Utah/Arizona Parks itinerary

Very sweet. Hope you'll have beautiful weather late October. Can your dad handle a longer drive from Buff, UT then do the Monument Valley Tribal Park and scenic loop then drive to Sedona? I would not want to stay in Tuba City (actually in AZ not UT). I know it would make it a longer day for him, but 2 nights in Sedona would really be so much nicer.

Did you already book your tickets? I'd change the return trip to out of Phoenix; as it is so much closer than Vegas for departure.

A suggestion for Day 8, after visiting Jerome, drive to Phoenix, fly home from there. If that isn’t an option flight price wise, spend the night in Kingman and fly home from LV.

Halfdozmon, we’re from Vancouver. 40 years ago we got fed up with the rain and cold and moved to Phoenix. And we still don’t like rain for longer than half a day. We still have great friends up there and my husband’s sister’s family lives in the hills close to Larch Mt.

I agree about the flights -- Phoenix would be better than the long drive back to LV, if you can change that. The Rte 12 drive is extremely scenic and your route will take you to Torrey and through Capitol Reef National Park, a beautiful place to stop and see the rock art along the highway. It looks like a great trip, though you'll be driving most of the time.

KD - we did change Tuba City to 2 nights in Sedona, and I will look at a flight out of Flagstaff, great idea, thanks!

Horsewoofie - how fun! We are the opposite. We moved from So Cal 25 years ago and love the rains and seasons of the PacNW. Don’t miss the heat at all. Thanks for the great ideas!

Dick - we’re ok with the driving, as long as my dad enjoys the view. We’ll go back another time to take it at a much slower pace!

Hi! I’m actually in Moab right now. We came from Vegas and did Zion, Bryce and Capital Reef. If you can, drive scenic hwy 12 east from Bryce to Torrey, Utah. The most stunning, diverse drive we have ever done! The Grand Staircase-Escalante is not to be missed!

Tammy - thanks! Yes, Hwy 12 is scheduled for Day 3!

halfdozmom, I mentioned Phoenix as a departure point; not Flagstaff. Flagstaff's a pretty small regional that would connect you most likely through Phoenix before getting you home. We tried to fly in to Flagstaff once via Phoenix and it was so rough, they couldn't land; turned us around back to Phoenix, and we had to rent a car to drive to Flagstaff. So I never suggest flying to Flagstaff! Just Phoenix!

KD - my bad! Meant Phoenix (Flagstaff was on my mind because we had thought of staying there)

You're going to have a great trip.

Assuming that you fly into Las Vegas and take I-15 north, it won't really start to get interesting until you get to Mesquite and start the long climb up the hill to the cut across the corner of AZ on I-15 that runs along the Virgin River Canyon. From then on you'll see absolutely amazing scenery the whole rest of the way, whether you take Hwy 7 out of St. George or go farther north on I-15 to Hwy 9 to get to Springdale like Google Maps suggests.

Two things to think about, perhaps especially for your dad.

Just like in Europe, if there's a rest stop or gas station with a toilet, stop and use it! Voice of experience here, particularly on those small back roads.

Do not assume that it will be warm and dry in October. Much of the area you will be traveling will be at elevation, so check the locations you list above and the routes to them as well as the weather for the time you'll be on the road. For example, Hatch UT on Hwy 89 just a bit south of the intersection with Hwy 12 is at 6919 feet. Bring appropriate clothing and footwear for potentially cold and wet weather.

BTW, AZ will be on Pacific (Daylight) time for your whole trip and Utah will be on Mountain (Daylight) time. The time change isn't until November 3rd this year and AZ never changes its clocks.

Lo - thank you for all the wonderful info!

I'll try and keep it short 'cause I probably overloaded you on your LAST post about this trip! :O)

Day 3 - Drive scenic Hwy 12, stop at Bryce (visit points viewable from
car, or very short walk), overnight Hanksville, UT

LOL, I'm chuckling that you're staying in Hanksville (we have, for 3 nights some years ago). Heavy rain was an issue on that trip, and when we stopped into the Moab Visitor Center to ask about slot flooding/road conditions in that area, the guy at the counter said "Hanksville? You're staying in HANKSVILLE? I didn't know there was even a place TO stay in Hanksville!" Well, we had a perfectly lovely stay at Whispering Sands. So there. Dukes' Slickrock grill does a killer breakfast, and Stan's Burger Shack has good sammies and terrific shakes. Really nice folks in Hanksville.

