Need advice on Utah

[Likes to tow]

Just ordered a Jayco Eagle Ht 26.5 RLS and plan on a trip into Utah/Colorado next May on our 50th Anniversary. Need to know anyone's experience on campsites and roads in the southern part of Utah. We like to find a base camp and then take short road trips to see the sights. Don't really expect to drag this 5th wheel up and down mountain grades and prefer decent main highways for finding a base camp. Suggestions??

[troutslayer]

Don't know what to say exactly. There's no way you are going to go to Southern Utah without dragging your rig up and down mountain grades. Also, your "base camp" will more than likely, be your sight seeing destination. Take Zion National Park; you will want to stay right there and spend a few days hiking, biking and taking in all the natural wonder. That goes for Bryce, Capital Reef, Moab and just about anywhere else around there. You gotta go up and down . Check out campgroundreviews.com for places to stay.

[wags999]

Utah has a great number of parks. You may be able to do one or two on day trips, but they are not that close together. The highways are good with few large hills to climb, but your going to have to move around to see them all. Hwy 12 is one of the top 10 scenic highways in the country. Obviously Zion, Bryce will be on your list. I would do some research and decide what you want to see and then map it out. I would add the Grand Canyon as your close, especially to the north rim. Good Luck and Enjoy.. congrats on your 50th.

[A2Z_Adventures]

Parks and destinations our west are grand to say the least. Like others have mentioned, pick a location and stay for a few days at least. Truly, day trip from there.

[Kim Gass]

Campground » Utah's Scenic Byway 12 - Your Guide to Attractions and Activities on Utah's Scenic Byways
rt 12 is spectacular

You will be be going up and down.. Thats part of why it is so spectacular.

Don't try the Cottonwood Canyon Road. Its got some tight spots and is all dirt. We could do it with our little TT but refrained. We just did a day trip

Cottonwood Canyon Road Scenic Backway » Utah's Scenic Byway 12 - Your Guide to Attractions and Activities on Utah's Scenic Byways

[rgchak]

A couple of summers ago we stayed at the Zion West RV Park off of I-15. It worked out as a nice base camp and is about 30 miles from the Visitors Center.

[ttavasc]

Congrats on the upcoming anniversary! Look at the Kanab, UT area - it is a good place to base camp. Numerous sites to see such as Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Lake Powell. We spent some time down there last year doing some volunteer work at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which is also a great place to visit and take a tour. In fact we are headed back down there next week to do that again.

We run south on I-15 to the Sulphurdale area, then cut over to US 89 on I-70. Kanab is right on 89 so no trouble getting there with larger rigs.

Here is a web site that will give you a much better idea of what all is around that area:

Official Travel Site of Kane County

There are a couple of pages of links to various RV parks and campgrounds in the area under the Lodging/Dining --> Campgrounds menu. The Things to See menu will give you all the major sites in the area.

[pawpaw]

We made the Utah "loop" last year. As others have said, there are several good RV parks, but they're not very close together.
We based out of St. George,UT for a few days, then Richfield, UT and finally Moab, UT. All of those locations are on good highways and they allowed us to park our TT and make day trips to the areas we wanted to see.
We're planning to go back next year. The scenery there is second to none!

[Likes to tow]

This will be our third 5th wheel and having traveled in WV and Va we are familiar with 7 to 9% grades. However our highways in the East are all in the 3 to 4K range above sea level so the downhill sides are normally only a few miles long. After having traveled in Montana and Wyoming with a truck camper a few years ago we witnessed some folks with large rigs in trouble. I'm buying the Mountain Directory before leaving and will try to avoid any really steep grades.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by pawpaw

We made the Utah "loop" last year. As others have said, there are several good RV parks, but they're not very close together.
We based out of St. George,UT for a few days, then Richfield, UT and finally Moab, UT. All of those locations are on good highways and they allowed us to park our TT and make day trips to the areas we wanted to see.
We're planning to go back next year. The scenery there is second to none!

