Heading to CO/ Zion/ Moab tomorrow from Minnesota

Heading out with my girlfriend tomorrow. We don’t have any real plans yet. Just planning on hiking a bunch. We are staying Zion for 3-4 nights and we also have a Jeep rental lined up next Wednesday in Moab, planning on running Chicken Corners. Sounds like an enjoyable route.

Any suggested hikes or OR trails that we should check out/ avoid??

 

How long will you be in Moab? I’ll be coming into town Friday and was thinking of running Top of the World

 

Keep in mind that there's a limited number of visitors allowed at Zion on any given day so be sure to get there early as it's quite busy even on a good day.

 

Isnt there a reservation system now? You have to pay online and pick a date. Cars arent allowed in. Only the park shuttles are allowed in last I heard.

 

Ya the shuttle thing is a seasonal item. Happens every year to manage the crowds. The how of getting a day permit is one I don't know the answer to. I wanna say it's 1st come 1st serve as you walk in. Check the NPS website cuz its all spelled out there.

 

Girlfriend took care of that. Not exactly sure what she did, I just know that we are staying in the park Friday and Saturday night at the lodge.

 

As of now, we plan on arriving sometime Tuesday night. We will most likely leave Thursday or Friday morning to head home.

 

Whats your setup for TOTW?

 

I was just in that area over Labor Day weekend. While in Zion, make a trip over to Bryce Canyon NP. Totally different from Zion. Should take about a half day to do. In Moab, also look to do a Hell's Revenge tour. Right next to Moab is Arches and Canyonlands NPs, both of which you can off road in the park (might need a permit). 3 hours east of Moab is Ouray, CO. Really pretty area. You can go up to Yankee Boy Basin and hike, plus there are a lot of 4WD trials of the main road. Ouray also has good hot springs and is know as Switzerland in America. Have fun!

 

I was there last week and had no issues. Pulled up, flashed pass, and entered. Business as normal. It was pretty busy.

i second bryce and cap reef.


Also buy an America the Beautiful pass

 

Headed down Friday. Starting at Moab. Planning on taking the truck on hells revenge for fun then hitting the NPs from Arches to Zion. I think we're just going to rent bikes for Zion.

 

i was just there. Drove in all parks with no issues.

 

Arches was full when I showed up at 8:15am Sunday morning. So we drove the extra 30 minutes over to Canyonlands and could drive right in. Made it back over to Arches in the afternoon and had no problem (besides waiting in line) to get in. Since you won't be there on a holiday weekend you shouldn't have any problem.

I second getting the America the Beautiful pass. Good for a whole year!

 

This is what I’m working with 315 STT Pros and 2”ish lift. Drifter complicated things but should handle it fine from what I hear.

 

Damn. Goals to big a rig to hit up TOTW

 

I love Moab! I've been going there every spring (minus one or two years) since '08! In fact I'll be there for a week next month since this year's spring trip got moved to the Fall.

I'm generally in a Manx-Type Dune Buggy a Quad or a dual-sport MC but here are the trails I'd recommend you check-out in and around Moab; all should be fairly easy for a Taco, in fact I've done all of these in the Manx-type Dune Buggy in the picture below:
Gemini Bridges
Mineral Bottom (in the same relative area as Gemini Bridges; I've done both in a morning).
Long Canyon (sort of in the same area as Dead Horse Point & Canyon Lands). The highlight of this trail is that you get to drive under a large, leaning rock. Good photo op!
Shaffer Trail. I'm partial to running it up-hill (so you end-up in Canyonlands) but I've also done going downhill.
Chicken Corners is a good trail, but it's also a very popular trail (at least it has been when I've been there in the spring)

That (and some other suggestions people have and will give you) should give you plenty to see! For paved adventures Dead Horse Point is just about one of my favorite places out there!

The picture below was taken mid-way down Shaffer Trail in Spring of '18 I'm sitting in my Dune Buggy because it has no E-Brake so I'm holding the brakes on and my passenger (who was not a fan of heights) had no interest in getting-out of the car LOL!

Have a great trip!

Kev

 

I did white rim in Canyonlands last Christmas, that was a blast out there (almost totally) by ourselves. (think we saw 4 other groups of people over 3 days). Camping by ice in the Green River





Zion is nice, but too crowded (for me in the fall). I second the Bryce canyon, as well as Capital Reef National Park, to avoid the crowds.
I really enjoyed the Fiery Furnace at Arches for a day hike, but you may have a hard time getting passes.

 

Awesome photo with the bighorns! Getting me excited for WRR Sept 25-26. Where'd you camp on the loop?

 

We went counterclockwise (definitely not as common), because snow was forecast and I thought the east side would be safer to traverse when a bit snowy/icy

First nite was Labyrinth (because we started pretty late in the day)
Second nite was White Crack
Third nite was in Moab (hotel)

Had some zoomed in photos of the rams that are really cool, but the mountains in the background really make that photo cool I think. Those guys are standing right by the rim edge....

 

Nice job scoring a White Crack site. Hear that's the prime one. We were lucky to score any permits so we've just got one night at Gooseberry B and will be doing CCW too. Any favorite hikes you'd recommend? Really wish we had more time down below the rim..

The mountains are awesome in that shot. Love seeing the distant La Sals or Henrys with snow from the red rock country around Moab.