Day 5 - Canyonlands Island in the Sky (top of Mesa), overnight Buff,
UT

I think you meant Bluff? We just got back from a 3-week trip to the Southwest that included 4 nights in a cabin in Bluff. Like Hanksville, it's a tiny town, and restaurants are few (but some may have extended their hours since April). The sit-down places all were closed a day or two every week, and sometimes those overlapped so options on those days were pretty slim. I can cheerfully recommend Canyon Smokehouse, and Cedar Shack Cafe had a decent pizza (we did take-out). Nice folks in Bluff too, and an interesting history.

Day 6 - Monument Valley Tribal Park Visitors Center, scenic loop,
overnight Tuba City, UT

Glad you scrapped Tuba City, and just ahead's up that the scenic loop is a very bumpy, very dusty drive...or was when we did it. I've not heard that it has improved. Be kind to your vehicle's shocks, keep a light foot on the gas, and windows UP.

Jerome is a hoot. Haven't been there in years, and I don't know if your dad remembers that parts of town with stairs and uneven surfaces will not be an easy walk but I'm sure he'll enjoy what he CAN do. I do read that parking can be a bit of a pain depending on how busy it is, and hope there are handicapped spaces for ya.

Kathy - found a great little place to stay in Hanksville, and it seemed like a good “halfway” point.

We are also staying in a cabin in Bluff.

My grandparents lived in Sedona for many years and we visited often. As a kid, I grew up hiking the red rocks around Sedona and had many visits to Jerome and Momunment Valley during that time. It will be fun to revisit, it’s been at least 30 years! Any alternate suggestions for seeing Monument Valley without driving the scenic loop? We will have a rental vehicle.

We were at Bluff Gardens. You might be at that one or Willow Street?
We had a rental car when we did the scenic drive at Monument Valley too.

On day 4, my choice would be to drive Arches during the day. There is no place to purchase food in the park, so we packed lunch in a small, soft sided cooler. You can order delicious sandwiches the night before from Sweet Cravings, and they will have it ready for pick up early in the morning. https://www.cravemoab.com/. We did the same for our day in Canyonlands. You will need a timed entry ticket to Arches, so be sure to reserve that ahead of time. Sounds like a wonderful trip with your dad. Enjoy!

You will need a timed entry ticket to Arches,

You don't need one if you decide to do a sunset drive and enter the park after 4:00.
I did some more digging on best stops for your dad's limitations and hope this article helps:
https://fullsuitcase.com/arches-scenic-drive/

If you do decide to explore the park later in the day/for sunset, skip Wolfe Ranch. As noted in the article, the parking lot also serves the Delicate Arch trailhead: a VERY popular hike for sunset so that lot can fill to capacity a few hours before the sun makes an exit.

Your weather should be pretty good, not too hot, and you'll have a great time! Utah's national parks are usually not as crowded on week days that late in the year, but the weekends might have big crowds, especially Arches. There are flat, paved, mobility friendly things to do at each park so you should be able to see quite a bit just popping out of the car.
I'm not sure where you're from, but this is the advice I always give people visiting the southwest: chapstick, sunscreen, hat, and three times as much water as you think you'll need. Even when it isn't hot the desert dries you out. I always travel with an emergency two gallon jug of water in my car and I've had occasion to be glad I had it with me.
Flashflood warnings are no joke, so keep your eye on the weather. Rangers at the parks should be able to tell you if there is any risk in the area on any given day.
Lastly, these small towns have limited dining and they often close quite early, so don't put off dinner too late into the evening if you're planning to eat out. The exception to that rule is Moab, there are tons of places to eat there.

We haven’t gone yet, but we did change the dates to Oct. 7-15

You can't go wrong with scenic drives in that area, but if you find yourselves on Interstate 70 west of Green River, stretch your legs at the posted scenic overlooks. The sights are awesome like a National Park.

Halfdozmom, I think you'll be better off with the new, earlier, dates. Reduces your chances of getting snow in some of the higher elevations. And maybe you'll be lucky and find some fall colors!

naale- that sounds wonderful!!