Touring - my tour of Utah

over the summer im planning a tour starting in st. george, utah going thru all the national parks, then into colorado for mesa verde national park, then drop down into new mexico to visit some friends.
i have a tentative route and i was hoping people could take a look and maybe give some commentary on my road choices. things like shoulder size and traffic density, or if its a really bad idea to take certian roads. i tried to use the utah senic roads. i'll give a quick overview of the major roads here and also put up a link to a web page with more detailed directions.

starting from st. george i'll head to SR-9 thru zion to US-89 (will 89 be ridable on a bicycle?) into Kanab ( i also plan to visit best friends animal shelter near kanab)

from Kanab it seems to be a lot of different small roads up to Bryce.

from Bryce i'll take SR-63 to SR-12, SR-12 to SR-24 then SR-24 into Capital Reef NP.

from Capital Reef i'll get back on SR-24 to SR-95 then a few turns including US-191 to SR-211 to Canyon Lands NP

a bunch of different roads from Canyon Lands NP to Arches NP

i havent refined the route from Canyon Lands NP to the end, i'll be more concerned with time by then so i'm playing it by ear. but if anyone has any suggestions i'd love to hear them.

also if anyone has suggestions for other forums i might want post this that would be great.

heres the link to the detailed route directions, scroll down below the map
http://www.the-fiddlers-green.com/tour.htm

thanks :)
Mike

i decided to change the route from capitol reef to canyon lands some to cut down the miles a bit, i'll see how much time i have during the trip and maybe go back to the original plan. changes is reflected in the web page.

Should be fun if you don't mind the heat! Sorry, no road suggestions from me...

baker

yes i am a bit concerned about the heat, but have to take the time when i can get it. and the truthe is it gets plenty hot here, plus humidity. its 90+ today, so hopefully i'll be used to it and it wont be a big problem, in general its the hotter the better for me, but i guess we'll see. and with any luck i'll get most of the riding done early in the day.

Well, let's see...
Comments about heat are real. That area can easily hit over 110 degrees during the heat of the day (10:00-18:00) just about any summer day. However, you are right about it being a dry heat; I doubt you'll see over 20% humidity, maybe less---much less sometimes. Carry plenty of water as well. I've cycled that area myself, many years ago--like in 1983. Folks are pretty friendly and won't begrudge a cyclist the use of a spigot to fill up, but the towns can be few and many hours between.

A concern about the roads:
Find out what the policy is about the several mile-long tunnel in Zions park on 9. Very narrow and very dangerous to ride. When I road it, bikes were heavily discouraged but still "legal." I hopped a ride in the back of a Park Ranger's pickup myself. I'll bet you can't do that anymore; it wouldn't surprise me if bikes are now not allowed in the tunnel alone. I wouldn't do it if they were.

Yes, the ride up 89 should be no problem...except that it's a 2-lane, 65mph highway with not much shoulder in some places. Lots of goat-roapers in their pickups...but rideable nonetheless.

Highway 12 from Bryce through Escalante and Boulder up to Torrey is absolutely the most beautiful highway in the country...You won't believe the rocks. However, several of the hills you climb are real killers. Especially when it's 110 outside. I've grown up in Nevada and Utah and have tens of thousands of cycling miles in the desert in my day. Just let me tell you, that'll be quite an adventure to do that stretch unsupported. Between those towns, there's just nothing...no civilization more than the occasional, and I mean very occasional, ranch. But it can be done. Seems that every time I'm down there with the family, I run into a cyclotourist or two. Remember, there wasn't a paved road into Boulder untill the late '40s or early '50s. It was the last town in the US to have it's mail delivered by mule. I'm not kidding--look it up. That's some pretty desolate country. Beautiful, though...did I mention that enough already??

Torrey to Hanksville isn't too bad, rather beautiful in a different way. Many more farms, ranches, etc. Hanksville to I70 is another desert without anything...and not even much scenery to look at. Of course, your other option, 95 south to Blanding is longer and even more desolate, but much prettier. In my opinion, you're screwed either way.

Riding on I70 will be no fun. It's 75mph officially, but more like 85-90mph for most vehicles and many semi-trucks. It is the only paved road along that section; cyclists do take it. Seems like there are very wide shoulders, like most freeways, but with entirely too much gravel, glass, etc. The wind sometimes can get pretty hefty along that section. I wouldn't ride it myself. Green River is a decent-sized community and has all services.

191 down to Moab and through to Montecello and out of the state is very nice scenery as well, but again, 2-lane and 65mph. Lots of cyclists, though, so you get more respect.

By the way, there is no way to get from Capitol Reef to Moab unless you take 95 south or 24 north...no way at all.

