Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon - Tips, Tricks, Advice?

So I'm getting a week off and I'm trying to narrow down places to go. From what I can tell, weather-wise right now, Monument Valley looks like it's pretty good. Then I've also read that Antelope Canyon, and a couple other cool places are nearby.

Anyone been? Any advice? Cool places to camp? Ways to stay out of trouble?

I always carry full recovery gear (shovel, axe, maxtrax, bubba & tow rope, basic tools), extra 5gal fuel, and extra 5-7gal of water.

 

Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are cool places to check out in Page, but will definitely be swarming with people. Driving through monument is worth it.

If you make your way towards Capitol Reef there are some really cool spots in that area. Particularly, Cathedral Valley (Capitol Reef) and Hole in the Rock Road (Escalante).

Either way, there is so much to see in that region and you won’t be disappointed!

 

I'd pick Valley of the Gods over Monument Valley but they're near each other so you could hit both. The Moki Dugway is a nice drive in that area https://bluffutah.org/mokey-dugway-muley-point/. If you get to Moab, the Shafer Trail is another recommendation https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/591-shafer-trail-road-usa.html As Niccas9 suggested, The area around Capitol Reef NP is awesome. Take the Burr Trail and Waterpocket Fold drive if you're there https://rootsrated.com/stories/utahs-most-scenic-drive-the-burr-trail-road These are not hard core difficult roads (unless its wet) but the scenery is incredible. For something more challenging this book is a good reference

Guide to Moab, UT Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails: Easy, Moderate, Difficult: 80 Trails

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193483825X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lots of free or low cost BLM and USFS camping all over northern AZ and southern UT. Do you want dispersed or a campground with minimal facilities?

 

Thanks for the links!

We're prepped for whatever type of camping. Not a huge fan of paying for it unless I feel like I'm getting my money's worth, so dispersed is generally how we roll. That said, sometimes you just want to have a camp fire, and other times, a shower can come in real handy, so campgrounds have their places too.

Not sure if we'll be heading to Moab - I'm kind of saving that one for after I get a lift and new shoes for the truck. It's a 14hr drive for us, and we only have Saturday to Saturday - so I'm thinking book it out there in one long tedious shot, and then winding our way home over the course of the week.

That said, I noticed we got some major weather fluctuations coming our way here in Sacramento over the next 10 days, so I ought to check my 14hr "radius" and make sure the weather stays decent out there. We're ready for whatever, but I don't terribly like the idea of having it rain every day we're on the road.

 

If you want to stay in the general area of Page, AZ (Antelope Canyon), Glen Canyon NRA has lots of camping options from dispersed to highly developed campgrounds. Lee's Ferry is a nice location (flush johns but no shower). It sits just above the Colorado River with convenient access to Vermilion Cliffs Nat Monument. Nearby House Rock Valley road runs from 89A to 89 and is a good drive with several branches to explore. The Wave is a great hike if you can get a permit, Coyote Buttes is another. From LF, its less than two hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Point Sublime overlooks the Canyon and is accessible through Kaibab NF roads without ever actually entering the NP. Plenty of camping there as well. Back near Page, Lone Rock is great on the beach camping but sometimes a bit crowded. The all day boat ride out of Wahweap Marina to Rainbow Arch is spendy but we thought worth the money. https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/camping.htm

 

I've got a similar trip planned in Sept for my wife's 40th. There is simply so much to see and do around the area I ended up adding a day and still wish I had 2 more.
One note the Burr Trail is not the entire thing down to lake Powell. It is a loop from Torrey down to Boulder then back to Torrey Via Notom-Bullfrog RD.

 

Nice plans OPB and thanks for the clarification on the Burr Trail (I should've read the link I posted more closely). Lower Calf Creek is a great hike but allow enough time to spend at least an hour kicking back and enjoying the falls. Also some nice rock art on the far wall of the canyon about a third of the way in. At Capitol Reef, the Scenic Drive past the campground and the spur off it to Capitol Gorge is worth the effort.

 

Good to know, plans not really set in stone at the moment those are just the main attractions we plan on seeing. I kinda had to stop looking for stuff to do, simply not enough time. Will need a return trip to check out Zion and some of the stuff we just wont be able to get to.