Utah's Mighty 5 next spring (from FL)

[Dennis and Melissa]

Other than this just being a huge undertaking, any other comments?

Here is our plan so far...

2  days to travel from FL To San Antonio

3  days in San Antonio

Travel day

10 days in Sedona (Dead Horse Ranch SP)

4  days @ Grand Canyon South Rim

2  days in St. George (Sand Hollow SP)

7  days in Zion

6 days in Kodachrome SP (Bryce Canyon NP)

4 days in Escalante Petrified Forest

4 days in Torrey (Capitol Reef NP et al)

7 days in Moab (Dead Horse Point SP, Arches NP , Canyonlands NP, et al)

7 days in Mexican Hat (Goosenecks SP, Monument Valley, et al)

a week to head home....

[MAX Burner]

Great planning!  Y'all will love this route - don't forget to hit the "Four Corners" when you're in Monument Valley...  Send pix!

Enjoy!

[SNY SD UP]

Very ingenious 1504

[SNY SD UP]

Art & D would be 

..--- ..--- -....

Sorry, But I digress from the original post topic.

B~Out

[Rivernerd]

On 7/28/2024 at 10:51 AM, Dennis and Melissa said:

2  days to travel from FL To San Antonio

3  days in San Antonio

Travel day

10 days in Sedona (Dead Horse Ranch SP)

4  days @ Grand Canyon South Rim

2  days in St. George (Sand Hollow SP)

7  days in Zion

6 days in Kodachrome SP (Bryce Canyon NP)

4 days in Escalante Petrified Forest

4 days in Torrey (Capitol Reef NP et al)

7 days in Moab (Dead Horse Point SP, Arches NP , Canyonlands NP, et al)

7 days in Mexican Hat (Goosenecks SP, Monument Valley, et al)

a week to head home....

Take trekking poles!

[Dennis and Melissa]

1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

Take trekking poles!

I have a set but rarely use them. Do you think they will be particularly useful with this itinerary?

[mossemi]

2 minutes ago, Dennis and Melissa said:

I have a set but rarely use them. Do you think they will be particularly useful with this itinerary?

I believe that hiking poles are extremely useful.  They really save my knees on the downhill portion of trails.  And they add to my stability.  Have you ever seen a goat fall down?  I haven’t!

Mossey

[routlaw]

Lots of good spots here but honestly having stayed at Sand Hollow in the past this is one I would cross it off the list as a waste of time. There are much better places in the SW or even SW Utah than Sand Hollow. I would also encourage while exploring those popular areas to get off the beaten track and venture into many of the awesome BLM areas of the SW that are every bit the equal to the National Parks and Monuments but without the crowds or fame. Regardless have a great trip.

[Dennis and Melissa]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

I believe that hiking poles are extremely useful.  They really save my knees on the downhill portion of trails.  And they add to my stability.  Have you ever seen a goat fall down?  I haven’t!

Mossey

https://tenor.com/view/playing-dead-viralhog-freeze-playful-faint-fake-faint-gif-25303325

 

LOL.  (Couldn't resist 🤣 )
TY.  I will be sure to pack them,

Edited August 2 by Dennis and Melissa
typo

[Dennis and Melissa]

58 minutes ago, routlaw said:

 having stayed at Sand Hollow in the past this is one I would cross it off the list 

The fixed part of the itinerary is GC followed by Zion.  We had a couple of extra days, and I thought Sand Hollow would be a nice pit stop in between.  We intend to use it as a base camp and find nearby day hiking.  We also probably want full hookups for those 2 days (at least electric and water), because we want to be fully prepared for the next campground, which is inside Zion NP (with just electric, no water).

Any specific suggestions that more or less fit that bill?

TYVM!

[jd1923]

https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/snow-canyon/discover/

[Dennis and Melissa]

TYVM.  We will check it out.

[Dennis and Melissa]

Does anyone have insight into the "tent caterpillar" season in these parks?

When is it?  How "bad" is it?

[jd1923]

3 hours ago, Dennis and Melissa said:

TYVM.  We will check it out.

Dennis and Melissa, if you can reserve any of the remote campsites at Snow Canyon, they are amazing. We could only get one of the smaller sites in the center where they had 12 sites closely together. It turned out to be great though, since we met so many great people in the neighborhood! Here's the camp map and below is our trip report: Campground Details - Snow Canyon State Park, UT - Utah State Parks (reserveamerica.com)

 

[newbies ready 4 the dream]

On 8/2/2024 at 12:13 PM, Dennis and Melissa said:

The fixed part of the itinerary is GC followed by Zion.  We had a couple of extra days, and I thought Sand Hollow would be a nice pit stop in between.  We intend to use it as a base camp and find nearby day hiking.  We also probably want full hookups for those 2 days (at least electric and water), because we want to be fully prepared for the next campground, which is inside Zion NP (with just electric, no water).

Any specific suggestions that more or less fit that bill?

TYVM!

Wanted to say thanks for your Oliver review (on the Oliver website) as your insight is turning my head from the Airstream Caravel to the EII big time. I wanted to share an idea for when you are in Zion as a token of thanks. My husband and I enjoyed amazing massages at https://cablemountainspa.com/ which seems like it is inside Zion NP. Walked from our campsite it was so close by. Cheers on your amazing trip to Zion.

-Tiffany & David from Montana 

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

I may have missed it but do you have firm reservations for any of this voyage?  If not, plan way ahead as many of the areas you are heading into will be inundated with other campers.  Spring, heading into summer, can be a very tough time to find camp sites in popular areas.  In broad terms your plan seems doable but again, plan way ahead and keep your options open.   Winging it can become an exercise in frustration as tourist season descends.  Fortunately, as you make you way West into areas with large blocks of public land, boondocking becomes a viable option and your Oliver is just the machine to help you make that happen.

