Utah, "the Grand Circle" trip

[Wanderer]

Planning a trip to southern Utah, April or May, thinking of camping at Moab and doing day trips out of there. I see there are a number of campgrounds in/around Moab. Anyone with specific experience on this Grand Circle tour and , campground in/around Moab area, we have a TT 31 foot, two slides. Would like hook ups, shade trees, quiet.
Thank You,
Wanderer
"All who wander are not lost."

[f5moab]

I live in Moab.
First, April/May are two of the busiest months in Moab and the surrounding areas.
There are quite a few private campgrounds in and around Moab; basically on Hwy 191, the major (only) north/south hwy into and through Moab. Reservations during April/May could be hard, but probably not impossible to get. Plan as early as you can to make reservations. These are probably the ONLY locations where you will find shade trees.

The area is surrounded by almost 25 BLM campgrounds but they have NO services; other than after mid-April, the two campgrounds 30 miles south of Moab have water. They are also on a first come/first serve basis, and best time to grab a site is on Monday afternoon or Tuesday. They will be very busy. Not many of the sites will have any noticeable sized shade trees since this is considered a high-plateau desert.

BLM campgrounds on Hwy 128 (known locally as the river road) that runs along the Colorado River has some nice campgrounds but they are very busy, and not can take a long trailer. North of town, off Hwy 313 - the road to Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Deadhorse Point state park, has a large campground called Horsethief, it can take long trailers in many locations, tends to be a bit quieter, but again, not many large trees. (I won't even mention the campgrounds along Hwy 279 (Potash Road) or Kane Creek. These tend to be small campgrounds or extremely noisy due to ATVs/UTVs and motorbikes.)

There are multiple areas where you can legally disperse camp on BLM and/or lands owned by the Utah Schools (hard to explain but yes, there are trust lands set up for schools). Needless to say, no dispersed camping in National Parks.

North of town, off Willow Springs is an area noted for dispersed camping on the school lands. Also, off Hwy 313 there is a dirt road, Dubinky Well, that has a lot of areas where you can set up and camp for free. Usually a lot quieter up there than on the River road, but can be dusty.

For more privacy, and more shade, you will have to go up into the Lasal Mountains, south of Moab. I am not sure about hookups, but there are two campgrounds off the Lasal Loop road; Oowah Lake, and Warner Lake. They are run by the US Forest service.

Week before Eastern Sunday is known as Jeep Safari week and there are, on average, thousands of Jeeps/FJs/Hummers in town doing off-road trails from scenic dirt to extreme roads that usually end up breaking parts. It is also the start of the busy SAR season for Grand County. Those choppers overhead are either tours. life flights to Grand Junction or SAR.


There are two national parks outside of Moab. Arches, about five miles north of town, has a campground at Devil's garden but it is usually booked at the start of the year. I do believe they have some on a first come/first serve basis, but not positive. And I don't believe there is any hookups, just water.

Canyonlands, Island in the Sky District, about 35 miles northwest of town, has a campground but not sure about hookups and if like Arches, always booked.

There is Deadhorse State Park campground, also about 35 miles northwest of Moab, but there is NO privacy in a Utah state park campground.

To sum it up, not much privacy during these months unless you disperse camp. Not much in the way of shade from trees except in private campgrounds.

However, it is a great place to visit, very scenic, lots to do like the Nat. Parks and hiking trails galore.

List of private campgrounds:
http://discovermoab.com/campgrounds_private.htm

BLM campgrounds (a few missing on this list):
http://discovermoab.com/campgrounds_blm.htm

Dispersed camping areas and restrictions (if any):
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/...an_i_camp.html

[Wanderer]

Thank You, appreciate the info.
After looking at the map may just stay in Blanding and do the day trips from there, or at least a portion of them.

[Wanderer]

Will have to delay our trip till the 22-23 so maybe some of that crowd will be dispersed?

[BiigDaddy]

[QUOTE=f5moab;572818]I live in Moab.
First, April/May are two of the busiest months in Moab and the surrounding areas.


First hand, detailed information. Just another example of why this forum is awesome!

Gotta tell you f5moab, I've been to Moab twice and simply love that entire area...I'm jealous!

[f5moab]

Delaying a few days will help...some. Basically, after the Jeep Safari week, Moab is one busy place.
This is a great website to let you know what will be going on the time you are here.
City of Moab's Official Tourism Website - Get up-to-date vacation planning information from the only official source for the city of Moab.

I have heard the campground in Blanding is pretty good; just from what others have said. I have no personal knowledge of it at all.