In general, I would highly advise sticking to paved roads; I notice you've chosen some dubious "trails" from Kanab to Cannonville, and then again from La Sal out of the state. These are not places for you to be. These are serious Jeep trails, not anywhere a cyclist on a road bike wants to go...believe me. You might well die out there...and I'm not kidding. 4X4 junkies plan for years sometimes to travel these tracks and even they NEVER go alone. Stick to hard-surfaced roads, please...

Just a few thoughts from a guy who grew up in this area. I would have no problem with a supported ride along any of the paved roads myself, but I wouldn't be the first one to volunteer for an unsupported ride, and I would NEVER EVEN THINK of several of the routes you've chosen.

Sorry to be blunt, but I don't want to hear about you on the nightly news this summer...

This is a wonderful place to tour by car, but it takes some real planning to do so by bike.


over the summer im planning a tour starting in st. george, utah going thru all the national parks, then into colorado for mesa verde national park, then drop down into new mexico to visit some friends.
i have a tentative route and i was hoping people could take a look and maybe give some commentary on my road choices. things like shoulder size and traffic density, or if its a really bad idea to take certian roads. i tried to use the utah senic roads. i'll give a quick overview of the major roads here and also put up a link to a web page with more detailed directions.

starting from st. george i'll head to SR-9 thru zion to US-89 (will 89 be ridable on a bicycle?) into Kanab ( i also plan to visit best friends animal shelter near kanab)

from Kanab it seems to be a lot of different small roads up to Bryce.

from Bryce i'll take SR-63 to SR-12, SR-12 to SR-24 then SR-24 into Capital Reef NP.

from Capital Reef i'll get back on SR-24 to SR-95 then a few turns including US-191 to SR-211 to Canyon Lands NP

a bunch of different roads from Canyon Lands NP to Arches NP

i havent refined the route from Canyon Lands NP to the end, i'll be more concerned with time by then so i'm playing it by ear. but if anyone has any suggestions i'd love to hear them.

also if anyone has suggestions for other forums i might want post this that would be great.

heres the link to the detailed route directions, scroll down below the map
http://www.the-fiddlers-green.com/tour.htm

thanks :)
Mike

i decided to change the route from capitol reef to canyon lands some to cut down the miles a bit, i'll see how much time i have during the trip and maybe go back to the original plan. changes is reflected in the web page.

Zion should be ok apparently they dont let cars into the park in the summer anymore, just bicycles or the park shuttles. ive driven thru those tunnels before, and i agree it wouldnt be much fun with traffic.
i plan to only ride on paved roads, i didnt realize some of those were not paved. i havent quite got the full hang of using the mapping software, and i plan on doin more resaerch on the route( starting with posting here :) ). i'll also have maps with me and i i hit something unpaved i'll reroute.
thanks a lot for the response :)

my info on cars in Zion was not correct. during the summer they don't allow private vehicles on the parks scenic drive, they do however allow cars on rt-9.
there are free shuttles with bike carriers that go thru the park and they all have bike racks, so avoiding riding thru the tunnels should still not be a problem :)

Last time I was there (1999), the free shuttles only ran up into the main part of the park itself, not on 9 through the tunnel. Hope I'm not smokin' something...

I'll be riding part of that route in Early Aug - Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Grand Canyon.
If you're going to be there then, I'll see you on the road!

You nat'l park tourers might get some ideas on roads etc. from this guy's journal/route
http://wneo.org/gasp/
His goal was to visit every nat'l park in the contiguous U.S. Not sure I made it all the way through on first read to Utah but think I will finish reading it when I get a chance because it was kind of interesting in a unique sort of way.

Thanks for the link RWTD :)

Cycletrek, any more details on your tour?
I'm landing in St. George around noon on friday 06aug.
probably wont get a hole lot of miles in that friday by the time i get the bike together and everything, but i'm going to atleast get started. i've posted my general route. i'll be fine tuning the route in a week or 2, and i'm probably going to eliminate the stop in Kanab. i don't have a plan for daily mileage, just gonna play it by ear and see how far i get.
do you have a route planned out yet?

Hi,

The route you picked from Bryce to Capitol Reef is round about and you will still have some climbing to do on 24 without the benefit of the magnificent views that you would get if you just stay on Rt 12 from Bryce to Capitol Reef. That section of highway is (someone else said it too) The second most beauftiful stretch of highway in North America. First would be the 287 miles of Icefields parkway between jasper and banff, alberta.

rt12 will be narrow and slow at times but it has amazing stuff to see and good camping along the way. First thing is to able to tear yourself away from Bryce. You can ride your bike the entire length of the park and campsites are great, in the woods and if the moon is out, a midnight looksee into the canyons is a must.

