Time of year and amount of time you have are important considerations. It can be brutally hot in the summer in places like Moab, Arches, Capitol Reef, etc. Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon are better as they are higher elevation. But that also means they can be pretty cool in March.
One advantage of going it alone is having a little more time at each park. Great hiking in Zion, Arches, Bryce. Capitol Reef has good trails but definitely longer and a little more remote feeling. Be prepared. Some rim hiking at the GC. Unless it's springs or late fall, don't try to hike to the river and back in a day, unless you're a "he-man". Can be 30 degrees warmer at the bottom than the rim. Canyonlands has good backcountry hiking in the Needles District, not so much at Island in the Sky.
I'd try to stay in the park wherever possible. But many of the NPS CG's don't have any hookups. There are electric hookups at Watchman CG in Zion, well worth getting a reservation for. Trailer Village on the south rim of the GC has FHU sites. The CG's in Bryce don't have hookups, but the elevation means you shouldn't need the a/c anyway. We like North CG as it is just a short walk to the rim to see the sunrises and sunsets. A lot easier than having to drive somewhere to see them. Devils Garden CG in Arches is one of the most scenic NPS CG's we've ever been to. The Fruita CG in Capitol Reef is in an old orchard with mown grass. Pretty interesting setting out in the desert. Some sites get good shade from the trees. We don't care for the CG in Canyonlands - Island in the Sky. Instead, try to get a reservation for Kayenta CG at Dead Horse Point SP. There are electric hookups there and the new part of the CG has very long sites that are easy to get into.
One road that gets a lot of debate is UT 12 from Boulder UT down to Escalate. It is right of the top of a ridge, so some people find it intimidating, but many rigs much bigger than yours travel it every year. Only you know your comfort level with drop offs on the side of the road. Gorgeous drive, however.
I put together
a Primer on Moab covering a lot of the basics of this area. Should keep you busy reading for a bit.
For the Colorado part of the loop, of course there's Mesa Verde NP and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. There are FHU sites up at Mesa Verde that are worth getting reservations for. That way, you're already up on the mesa to do your exploring. Book your tours ahead of time for a close up look at some of the ruins. The CG at Black Canyon of the Gunnison is wonderful but only electric hook ups. Very very dark at night. One of the best places in the country to look at stars. Deer often frequent the CG.
When at Mesa Verde, don't miss the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge RR. Probably the most scenic train ride in the country IMHO. Takes most of the day, and you'll have a couple of hours in the real old-west mining town of Silverton for lunch, walking the wooden sidewalks, and of course shopping. We're not a big fan of touristy things, but this is one we've done several times.
Getting between Mesa Verde and Black Canyon again brings up one of those roads hotly debated on this forum. One can take US 550 from Durango through Silverton and on to Ouray (or the other direction) or for a less thrilling ride, head up CO 145 from Cortez through Telluride and then on to Ridgway. US 550 is taken by trucks and big RV's all the time, but you have to be able to deal with steep drop offs and no guardrails. If you want to see what you might encounter check out this
google street view of an RV meeting a semi on a curve. But we often see 35' 5th wheels with a trailer of ATV's behind it heading this way.
Even if you take the Telluride route, make sure you drive US 550 without your 5th wheel. Surely one of the most scenic roads in the entire U.S. And the Hot Springs Pool in Ouray is one of our favorites.
If you're travelling in mid-summer, you may want to spend more time on the CO portion that the UT portion due to the heat. Whatever way you go, make sure you get reservations early if you want to stay in the parks, as some dates book within minutes of becoming available.
Ken & Allison
2 Camping Cats (1 diabetic)
1996 4Runner, TRD Supercharger, Edelbrock headers
2007 Fleetwood Arcadia, Honda EU2000i
4 mountain bikes, 1 canoe, 4 tents, 8 sleeping bags, 2 backpacks
(You get the idea!)
