Walking holiday in Utah. Advice?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m hoping to spend 14 days (mid to late September) in the Four Corners region of the states, (mostly Utah) exploring the many beautiful parks – Bryce Canyon, Arches, Monument Valley etc. My companion and I will have a car but really want to see most the scenery on foot (although not camping out in a tent overnight)

Anyone have any hints or general observations? I mean for instance, I read in passing about how altitude sickness can be a concern in some places. I never even gave that a thought! And although now I guess I’m more informed about that, it brought home to me how there’s probably a bunch of stuff that just wouldn’t occur to me, living as I do in a temperate climate (Southern England).

So basically, anything you think might be of help, whether they be things to be careful about or tips to make the walking more enjoyable, I’d be very grateful to hear.

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Wow, I’m jealous. That is truly a beautiful area of the world.

I’ve done a fair bit of hiking in the area, and the one thing you can’t skimp on is water. The climate is much dryer than you’re used to, and things you can get away with without water in wetter areas (walking at a slow pace for an hour, etc) can really mess you up in the desert. Maybe consider buying a camelback or other such device for carrying large amounts of water if you’re going out for serious hikes.

Get a good pair of hiking boots. The terrain is very rocky and uneven.

When in the car, remember that things are much farther apart than England, or even the eastern US. You can’t count on there being a gas station every few miles, for example. I once pulled into Moab with white knuckles, going on nothing but fumes, because I’d started looking for a gas station 50+ miles previously and there hadn’t been even one. A good rule of thumb is to get gas when you’re a little less than half empty if you’re not absolutely certain you’ll be getting to a populated area before then.

Bring lots of sunscreen. You’ll need it.

Man, do I miss Utah. I lived in Colorado for many years, and used to bop over to Utah for hiking/biking/camping vacations at least once a year. I don’t miss Colorado nearly as much as I miss Utah, there’s just something about that terrain that I love.

3

There are plenty of walking trails in Bryce and Zion and Arches, and they’re well marked, and you can get maps for them. I’d recommend the trails.

The usual: wear comfortable, broken-in hiking boots or shoes. Bring water, and something to eat wouldn’t be a bad idea. The Rangers frown on your feeding the squirrels, though it’s tempting.

Bring a camera!

Note: These places are surprisingly far apart. You will spend a day driving from Zion to Arches. Budget your time in advance, and maybe pare down your choices to give yourself enough time in each park.
I recommend Bryce. And I recommend giving it time – Walking through the canyon is a very different experience from just walkinhg along the rim. In fact, the same place in Bryce looks different with different lighting at various times of the day.

4

I was just there last September, it’s lovely. It sounds like you are planning on staying at hotels at night, then driving out to places to hike around during the day. Is that correct?

Climate will be hotter, clearer, and much drier than the UK. Bring a camera, big hat, sunscreen, and quality boots. I prefer lightweight long sleeves and long pants to ward off the sun and sharp rocks and plants, but that’s a personal choice. Culturally, most folks in Utah are quite friendly and yes, you can get beer easily.

The good news is that you can walk as little or as much as you like. There is so much to see regardless of whether you stay entirely on pavement, on trails, or go off trail entirely. Good maps or guidebooks will give detailed descriptions of elevation changes along trails.of course, Rangers will be the best source of information. As long as you are in average health and drink lots of water, you shouldn’t have any trouble beyond what you’d normally experience from lots of walking.

Try to be somewhere with a good vista at sunset whenever you are able.

Monument Valley is mostly a drive-through, but nice to see. Arches is easy to get around and spectacular in places, but may be crowded that time of year (not that it should stop you). Bryce is also gorgeous, but bear in mind it is quite a ways from the Four Corners area.

In addition to the places you’ve mentioned, I think that Canyonlands, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, and Mesa Verde are very much worth seeing.

Canyonlands is huge and if you are not planning on camping out and/or renting a serious off-road vehicle, the Island in the Sky district of the park is your best bet. Easily accessible, not crowded, and some very rewarding walks. Upheaval dome, Grandview point, and Aztec butte would be worth a visit even if they weren’t surrounded by the rest of the park. You can get a great view of the Needles district from the overlook at the end of Needles Overlook Road (County Road 133, about 32 miles south of Moab on State Route 191). Another option to see Canyonlands is rafting, which will require an outfitter and is not likely to be cheap, but can be fun.

