Grand Circle National park tour

[PWW]

looking for resources to plan a trip to grand circle national park tour.

RV routes, places to stay, can I use our SXS to get around instead of car, other recommendations

[LindaH]

If it were me, I'd stay at a campground at each National Park as much as possible.

Here's just one website that gives information on the Grand Circle:

RVing in the Grand Circle | Go RVing

And, of course, you'll want to visit each park's website.  To find the website, start with the NPS's website and add the first four letters of the park's name, or for a park with two names, the first two letters of each word.  For example, Bryce Canyon would be www.nps.gov/brca while Canyonlands would be www.nps.gov/cany.

Edited May 22, 2023 by LindaH

[Kirk W]

For the national parks you will need reservations and you need to make them as far in advance as possible. That is especially true if you have a large RV and/or need full hookups. 

[agesilaus]

I agree I'd stay inside the park, BUT that means reserving as soon as the reservation window opens. Winter the year before going. And where the parks have handed over the campground to private contractors expect pricey fees, up to $100/night.

The big question is: How much time do you have? two or three weeks, then limit yourself to a couple of parks. I'd plan a week at each park to get a real look at these extraordinary lands. Mayne not that long at Arches or Capitol Reef.

The loop is Grand Canyon South Rim

  Crowded but so big that is not a problem

Maybe North Rim

  Not crowded opens late in June

Zion

  Hotter than Hades, absolute mob scene. Very hard to park and has a shuttle systems

Arches

  Makes Zion look like an icebox. Extremely crowded and they close the gates once max visitor occurs. Get there early in the day 8AM or earlier ro beat the heat and crowds

Bryce Canyom

  Cooler (8000 feet), crowded but not as bad

Capitol Reef

   Crowds and hot but not as bad as the rest

 

Side Trip: Mesa Verde

  Crowded need online reservations for tours make a week or more in advance

Yellowstone/Tetons are not part of the 'loop' which isn't actually any sort of loop.

Roads, not much choice the roadnet is limited so just follow the obvious. Read up on Zion tunnel tho.

AND NUMBER ONE RULE: Carry lots of water, a liter or more each, wear a good hat.

All of these parks have boondocking outside the park or many pricey commercial camps. Those need early reservations too.

I have no idea what a SVS is, if it is street legal then maybe OK. Check with the park. I have never seen an ORV on the roads tho.

 

 

 

[PWW]

Thx for the info. We are planning now for next September in a 29ft Class C

I know AZ and Utah are pretty friendly to UTV's outside the parks. It would be as good as a Jeep, but no turn signals.

 

[agesilaus]

You won't have a tunnel problem at Zion with a Class C

[2gypsies]

I think you'll find that your SXS is not allowed on national parks roads.  You need to check each national park for clarification.  Here is Arches:  https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/regulations.htm#:~:text=The use of off-highway,allowed in Arches National Park.

[trailertraveler]

Here are a couple of links about the Grand Circle: Utah.com, Grand Circle Road Trip. There are many other great places to see in addition to the National Parks. Here are some links to some of them.

Utah 12-24 area:

UT-12 Scenic Byway, Fish Lake scenic Byway, Scenic Backways, Burr Trail, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Anasazi State Park, Calf Creek Falls, Hells Backbone, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Goblin Valley State Park

Moab area:

Kane Creek Road, Potash Lower Colorado Byway, Upper Colorado River UT-128 Scenic Byway, Sago Canyon, Dead Horse Point State Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Needles District, Newspaper Rock

US-89 area:

Zion National Park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Monument Valley, Bluff, Blanding Area:

 Monument Valley, UT-261 the Moki Dugway, Goosenecks State Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Bluff Fort, South Fork of Mule Canyon and House on Fire, The Valley of The Gods, Sand Island Petroglyphs, Edge of the Cedars State Park

Edited May 23, 2023 by trailertraveler

[PWW]

 

Great info.

Most of the info I could find on line isn't RV related.

Thx