Utah/Arizona Road Trip

Doesn't Havasupai require reservations that are booked pretty far out?

 

Edit: Oops! I missed the eastern Rockies part. There's a ton to see that way. For sure, so some touring around Denver and the foothills. Possibly consider a western swing on the return trip? See below for that stuff.


Oh gawd. You're in for a treat.

I've done this loopa couple times (WA to Tempe and WA to LV). For sure, consider Highway 101 in Cali. Hit Highway 1 if you like twisties and such. The Taco was fun to toss around on it. If you hit 101, do ALL of the scenic byways (redwood tour).

Death Valley and Hoover Damn are great places to see also.

There are lots of easy trails to hit up and / or camp on.

I'd recommend eastern and coast routes and to stay off the interstates as much as you can because the scenery on the other routes is epic around every turn.

 

You might not, but borders are just imaginary lines. I would highly recommend a trip through the Kootenay Rockies. Just as amazing as here, but different.

 

Reservations, yes. Two of my friends went this week though and their reservations were maybe 2 mos in advance.

 

I've had my tickets since 2019. COVID screwed everything up. They are currently booking for 2024! My tickets got pushed from July 2020 to May 2024. Just to give you an idea. But that is for 4 tickets, so 1 or 2 is easier (-ish) to get...

 

I was definitely surprised to hear my friends(a couple) got their spot so quickly, so maybe parties of 1-2 are much easier to score in a reasonable time frame.

 

I've done 2 Rim-to-Rim hikes in a year. By far the most difficult things I have physically done. I am in good shape, but those hikes kick your ass...hard. Like, it is difficult to walk the next day, hard. But very rewarding to do.

First time was with my 14 year old son. North rim to south rim. He kicked my ass. Took him just under 10 hrs to do the 25-ish miles. Took me just under 12 hrs. Mid-May, and 90 days after I had meniscus surgery on one knee and a torn meniscus in the other knee.

Second time was wife, 2 kids, and me. This was a down South Kaibab and out Bright Angel. Youngest did it in about 5.5 hrs, oldest in 6.5 hrs, and wife and I did it just under 8 hrs. That included a mandatory 1 hr lunch at Phantom Ranch. That trip is only 16-ish miles. I think this route was actually harder than the other, even though it was shorter. Day before Thanksgiving the same year, and 60 days before I had meniscus surgery on the other knee...LOL.

Do it when you can, but not in June thru August IMHO.

 

Most likely got tickets via the transfer portal...that is where people can sell their reservations they will not use for the price they paid minus a commission to the tribe. Onsies/twosies come up fairly regularly. 4 tickets (or more) together is very tough. I tried for several years...but I know a lot of couples who have been able to score tickets recently.

$400 a piece for 4 days/3 nights. To live like you are homeless...LOL.

 

Some facts/not-really-opinion about a feature of AZ and the Grand Canyon. You can call me bad for providing this information and review, but I would rather put it out there for the OP and be called "premature" than have them waste time and money.

There is a "Grand Canyon Skywalk". A u-shaped bridge that hangs 50 ft or so into the canyon off the rim. Operated by a native tribe, not by the state so you play by their rules. These are their rules, as I understand them ...

> You arrive by bus they have (you pay for the ride) if you do not drive the "primitive road" yourself, but either way you end up at a locked gate
> You pay to enter the gate on their special tram
> You go into the center through the gift shop
> You leave your cell phones and cameras and anything with a camera in a locker (the locker is free, I think)
> You walk one-way around the bridge, and you have a time limit (2 hours, I seem to recall)
> If you want pictures, you buy their pictures
> You exit through the gift shop

Some people feel the view down into the canyon from not just on the rim to be worth it ... and it probably is stunning. But others feel they were ripped off.

I only report what I have heard, and am not advising or trying to influence your decision.

 

Agreed ... summer is brutal even at 8000 ft in AZ. Unfiltered sun from cloudless skies ...

All this does not mean hiking into the canyon should be avoided if you cannot hike rim-to-rim ... just be aware that you might need to turn back after only 1 mile into the hike on the trail.

And the good news ... THERE IS GOOD NEWS ... burros. You can ride a burro into the base of the canyon as it walks the trail. And I saw a travel special on this ... there is a 30 minute "prepare the visitors" talk where they size-up the visitors and choose the burro that best fit your personality. Are you looking nervous and scared? Do you look like you are ready to jump off the rim just to get there fast and will figure out a way to land safely later? Then you ride on top of the animal down to the bottom and back up.

Reserve the burros if you want to go ... long line.