Utah national parks trip in June

mark52 wrote:
Regarding highway 12, I think we'll give it a try. I have a lot of experience driving on twisty mountain roads and just like when we are diving through the Mojave desert when there are high winds, we'll take it SLOW!
A big thanks to all that have posted here!! I have carefully read them all and have been doing research on several of your suggestions.
Where are some places to visit in Grand staircase / Escalante? I'm looking for some cools places to go or fun trails to take in the Jeep. We're already going to do the petrified forest hike for sure.

House Rock Valley Road runs through Vermillion Cliffs National Monument between Hwy 89 and 89A, Nice drive with lots of hiking opportunities. You'll need a permit for some of the more popular hikes such as The Wave. Near the 89A end is where they release the Condors. Last year, we were fortunate enough to meet one of the biologists associated with that program and she allowed us to use her spotting scope and pointed out several of the birds on the cliff ledges. We saw Condors sitting on the girders beneath Navajo Bridge in late afternoon every day while camped at Lee's Ferry.

Hole in the Rock is another well known trail in the Escalante area. We've never driven it but plan to do so in a couple of weeks.

Burr Trail and Shafer Trail are fairly tame other than the steep drop offs and worth the drives. Gemini Bridges outside of Moab is a little more technical. Also Salt Valley backroad into Arches NP is an alternate way to reach Devil's Garden,

Calf Creek Falls is a nice 5-6 mile in and out hike with a beautiful waterfall and pool.

If you see a green 4dr Tacoma with a roof rack and NC tags, give us a wave or stop by to chat. We'll be camping at Lee's Ferry, Kodachrome Basin SP, Zion, Bryce and a few yet to be determined boondocking sites from mid May to mid June.