If you consider St. George then add to the list of places to check out Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It's about and hour and a half drive from St. George and is spectacular. We were at Echo Bay on the north shore of Lake Mead back in April and spent a whole day at VOF. The web site for VOF is here --> Valley of Fire State Park | Nevada State Parks

Another stretch you probably want to avoid in the Zion area is on UT-9 between Mt Carmel Junction on the east and Springdale on the west. There are switch backs as well as the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel that has size restrictions. You can read about them here --> https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...mel-tunnel.htm

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Likes to tow

Just ordered a Jayco Eagle Ht 26.5 RLS and plan on a trip into Utah/Colorado next May on our 50th Anniversary. Need to know anyone's experience on campsites and roads in the southern part of Utah. We like to find a base camp and then take short road trips to see the sights. Don't really expect to drag this 5th wheel up and down mountain grades and prefer decent main highways for finding a base camp. Suggestions??

Since we get to see these on short trips... one of the favorites is Fruita Campground in Capitol Reef National park (No hookups). Plenty of sights in driving distance with the TV of a 5'er. If your TV is 4x4, then you can explore further and see more.

Next would be Arches National park in Devils Garden Campground - again no hookups but an amazing place to camp and visit. (not in the hot summer months)

[ZooSax]

We just did that area this past July. Omaha to Estes Park (Elk Meadow Lodge RV Resort) and did Rocky Mountain National Park. From there to Moab, UT (Moab RV Resort) Arches National Park. Then to Virgin, UT (Zion River Resort, our base camp for Zion, Bryce Canyon. Did not make to the North Rim). Back up I-15 then I-70 to Grand Junction, CO then CO Hwy 50 to Montrose, CO to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. On to Colorado Springs for Pikes Peak and then back to Omaha. 2 weeks and 3350 miles. You will see some amazing sights. Enjoy!,

[GScott]

Despite its name it is a great base camp. We stay at WillowWind RV park. Half hour to Zion or Snow Canyon and 15 minutes back to St George. About an hour up to Bryce. Good luck

[Gilm2113]

I would add Monument Valley to the list and Arches if you get to eastern Utah. I would also agree that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is outstanding but a very long climb to the North Rim.

[Murff]

Keep in mind, all interstate freeways are allowed to have no more than a 6% grade. Old U.S. highways, well, most were built where trails once were.

In Utah, I would avoid I-15 from Ogden to Provo (including Salt Lake City). I have driven professionally most of my working life and the people on this lonnnnggg stretch of freeway drive like morons with a death wish.

Murff

[marbles]

I have traveled all of it. Don't come between late June and late August. Too hot.
Eastern Utah
Devils Garden in Arches is fantastic. It is also closed next year for maintenance. They may open it early after paving is done. There are RV Camps in Moab with power and water. Arches is great for short hikes.
Canyonlands and Deadhorse Point are next door, within an hours distance. Make those part of the trip. We spend 4-6 days in the area every year or two.
Central Utah
Capitol Reef and Grand Staircase are much quieter than the others and gorgeous. Not nearly as many people but very pretty. They are within two hours of each other.
Western Utah
Zions is busy like Arches all summer and often spring too. It is incredible but go in the off season. Google will tell you when their peak season is.
Bryce is between Capitol Reef and Zion so could go either way. It is higher elevation so cooler in the summer. Lots of big pine trees, unlike the other Utah parks.
North rim of the Grand Canyon is quiet and very pretty. Plenty to see. Stay in the park or at Jacob's lake.

I pull a 5500 pound trailer behind my suburban. There are plenty of hills but I just slow down to 45-50 up hill and downhill is not so bad. The east side of Zion has a steep climb out. I-70 from I-15 to Richfield is the steepest I have seen for pulling a trailer. San Rafael Swell on I-70 in central Utah is beautiful too. Pull over at the rest areas in the middle of it.

Let me know if you have questions. I have camped and driven all over the area.