Hovenweep is a little out of the way, but it’s fairly small, so you can combine a visit there with another site (like Natural Bridges) or stop while passing through. The big attraction is the ruins, which I love, but I understand are not everyone’s cup of tea.

Natural Bridges is also not huge, but it’s just beautiful. You can see the whole thing by car in 2 hours or spend the entire day hiking into it and along the canyon floor. Also, the drive out to the park is very scenic.

Mesa Verde is THE place to see ancestral Puebloan ruins, specifically, stone structures built under overhanging cliffs. It’s big, and greener than the eastern Utah parks. It may be too far out of the way since are planning to do Bryce and Arches, but you do have 2 weeks. Bear in mind that part of the park closes around Labor Day, so if you do go, check to see what’s open.

Moab, Utah is very close to or within a reasonable, scenic drive of Arches Canyonlands, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges. The Red Stone is a nice, clean, fairly cheap hotel a short walk from downtown.

5

Good to know! Even at the best of times, running out of petrol whilst driving is a big fear of mine, so thanks :eek:. I have a feeling I’ll be taking the approach of ‘when I see a gas station, use that gas station’ just to be on the safe side.

Noted on the sunscreen, especially as I’m a redhead with the usual skintone that accompanies it. In fact, I was wondering whether it would be better to stick to long sleeved shirts for the extra sun protection. But then again, I guess that would feel that bit hotter. Hmmn. As an aside, I think I’m having difficulty imagining what even walking around ina very dry climate will physically be like - I’m so used to humid heat. I confess, for instance that I’d always thought the dry heat would be more appealing and comfortable but it sounds like this might not be so. Finding out such things is part of what makes travel so much fun, of course.

Thanks for all your tips on the boots too - I’m buying some at the weekend so they can be good and broken in by the time I travel. I do NOT want to be walking around cursing my blisters.

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As a geologist who’s travelled and studied extensively throughout the area, let me just say that you’re in for a real treat.

http://www.squidoo.com/grand-circle

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In 2006 I spent 24 days exploring that area . . . divided between two 12-day trips. Here’s where I went:

Trip 1:
Capitol Reef
Bryce
Zion
Grand Canyon North Rim
Grand Canyon South Rim

Trip 2:
Arches
Canyonlands: The Needles
Canyonlands: Islands in the Sky
Horseshoe Canyon
Natural Bridges
Mesa Verde
Monument Valley
Canyon de Chelly
Petrified Forest/Painted Desert

In spite of all that time and all those places, I still want to go back to see everything I missed. Two things I did include that most people don’t see are Capitol Reef and Horseshoe Canyon. Another visual treat is the road that connects Capitol Reef with Bryce. Great driving and great photo ops. And when you go to Bryce (my favorite park) give yourself enough time to go exploring down among the “hoodoos.” Too many people just walk along the rim, without going down. Same with the Grand Canyon: It’s a whole different experience going down into the canyon, especially if you do the overnight mule trip.

8

When you visit Arches, try to get a spot on a tour of the Fiery Furnaces.

Zion lodging recommendation: the best place to stay in Springdale is The Desert Pearl.

When you’re in the Capitol Reef area, Cafe Diablo is a great place to eat in Torrey.

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Take more water than you think you’ll need. Make your best estimate, then double it. Then take a little more, too. My sister was out hiking down there one time hours from nowhere and ran across some European hikers who thought they could spend a day hiking in the summer heat each carrying a little 20 oz water bottle from the gas station. They were mighty thankful that she was carrying an extra canteen.

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Wear long sleeves and use lots of sunscreen. A wide brimmed hat (not just a baseball cap) is a huge help.

Altitude issues usually don’t start until over 10,000 feet, be everyone is different. I’ve known folks to have issues as low as 8,000 feet. Stay hydrated and if you start getting headaches go lower.

