kohai wrote:
Arches NP major road construction in 2017
A major road construction project in Arches National Park will begin in early 2017, with the bulk of work being accomplished between March and October.
Crews will resurface, restore and rehabilitate approximately 26 miles of roads and pullouts in the park. The work will necessitate the closure of the Devils Garden campground during that time.
I will add that for some ridicules reason I let the DW talk me into a change in our plans during the Memorial week end this year and we headed to the Canyonlands/Moab area. We took Hwy 128 along the Colorado River and it is really interesting and fun to do, but, getting past the entrance to Arches N.P. was a zoo. The park entrance was closed by 9:00 maybe earlier and the USP had the N/B right lane of the Hwy closed due to a long line of cars almost back to Moab. The popularity of Arches during the spring and the reconstruction of the park road going on should be a no brainer on not visiting the Park next spring.
We stayed in Blanding and stayed for 5 days instead of the 2 the DW originally said and didn't have enough time to see everything from 128 down to the Goosenecks and Mexican Hat. It's an easy drive for us as we have a towed and don't have to break camp each day. I would still recommend staying there or at Monticello and venturing out during from there during March to June. Monument Valley is a long drive but doable for the tours. I don't know that reservations are necessary as we do have the towed and always drive ourselves. There is the campground there on the reservation and a hotel. The campground is sparse but across the highway is Goulding's Trading Post and campground and I would guess a lot of boon docking areas. We too are in our seventies and kind of slow and easy going. Even with the DW using her cane or walker, we see a tremendous amount.
I don't know what is available in the line of rental vehicles and how you feel about breaking camp each day but Both Blanding and Monticello are good place to base and travel from there. Visit the visitors center in Monticello and the road next to the VC going to the west is a road into the Needles area of Canyonlands N.P. it is easily driven in your rig. There are camping areas and I know nothing of them.
While in the area, don't miss Deadhorse Point SP. The road is off the road to Island in the Sky and has a fantastic view of the Colorado River. The old tale of horses being rounded up there and the culls left to die is just an old tale but interesting.
I could go on for a few more pages but it gets boring EH?