[Dennis and Melissa]

15 hours ago, newbies ready 4 the dream said:

Wanted to say thanks for your Oliver review (on the Oliver website) as your insight is turning my head from the Airstream Caravel to the EII big time. I wanted to share an idea for when you are in Zion as a token of thanks. My husband and I enjoyed amazing massages at https://cablemountainspa.com/ which seems like it is inside Zion NP. Walked from our campsite it was so close by. Cheers on your amazing trip to Zion.

-Tiffany & David from Montana 

Thanks for the tip.  I hope you love your Ollie as  much as we do.
And my wife LOVES her massages. 😀

P.S. We are hoping to make it to Montana in the fall of 25.  I'll create another thread for that and you can tell me everything I don't know 😛

[Dennis and Melissa]

8 hours ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

I may have missed it but do you have firm reservations for any of this voyage?  If not, plan way ahead as many of the areas you are heading into will be inundated with other campers.  Spring, heading into summer, can be a very tough time to find camp sites in popular areas.  In broad terms your plan seems doable but again, plan way ahead and keep your options open.   Winging it can become an exercise in frustration as tourist season descends.  Fortunately, as you make you way West into areas with large blocks of public land, boondocking becomes a viable option and your Oliver is just the machine to help you make that happen.

We are working on that.  Most of it is still unreservable and I have the dates they open flagged on my calendar!

[jd1923]

4 hours ago, Dennis and Melissa said:

... We are hoping to make it to Montana in the fall of 25.  I'll create another thread for that and you can tell me everything I don't know 😛

Maybe you should store your Oliver somewhere west in between your two grand trips, like say SLC and fly home (I would and have done that before with other rigs). This would save you 4800 miles and $$$$ in fuel costs, time and maintenance concerns.

This makes it one roundtrip from Florida instead of two in 6 months. And your Ollie could sit in cool covered storage vs. a hot Florida summer. 😂

[jd1923]

Another suggestion for your trip...
Some like Las Vegas, not me nor Chris. I work there 1-3 times a year teaching my class and spend 4 nights at the conference hotel, not interested the casino and tourist chaos.

When heading to Utah from Arizona, after the south entrance of the Grand Canyon, you'll likely go that route. Unless you go east towards Page AZ and Monument Valley (only two routes around the GC). A great way to detour the busy interstates of Vegas is to exit and visit Hoover Dam, then stay on the backroads through Boulder City NV, enter Lake Meade Rec Area (free with your Senior Pass) and exit out Northshore Rd towards St. George. Bypass 100 miles of Interstates on scenic 45-65 MPH roads all the way without city traffic!

It's a great route and Valley of Fire SP Nevada is a worthwhile visit and campsite, on your left as soon as you exit Lake Meade. 😂

[Dennis and Melissa]

24 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Maybe you should store your Oliver somewhere west in between your two grand trips, like say SLC and fly home (I would and have done that before with other rigs). This would save you 4800 miles and $$$$ in fuel costs, time and maintenance concerns.

This makes it one roundtrip from Florida instead of two in 6 months. And your Ollie could sit in cool covered storage vs. a hot Florida summer. 😂

We have been talking about this!  It's really encouraging to hear you say you've done it.  (Gives me some assurance that I'm not completely insane  )

[jd1923]

50 minutes ago, Dennis and Melissa said:

We have been talking about this!  It's really encouraging to hear you say you've done it.  (Gives me some assurance that I'm not completely insane  )

We moved from Austin to S FL, packed Nov 2014, all household belongings in a large cargo trailer. Stored the trailer and Chris’ car in Sherman TX where Adam went to college. Then drove our truck to our Prescott home for Thanksgiving ’til after New Years. Headed back to Sherman to drop Adam at school. Hooked up and I towed while Chris tagged behind all the way to WPB. It made everything easier!

Find a secure gated storage and next thing you know you’ll be back there.

We’re thinking after I get all my Oliver mods done and enough SW travel, we may head up to Idaho and find a good NW home base for new travels.

Love the camp and seeing new things, not fond of long highway travel!

[Rivernerd]

On 8/2/2024 at 10:15 AM, Dennis and Melissa said:

I have a set but rarely use them. Do you think they will be particularly useful with this itinerary?

Yes!  I have hiked many days in the wonderful parks you have targeted, most of which include lots of vertical gain and loss.  You knees will thank you, especially on the downhill slopes.

You will gain/lose more vertical feet in a 1/2 day hike in Bryce or the Grand Canyon than when driving all the way from one end of Florida to the other.

Edited August 4 by Rivernerd

[MAX Burner]

On 8/1/2024 at 4:56 PM, SNY SD UP said:

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Exactly correct!  Or in another mode we'd be:  CCXXVI

[routlaw]

On 8/2/2024 at 12:13 PM, Dennis and Melissa said:

The fixed part of the itinerary is GC followed by Zion.  We had a couple of extra days, and I thought Sand Hollow would be a nice pit stop in between.  We intend to use it as a base camp and find nearby day hiking.  We also probably want full hookups for those 2 days (at least electric and water), because we want to be fully prepared for the next campground, which is inside Zion NP (with just electric, no water).

Any specific suggestions that more or less fit that bill?

TYVM!

I concur with what @jd1923 said about Snow Canyon State Park, orders of magnitude better than Sand Hollow. Very pretty, some great hiking and will have all of the amenities that Sand Hollow has and then some. As others have stated hiking poles are good too with the steep hikes you'll likely encounter at Zion and other places in the SW.