explore. Likely you will be most interested in the "Family Fun" hikes listed.

I am already pouring over the maps myself, looking for a new place to explore this spring ourselves. There are many lifetimes worth of places to poke around in down there.

Just a word of caution. Hiking down there can be very remote and the environment is not forgiving of mistakes. And there is very limited cell service...and even if you manage to call for help, it could take many hours or days to get to you. So if you go off trail (pretty much anywhere besides in the Parks), you need to be prepared. If this is new to you, start slowly and work your way up as you learn.

Steve

We really can't see making one base camp for exploring Utah. It's much, too much, driving and as long as you're driving you might as well be moving your RV, too, and it'll give you more time to explore the area rather than having to do a long drive back to the campsite.

It's neat to wake up and easily explore new surroundings.

I am planning on probably up to 10 days in Utah. My wife is a photo bug so the plan is to view the vast scenery. We probably won't do much hiking because we will have 2 dogs with us. I have 4WD but don't plan on many off road adventures.
My goal is not to have to pull the trailer everywhere we go so I'm trying to plan multi-nite stops where we can venture out during the day.

Maybe it would help to know what you are interested in. We like to hike and explore ruins in the less crowded (and often more remote) areas. In addition we like to have our dog with us which tends to put us on BLM, National Forest, and National Monument land. So our usual haunts are the Escalante area, Arizona Strip, San Raffel Swell, Comb Ridge/Cedar Mesa, and Moab areas. There are great places in any of these locations to set up a base camp from which to explore. But first you have to decide what you are interested in (i.e.; the ruins tend to concentrate in the SE corner of the state where the best slickrock hiking tends to be a little further north. Exploring these areas tends to take a bit of adventure as there are few marked (or even identified) trails. But for those who have the skill and willingness to explore, the rewards are great.

If, on the other hand, you are into National Parks (and all their accompanying rules), there are plenty of those in Utah as well. Trails in the parks will be better marked ..... and traveled.

I suggest you start with this book.

Hope this helps,
Steve

How many different locations did you stay along this route?

I would think a route starting at Zion would go first to Bryce Canyon, then Capitol Reef, Arches/Moab, then Monument Valley and ending at the Grand Canyon. We have done the Grand Circle several times and have made the circle both directions. Certainly the amount of time you have for the total trip will dictate how much time you spend in any one location. The place we stayed the longest has always been in the Moab area. With Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse SP you can spend a week without seeing everything there.