Hey Ladies and Gents-

I'm planning a cross-country road trip of anywhere between 4-8 weeks, leaving some time in mid-late April.

One of the states I'm going to be visiting is Utah.

So far, I have the following on the list of things to *potentially* see in your state.  I'm not sure I'll get to all of them, but I want to solicit suggestions about things I should see or avoid.
I'm particularly interested in stuff that people might not know about or remember that has historic significance.  For instance, in Louisiana I'm visiting the site where Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down.  In that case, it's just a small monument on a dirt road, but it's an interesting part of history.

• The Mighty Five (at least two of them)


• Bonneville Salts


• Moab

Utah is one of the major states I want to spend time in.  I'd really like to explore some of the major National/State parks, as well as a little bit of Moab.  I really want to get some off-roading and exploration in (I have a TRD 4runner), so exploring from the car is my primary goal though I'm happy to get out and hike around a bit as well.  I'd love to drive through canyons, along mountains, etc.  And I want to camp in those places and do some semi-technical trails as well.  I'll need recommendations for both (the more epic the campsite, the better).

I've been to Utah before, twice, both times to Park City and Deer Valley to ski.  I'm not sure I'll be making it back to that area unless it's to pass through on my way north.  I do plan on driving out to Bonneville at some point from SLC just to see it.  It's a pilgrimage for car guys.

I could really use loads of advice here, because I'm coming in a bit blind at the moment.  I know it's unlikely I'll be able to get all "Five" in on this trip, given my time constraints, and do them justice.  I'd also welcome linking up with locals to do some off-roading, get some drinks, etc.

Any advice at all is welcome.  Things to see, places to avoid, roads to use and not use, trails for off-roading, camp sites, etc.

One thing I won't be doing is shooting, and I don't really intend on visiting FFLs or anything like that.  I have a limited amount of time for certain states and can't waste that in gun shops.

I plan on sleeping in the back of the car for 2-3 days, then getting a hotel for the night, then going back in the car.  As a result, I'll need recommendations for cool camp sites with views, etc.

Any information about Covid restrictions is also helpful with regard to closures of parks or businesses.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Are you planning on coming in through I-70, I-80, or I-15? It makes a huge difference in the order of planning. Utah is not a small state. The drive time between Bonneville and the Big Five area is 4-8 hours depending on traffic, weather, how you drive, and which end of the national monuments you leave from.

I like camping at the Wedge Overlook link to Google maps. It has amazing views and you can camp right on the edge of the canyon. It's first come first serve and free with designated campsites. The dirt roads out there are nicely maintained so you can get to Moab in an hour or so if you keep your speed up. I have a trail edition 4runner that I've taken off road around Moab and it's gotten a decent amount of bumps and scrapes both when it was stock and after I added a new suspension with 2" lift.

Almost certainly I-15.  I'll be moving through the state (roughly) from South to North on my way through to Wyoming or Idaho.

I'm dedicating a fair amount of time in the state, and I know that the drives are going to be lengthy.  Bonneville and the SLC area are going to be last on the list heading North.  I looked it up and I think Bonneville is about 90 minutes each way?  I figure that will cost me about half a day alone (3 hours traveling, plus 1-2 while there).

Any route planning or advice as far as how to leave the parks, etc. is certainly really helpful and appreciated.

I saw this link about doing the "Five" in 7 days.  I'm not sure if it's accurate at all or not.

https://www.foreverresorts.com/blog/2019/04/how-to-visit-the-big-5-national-parks-utah-in-one-week

Ok, that's dream land right there.  That camp site looks amazing, thank you.

Moab is sort of a pilgrimage thing since I'm in the area.  I'm not sure I'm going to go out and tear the truck up, especially since I'm travelling without another vehicle to recover me or help me spot.  If I got out there, I might tackle one obstacle just to say I did it.

If it helps at all, I own a tour company operating in Arches National Park. Stop in and enjoy the sights and support an ARFCOM member if you'd like.

I would also recommend Moonflower Canyon for a great camp site. It's off the beaten path of Moab yet not very far away, and while you might have a few other people there, there is plenty of space to enjoy the petroglyphs and the camping space. Neat little hike in the back of it. Cool, shaded, and has some unexpected plant life in there like oak trees.

No advertising please.  Feel free to contact each other via IM. ~ medicmandan

If you go to the salt flats do not get off the pavement this time of year.

Check out deadhorse point state park in Moab, do the long canyon road from the top down; everyone needs a photo of their vehicle under the hanging rock.



Gary

You and I may need to talk further as the trip approaches.  Thanks for the intel on the Canyon; I'll look into it.



Haha trust me, I had no intention of getting on the Salt this time of year.  I've done my research...I don't want to be in that muck.  Along the same lines, I don't think I'd want to get on it in my own car anyway...the corrosion isn't worth the price of admission, IMO.  That said, maybe in a rental corvette some day...

And I'll look into deadhorse.  That picture would be pretty awesome.

Thanks

UPDATE:

I've postponed the trip until around mid-June.  I currently have covid, which makes a postponement absolutely necessary.  My father also has it and is in the ICU.

I'll touch base again on this when I get through some of this.

Fellas, the trip is off.  My father passed away from Covid a few weeks ago.  My spirit for this sort of thing is just smashed, and I have no idea when I'm going to get around to thinking about it again.  

I want to thank everyone I've talked to in this thread and via PM for their recommendations and information on your state.  I hope that maybe one day, I can plan this again and meet up with a few of you along the way.

My best to all of you.