Southern Utah

[HJ Rosch]

Just finished a 7 day trip to Southern Utah for the "shakedown" of our new Alante. Two nights at Wonderland RV Park, Torrey to see Capital Reef National Park. Great RV park; super clean restrooms, showers and grounds. Next was a drive to Bryce National Park along highway 12 with a stop at Hells Backbone Grill in Boulder - a must for great food. Highway 12 is pretty challenging from Torrey to Escalante with 9,000+ foot passes, sheer drops on both sides and switchbacks. Two nights at Ruby's RV Park just outside of Bryce is a great place with a whole new section with pull throughs for "big rigs". Then on to Zion National Park where we encountered 40+ MPH winds, windy roads and a tunnel we needed to pay extra, $15, to pass through. Our height at 12'5" and overall length of 50' with toad meant they had to stop oncoming traffic so we could drive down the center of the arched tunnel. Then many switchbacks down the back side of Zion. We stayed two nights at WillowWind RV Park in Hurricane, UT. Nice park but a lot of permanent residents. We went the second week in April and nothing was too busy but after mid June all of these parks get really busy. These three RV parks and the three National Parks are stellar!

[ttavasc]

Sounds like a heckuva shake-down trip. Completely agree with you that those national parks are spectacular. We're headed down to the Kanab, UT area later this week for 8 days - hoping that wind is blown out before we get down there...

[HJ Rosch]

We took the short detour to Kanab on our way between Bryce and Zion. We want to hike the Wave on a future trip and stopped to see how the lottery works to get a permit to do the hike. They only allow about 20 people a day to enter but it is well worth it. We are also planning a fall trip to the North Rim with a stay at the Jacob Lake RV park. Might try to do the Wave at that time and then head to the Canyon. Enjoy your trip to Southern Utah, it is pretty spectacular. My wife and I are newbies to RV travel and this was our first trip. Everything went quite well with only a few minor fixes necessary. BUT, I feel I can tackle any road condition now. Freeways with lots of semis, back roads, winding roads, high elevations, 14% grades, high winds, etc. Our Alante 31V handled everything quite well and that BIG window made the views incredible. Heading for Portland, OR in 3 weeks for an 8 day trip, will report on the campgrounds we stay in.

[travelingjw]

Sounds great. Next time you are out that way (near Bryce) consider staying at the Kodachrome Campgrounds. About 20 minutes from Bryce but very quiet and there are some great hikes. Also, if you have a dog, this is a great place to stay.