However, not to scare you away from Moab, if you have never been to Monument valley, it is not that far south of Blanding. There is a very nice 11 or 13 mile road open to the public (for fee of course) that has some very beautiful photo ops. Also, just south of Bluff is a road to the west, called Valley of the Gods. It's a fun road, usually in pretty good condition. I have actually seen a Mustang GT do it once. And if you do the road, it will connect to a paved road that will lead you back to the main highway. Or, you can go to the west and do the up and down the Moki Dugway.


And a little short road off the highway can take you over to Goosenecks State Park...Free to enter and snap a photo.


Also, it is a great drive from Blanding to Moab. Just north of Monticello you will pass through the Canyon Rims area, then into Lisbon Valley. Some great scenery to see along the way.

Not knocking Arches, it is a fantastic place and has some beautiful arches, some of the most spectacular arches (my opinion at least) are not in Arches NP.
Pritchett Arch south of Moab....


Corona Arch, off Hwy 279, northwest of Moab


Enjoy your stay and have fun. It's a great place....

[CSMRetired]

f5moab

you are a wealth of information and if I may hijack this thread for a quesiton.
Have you been in our been around Temple Hill Resort in Manti? We are coming through Utah in July and would like to get some good info for that area if you can. It will be just a stop over

Thanks and sorry for hijacking

[BiigDaddy]

F5, where is that first picture with the winding road? Monument valley, Valley of the Gods, or Moki Dugway? Thank you!

[oldcat]

f5moab,

Thanks for all the great info. If you were to pick a time to visit the area (combination of best weather with lightest crowds) when would that be?

[Wanderer]

f5, thank you great info and awesome pictures. We want to see all of the parks and hope to take some great pictures.
That little drive to the Goosenecks, where does it begin?
And no concern my friend you did not scare me off from Moab. I was just studying the map and it seemed like we could do 5 maybe six day trips out from there.

[f5moab]

Originally Posted by CSMRetired

f5moab

you are a wealth of information and if I may hijack this thread for a quesiton.
Have you been in our been around Temple Hill Resort in Manti? We are coming through Utah in July and would like to get some good info for that area if you can. It will be just a stop over

Thanks and sorry for hijacking

Sorry, I know nothing of that resort or even the city.

[f5moab]

Top photo is the Moki Dugway. It is a switchback that runs down from Cedar Mesa and is partially dirt and paved (more dirt). It is an easy switchback and has some great places to pull off and take photos.

This map shows in perspective where Blanding is to the Valley of the Gods/Moki Dugway and Goosenecks.


This shows the Valley of the Gods road, which is dirt and shows where it comes out to the paved road and how close to the Moki Dugway the road is. The purple highlighted road is all paved.


If you stay on Hwy 163 south, you go into Monument Valley.

[f5moab]

Best time to visit I would say is Oct or very early Nov. Temps are dropping, so is the population. Still busy, but Oct in Moab might be the best month.
July/Aug is the least populated by tourists, but also hot. Can easily exceed 100 degrees many days. Sept is really nice, but still a ton of tourists. Dec-March can be nice but very unpredictable weather wise. April-June...busy, but usually moderate temps.

I usually take a two-week vacation the first of July, and usually head north to northern ID/WY or Montana.

[f5moab]

Goosenecks is a cool view, but for state parks, not sure if it matches Deadhorse Point. Sunrise photos are great...


But even in full daylight it ain't bad...

[f5moab]

Anyone with a decent 4x4, you can always visit Riverhouse...(4x4 is needed or a trip down the San Juan river)

[BiigDaddy]

F5, thank you for the map and tips, I'm very grateful!!

Sent from my EVO using Forest River Forums mobile app

[woodsman]

Thank You for the info and pic,s

[Wanderer]

@f5, are most of the parks, Arches, Natural Bridges etc allow POV's. I know in Zion they limit traffic up road to the Narrows.

[f5moab]

No restrictions on any of the paved roads in Arches, Canyonlands or Natural bridges...yet. There is talk of doing busses in Arches someday, but it won't be for years.
There are restriction on the unpaved roads such as no ATVs/UTVs, dogs on some roads, etc.

[EricInColorado]

I'll chime in with this - We just did a tour of Goblin Valley SP, Kodachrome NM, Petrified Forest SP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Capitol Reef NP, Bryce NP, and Zion NP. Petrified Forest SP was a little gem, but not much to do there but one hike. UT takes their state parks seriously, they are nice.