11

We lost a good friend to dehydration, a guy who actually was a very experienced hiker, years ago in Santa Elena Canyon. His family ran out, he gave them his water then died when he left the trail and tried to make the river.

Plan prudently if you’re in the more desolate backcountry as the danger can be very, very real.

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That hasn’t been my experience at all - when I lived in Boulder (~5000 feet) I regularly had people visit who ended up with headaches/fatigue/etc the first few days they were there. Not horrible, but enough that it was unpleasant.

My father felt bad enough in Santa Fe (~7000 feet) that he told me he was never going to visit altitude again. He was miserable the entire week he was there.

And I’ll echo again what everyone said about water. Bring way more than you think you’ll need. One 20 oz bottle per person isn’t enough for more than a one hour walk. Camelbacks are your friend.

13

Just to continue the elaboration on the water front, remember that it’ll not only be quite hot, but also very very dry, which means you’ll be losing water in buckets. It needs to be replaced. If you’re not used to a desert climate, you’ll be surprised.

14

Most of the better travelled sites, certainly the State and National Park trails, will have some information provided at the trailhead about the length and difficulty of the trail so that you can plan accordingly.

15

To think when I was planning the amount of time to spend on the vacation I vaguely wondered if 2 weeks would be a bit excessive. Thanks to some further reading and especially your responses, I can tell that instead I’m going to have to regretfully leave some of the spectacular sights for future trips, like panache45 did. For instance, CalMeacham your point about the distances is well taken - even thoguh I’ve travelled around the states before, I STILL fall into the trap of occasionally forgetting just how big America is!

Yes, planning on staying in hotels, driving out to places and walking around is exactly the plan, Furious_Marmot. Thank you so much for the detailed descriptions of the sights, it’s very much appreciated. Thanks for the tip about Island in the Sky - we’re not planning on renting an off roads vehicle so that sounds perfect for our purposes. I hadn’t read about Natural Bridges yet but it sounds lovely :slight_smile:

I sooo want to see the fiery furnaces tour having looked at that video on the National Parks’ website/ Thanks for the tip! :slight_smile: Thanks for eats and hotel recs, too.

That’s such a tragic story, lieu. How awful for the people he gave the water to :(.
I promise we’ll take all the warnings of adequate water very, very seriously.

A small question to do with sun/heat protection. Any one have thoughts/ experience of using those UV umbrellas I’ve seen on websites? On the one hand, carrying umbrellas is a bit of a pain at the best of times and I’m betting especially so when trying to negotiate an uneven trail but maybe it’s worth it?

16

Headaches are normal response to altitude, but aren’t dangerous in themselves. They can indicate a problem, but unless they are severe they can be treated by drinking more water, taking aspirin and resting.

AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) usually occurs a bit higher and is more serious. Headaches that don’t go away, racing pulse, inability to catch one’s breath, these are symptoms of AMS and should be treated as a real health issue. The main treatment for that is to head down to a lower elevation.

17

Driving through the San Rafael Swell is one of my favorite destinations in Utah. It’s actually far more dramatic than the pics suggests, especially coming down from the other direction. This person has a pretty good driving journal showing what some of the stretches have to offer. Check out the pinups at the end.

18

With any luck, you’ll be doing part of your journey on Utah’s Scenic Byway 12.

Depending on road conditions and what kind of vehicle you have, you can explore all or parts of the Burr Trailand Hole in The Rock Road.

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Oh, another thing I just thought of. If you can get a permit, don’t pass up a chance to see one of the most (if not THE most) spectacular formations in the southwest, The Wave. The trailhead is off UT89 about half-way between Kanab and Page.

If you can’t get a permit for The Wave, it shares the trailhead for another great hike, Buckskin Gulch.

20

As a Utah native, I agree with pretty much all said above, just wanted to add the recommendation for Muley Point. Its an easy side drive between Monument Valley and Natural Bridges. Great views and you wouldn’t know it was there. Just take the first left onto a dirt road after climbing the Moqui Dugway.

Do second the Firey Furnace tour in Arches. Another hike just of highway 12 is to Calf Creek Falls. About 5 miles round trip, flat and easy, waterfall at the end with a pool beneath you can swim in.