utah vacation

2gypsies wrote:
Bryce, Zion and Arches all have their own campgrounds and there are plenty of choices outside the parks. It's best to drive to each one or you'll be exhausted trying to cover all three from one spot. You'll want more than one day to be at each park.

If you don't want to stay IN the parks then for Bryce, Ruby's is popular and is just outside the park gate. The free shuttle into the park stops there.

For Zion, I would choose a park in Springdale, just outside the park. It's a neat small town and again, the free shuttle stops along the main street.

For Arches there are many in Moab.

Depending on where you're coming from, if I-70 take 191 to Arches.

Then you could either get on I-70 west again and take Hwy 89 south and Hwy 12 east to Bryce. For a more scenic drive you could take I-70 west to Hwy 24 to Torrey and then Hwy 12 to Bryce. Hwy 12 is steep in places but many RVers drive it. We do. Just take your time as everyone does.

From Bryce on Hwy 12 (coming from 89 eastward isn't steep), take Hwy 12 west again to 89 and north to Hwy 20 to I-15. This is the easiest way to I-15. Hwy 14 is not advised.

Then I-15 south to Hwy 9 to Springdale/Zion.

If approaching these parks from the south, say I-40 in Arizona, you could possibly work in Grand Canyon south if you have time. Or, from I-40 pick up Hwy 89 north to Alt 89 and take in the North Rim of Grand Canyon (much cooler than the south in summer and less crowded). Then at Fredonia, AZ pick up Hwy 389 which becomes 59 in Utah to Hwy 9 and east to Springdale/Zion.

You could also get to Springdale off Hwy 89 at Mt. Carmel but you'll have to go to the Zion Tunnel (google it to see if your rig would be o.k. for it. There are restrictions.) Some would recommend staying in Mt. Carmel but that would entail driving the tunnel traffic (slow) daily.

Have a great trip!

Only thing I might add, depending on route and time is to get off I-70 in Utah at exit 214 taking Rt 128 along the Colorado River to Moab - just a really special drive along the River and the Red Rocks. Also do not miss Rt 12 outside Bryce on the way to Capital Reef and Goblins State Park, this is a great drive and something we will drive hours out of the way to see/do again any time we are remotely close.


2gypsies is a great resource for travel in the SouthWest, so hard to even add these couple of thoughts.

BOL,

2gypsies wrote:


You could also get to Springdale off Hwy 89 at Mt. Carmel but you'll have to go to the Zion Tunnel (google it to see if your rig would be o.k. for it. There are restrictions.) Some would recommend staying in Mt. Carmel but that would entail driving the tunnel traffic (slow) daily.

A couple of months ago a semi managed to wedge itself in the tunnel. The driver said he was following his GPS and the car in front of him. He had an empty trailer and was unfamiliar with the area. He came in from the East after the booth closed for the evening so nobody was there to stop him.

They had to inspect the tunnel for damage to make sure it was still structurally sound.

Can't add anything to 2 gypsies other than it is one of the most beautiful states I've ever been in, and I am a lover of Wyoming.

2gypies has good info. I would recommend Spanish Trails in Moab, the one in Sprindale (can't think of the name) for Zion - don't go to Hurricane to that place - and Thousand Palms if you go up to Torrey for Cap Reef (which I recommend).

We will be doing to Moab, Torrey and Brice AGAIN this fall; love UT parks.

Bryce, Zion and Arches all have their own campgrounds and there are plenty of choices outside the parks. It's best to drive to each one or you'll be exhausted trying to cover all three from one spot. You'll want more than one day to be at each park.

If you don't want to stay IN the parks then for Bryce, Ruby's is popular and is just outside the park gate. The free shuttle into the park stops there.

For Zion, I would choose a park in Springdale, just outside the park. It's a neat small town and again, the free shuttle stops along the main street.

For Arches there are many in Moab.

Depending on where you're coming from, if I-70 take 191 to Arches.

Then you could either get on I-70 west again and take Hwy 89 south and Hwy 12 east to Bryce. For a more scenic drive you could take I-70 west to Hwy 24 to Torrey and then Hwy 12 to Bryce. Hwy 12 is steep in places but many RVers drive it. We do. Just take your time as everyone does.

From Bryce on Hwy 12 (coming from 89 eastward isn't steep), take Hwy 12 west again to 89 and north to Hwy 20 to I-15. This is the easiest way to I-15. Hwy 14 is not advised.

Then I-15 south to Hwy 9 to Springdale/Zion.

If approaching these parks from the south, say I-40 in Arizona, you could possibly work in Grand Canyon south if you have time. Or, from I-40 pick up Hwy 89 north to Alt 89 and take in the North Rim of Grand Canyon (much cooler than the south in summer and less crowded). Then at Fredonia, AZ pick up Hwy 389 which becomes 59 in Utah to Hwy 9 and east to Springdale/Zion.

You could also get to Springdale off Hwy 89 at Mt. Carmel but you'll have to go to the Zion Tunnel (google it to see if your rig would be o.k. for it. There are restrictions.) Some would recommend staying in Mt. Carmel but that would entail driving the tunnel traffic (slow) daily.

Have a great trip!

lanerd wrote:
I don't think you realize how large Utah is... the parks are scattered over a very large portion of the state, and staying at one town to see them all is probably impossible.

We take the mh to different towns (rv parks) to visit "each" of the national parks as each park requires multiple days to explore all of it, so there is no time to be driving from one town to see a park in another part of the state.

Use Google Maps to locate the nearest town to each of the parks and then locate an rv park in that particular town. Since the parks are heavily visited by rv'ers, there is no shortage of rv parks to stay at.

Double ditto. Use woodalls.com to do an easy search for cgs near each town and make your reservations no less than 6 months (preferably more) in advance as those parks are quite popular. Note: if you have two weeks or less, go to only two of the parks: it will let you and yours enjoy it in a more relaxed pace and do some other sight seeing. You can always see the other parks in a second trip. Have a great trip!

I don't think you realize how large Utah is... the parks are scattered over a very large portion of the state, and staying at one town to see them all is probably impossible.

We take the mh to different towns (rv parks) to visit "each" of the national parks as each park requires multiple days to explore all of it, so there is no time to be driving from one town to see a park in another part of the state.

Use Google Maps to locate the nearest town to each of the parks and then locate an rv park in that particular town. Since the parks are heavily visited by rv'ers, there is no shortage of rv parks to stay at.

Good luck

Ron

Suggest you thoroughly search this Forum for the places you intend to visit. Search in the RV Parks section for campgrounds.
Also check the Adventure Caravan's website for their tour of the Great Western Parks which includes the ones you mentioned.
I don't think you want to pick a campground and drive to all of the places mentioned.