Looking for travel advice for Colorado River trek.

[BILLVO]

My wife and I are going to be taking a 9 day trip to Phoenix and Back to Bismarck and we are going to drive striaght through to get there for memorial day weekend to spend with friends and relatives and then are going to slowly meander back along the colorado river starting at lake Havasu and heading north then east. We want to get on the North side and really spend some time in NW Arizona the southern part of Utah mostly. in the lake Mead and Powell areas specifically and the northern rim of the canyon.



Was looking for advice on what to do and see in those areas.



I am not travelling with a camper though so I am posting this in the wrong area as we are roughing it with a tent for this trip.



We like primitive camping in Off the beaten paths places to help with advice.

 

[BarryG]

Once done with the Grand Canyon you will mainly be on the Navajo Reservation in Az. Few campgrounds. In fact dont think you are allowed to camp without a permit unlike national forest or blm land. In Page just east of it you might check out antelope canyon as a side trip both upper and lower very pretty and unless disabled can make the short hike. Another good one is waterholes canyon

Navajo Parks & Recreation - Antelope Canyon



If you head west northwest out of Page on 89 towards Kanab turn north (approx 40 miles from Page) onto a road that will take you to HWY 12Cannonville, Tropic, Bryce Canyon NP, Kodachrome basin State Park. If you were heading south it is called Cottonwood Canyon Rd but not sure if it is named that at the southern end. The road itself starts out somewhat ugly but changes and gets very beautiful. About 1/2 way up or so a left will take you to Round Valley Draw Round Valley Draw. Kodachrome basin is a nice campground in the state park. Once on HWY 12 you could head west 20 miles to Bryce Canyon and check it out

Bryce Canyon National Park (U. S. National Park Service)

or head east towards Escalante The Hole in the Rock Rd has some good camping spots on/off of it. Harris wash Trailhead is a good one. Also hiking peekaboo, spooky and brimstone is an awesome hike

Tom's Utah Canyoneering Guide: Dry Fork Slot Canyons, Coyote Gulch.



Continue heading east on 12 towards Boulder. Hwy 12 is one of the most beautiful roads you will ever travel. Take the Burr Trail Rd in Boulder and head east.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - Driving the Burr Trail (U. S. National Park Service)

It also is a magnificent rd scenery wise. It will take you through part of Capitol Reef NP and the Water Pocket Fold and spit you out down by Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell. You can take the ferry across to Halls Crossing take 276 up to HWY 95 and Natural Bridges National Monument.

Natural Bridges National Monument (U. S. National Park Service)

Then east on 95 towards Blanding or with a 100 mile detour (roundtrip) south you could hit Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Monument Valley Tribal Park - Areaparks.com

Then head back north on HWY 163 to Moab You will pass Canyonlands National Park Needles District

Canyonlands National Park - Needles (U. S. National Park Service)

which has some while not backcountry camping a decent campground, Canyon Rims Rec area just north of that Wind Whistle campground is decent and if you head a bit farther down the road you can find some undeveloped camping areas on the south side of the road back in the rocks and trees.

Windwhistle Campground

On to Moab and Canyonlands National Park Island inthe Sky District Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky (U. S. National Park Service) Arches National Park Arches National Park (U. S. National Park Service) as well as Dead Horse Point State Park. Dead Horse Point State Park | Utah State Parks I highly recommend you check that out the view is just eyeball bustin. From Moab head towards I-70 on HWY 128 it follows the river for 10 miles in the canyon then works its way out and up to the freeway.



Obviously more than one can do in a short period of time but some ideas anyway.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I usually make a pilgrimage to southern Utah to get a jump on the sunshine after having a belly full of Montana/Wyoming winters (this ahhh... winter? I was in eastern Oregon). If you are think of the same "primitive camping" we usually do, I'd drop some names we've done in the past:

• Coyote Gulch (Escalante drop and shuttle to confluence with Escalante River);
  The slot canyons around Escalante (day trips);
  float the Escalante in inflatable kayaks (Calf Creek to confluence with Coyote Creek;
  Grand Gulch loop;
  Buckskin Gulch to Pariah (longest slot canyon;
  The Cock's comb;
  Mtn biking around Virgin Canyon Black Mesa - south of St. George;
  Canyon Lands back pack trip;
  Dark Canyon Wilderness north end;
  Dark Canyon Wilderness south end;
  Some overnighters around Hog Gulch. There are three nice canyons to the east and northeast of Hog Gulch (the one with the rest area);
  Horse and Wolverine (ain't no wolverines around these parts!) Gulches;
  Camped on the beach at Meade;
  Death Hollow Wilderness backpack trip;
  Boulder-Calf Creek area is quite nice;
  Back roads around the Henry Mountains;
  Slick rock biking around Moab;
  Indian Creek climbing area;
  back roads in the Manti Sal mountains (or something like that);
  NM and AZ:
  Wheeler Peak;
  Gila Wilderness - White River cabin; Raw Meat Canyon;
  Wade up the Blue River (or something like that;
  Sycamore Canyon;
  Magdelena Mtns;
  This spring it will be more sick slickrock biking around Moab;

These are warm ups for the summer trips or work.

 

[BILLVO]

WOW thanks for the input guys.

I am not sure we will be taking any long hikes or rafting trips this time as we probably will not have time. More so wanted to check out the area around the lakes mostly and do drive in/by sight seeing.

 

[RVTRKN]

Billvo, there is a good fishing map of the colorado river you can get (PM me) for exact info. There are a lot of 4X4 trails/roads that are easy on your trucks, at Lake Mohave and Mead where you can get on the water and camp, and the trails are on the fishing map. I have extensive knowledge of that area. If you cross the Colorado on Interstate 40 make sure you stop at the Marina there, its family owned with great steaks as well as entertainment overlooking the Topoc marsh, which is huge. Just around the corner there is an old abandon camp ground, that I camped at in 1972 and is now designated for day use, but people seem to ignore it. I have been to a lot of these places, and if your interested, PM me and we can talk about it.