Heading to Utah - The pop up response

[LilHorse&buggy]

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f221/heading-to-utah-in-two-weeks-142045.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email &utm_campaign=Feed%3A+forestriverforums+%28Forest+ River+Forums+-+Emails%29

The above thread is Heading to Utah in an A Frame.

My question is has anyone done the 5 Utah parks with their pop up? I am planning to go next May and want to know what (if any) are the concerns, as far as security, theft, animals, etc. I'm going to be pulling my Rockwood Extreme and my plan is to maybe camp at 3 of the 5 parks and use my Ural sidecar to travel and do day trips. Any suggestions? Thx.

[pgandw]

Just from our trip in the A-frame last year. We went at the very end of October.

Temperatures, even into May, swing wildly. At the end of October, we had 2 days in the 70s, and the 3rd day in the 50s. Nights ranged from 50 to 30 degrees. Elevation also makes a big difference in temperature. Arches and Zion are by far the hottest (and lowest). Bryce Canyon is the coldest, with Capitol Reef close behind.

There are rattle snakes in Arches - it's pretty close to desert. We were told not to worry about leaving food out at Capitol, but then raccoons and turkeys attacked what we left out.

I've never worried about security at the campgrounds - we lock our A-frame and leave it for day trips in the area.

There are no showers or electric sites in the eastern 3 national parks.

just our experiences
Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

As mentioned in the other thread, water, fuel, and cell service are only available at the small towns outside the parks (Moab is by far the biggest). And there are precious few towns in between.

[LilHorse&buggy]

HI Fred,
Thx for the response. However, I have a pop up, not a lockable A frame.

I was wondering if anyone with a pop up tent camper has done the 5 Utah parks.

I'm glad you had a good time. Hopefully my trip goes as well. :-)

[rsdata]

the wife and I tent camped in all the Natl parks, except Canyonlands some time ago... we went at the end of May, the last two weeks before school was out. Campgrounds were all but deserted. We left the tent "unlocked" all day without any incidents from critters, but of course we toted our food in a cooler in the car with us and left nothing with any food residue around. It got cold at night so we had good sleeping bags with us. In fact at some higher elevation close to Capitol Reef the road was closed due to drifted over with snow about 10 feet high. Our only concern at times was running out of gas as this was before Gas Buddy app...

have fun and don't worry about the security... we didn't

[elchilero53]

Arches isn't close to desert - it IS in the desert. As is Canyonland. High desert but still desert. It can be very hot in the summer and early fall, and cold with snow in the late fall thru the late spring. You want to stay hydrated. The low humidity will leave you feeling cool in the shade and hot in the sun but it feels pleasant so you get fooled. The air is sucking the water out of your skin. The Pop Up is a good one for exploring the West. Small, light and easy to park. Have a great time and enjoy your trip!

[LilHorse&buggy]

Thank you for the info/help. My pop up holds 26 gallons so I should be okay. I'm planning on next May so hopefully the temperatures are good to me. Thanks again for the tips.

[Remark777]

I've camped in BLM campgrounds outside of Moab with popup. Have gone March and into May. It is desert with little lizards hanging out in the open air bathrooms. No hookups but there are several water sources available in Moab which is within 10 miles of most campgrounds. There is a host, often residing at the campground. Otherwise, they make rounds on daily basis. Cost is less than $20 per night and less than that with Senior Pass (this may changes in 2018--too many old folks so prices are going up). Have not had problems with stuff missing. Easy drive to Arches, Dead Horse, and Canyon Lands. It can get chilly during early spring and very hot later on. Moab is a great break destination with lots of restaurants, shopping, and a wonderful pool as part of the recreation program. Have not had issues with critters like bears, etc., but do need to watch out for snakes. Great fun in a popup.