Enroute to Torrey there is camping along the way at Escalante, calf creek falls, boulder(if you go off on the side road east toward the edge of Capitol reef park (deer creek campground I thnk) (ask at the restuarants in Boulder).

By no means pass by Calf Creek Falls, you can camp there and prepare for the straight up little climb on 12 the next day. You have to walk the mileage up the canyon to calf creek falls and take a swim in the pool below. May be the only place in Utah with a few mesquitos but the feed the trout you will see in the creek/river on the way to the falls! It is an Oasis in the desert!

When you leave boulder you will start climbing up to 11,000 feet on rt 12. This is Forest service land and many camping areas atop the mountain, the views go fo a hundred miles, you will have trees, pine and aspen and some cows and bear me oh my!

The downhill from the top will melt your brake pads, but seems to go on forever, and, other than calf creek falls and all the rest of the wonders you have witnessed since Bryce, you're bid pay off is this amazing downhill into Torrey. Restuarants and Groceries in Torrey and Motels if you wish. Last time I lived there, there were no groceries to be had in Boulder. Hanksville will be your next grocery store.

There is camping in the main area of Capitol reef, but last time I was there, still no showers, but the tent area was seperate and you camp on grass under fruit trees(They got about 4,000 fruit trees(I pruned about half of em)(apples peaches, plums and such) and you can eat your fill in season but have to pay for what you take off with.) They have a tourist road in capitol reef, a fee for cars, free with your bike, you should do it and take a few hikes, it is a highly overlooked park and that also makes it great!
You can swim in the river that parralels the road(24) from Capitol reef to Torrey. The rocks along the park part of this road look like something from a different planet(with trolls)! If you get a chance and can bum a ride with someone, go hike in the slot canyons for a day(the park info center can provide you with all the maps and details.

That was the boundaries of my little world back then, I was so busy exploring capitol reef, lake powell and boulder mtns and the Henry's(only really free herd of wild buffalo left-about 400) (BLM land). rt 95 from hanksvill is wide open and some great sights long the way. more later if you like.

MIchael
That I go much to Canyon lands

A sidetrip to Goblin Valley state park from Hanksville will be worth the trip.

Oh and please excuse the typos!

a huge thanks Michael thats some great info. I'm glad you included the swimming info as i was hoping to find some good places to swim while on the trip. it sounds like it's a great Bet to stay on 12 so i'll adjust the route. and if you feel like typing more later i'd be glad to read it :). I may not have time to use it all this trip, but i have a feeling it won't be my last to Utah.
and no worries when it comes to typo's mine are as bad or worse than anyone's :)

Okay, (installment 2 and probably final)

I leave for my trip tomorrow (wisconsin and neighbors through August. not as energetic as your trip but with two-new-knees, I thought I would retrain them gradually and feed them wisconsin pies!

By the way - when you get back home, get TOPO version 5, dvd, from Delorme mapping, Maine. Its awesome. You route yourself anywhere in 50 states and get profiles and 3-d maps of the tinniest road/trail, etc)

Bryce to Torrey.

correction, the rt12 up boulder mtn goes to about 9500 feet from the town of Boulder(about 6500 ft), the Mountain itself is 11000 plus. The climb from the south however, did not seem and ardourous as coming at it from the north(torrey). It is not all straight up and the top is rolly polly(the biggins). Boulder has many many lakes you can hike to(sister mountain of 10,000 lakes has none(they actually mixed up the names of the two mtns when survey was put on maps(no ****)! Enjoy the cool air up here and the tress, God bless the trees; cause you will be without many soon. (The are rattesnakes up there) Also Henry Mountains that you will see from top of Boulder, to the East, was last mountain range in U.S. to be named.(it's all BLM land and buffalo!)

Any water you see in streams should be purified. Cattle graze where they can, so nothing is for sure, even water from the falls. Others have already warned you of the high temps and lack of water, so you know what to do. I would suggest you get up early and travel till lunch and then be a tourist for mid day! Lots of spf30(no-add from wallmart is super)liberally applied several times daily)!

Okay!

The entance to Bryce.

First off, when you get on to rt 12 heading for Bryce, you will come to RED Canyon(you'll know it when you get there) Forest service and georous(just the beginning of the oooohs! and aaaahs!)

There is a bike trail that goes up the side of this canyon, you should take it, as nr 1 it's paved with blacktop, smooth, wide, scenic and too many people have been hit by car on the road through this section. It will be on the right hand side, entrance by parking lot as you get to Red Canyon facilities. Takes you to top of canyon and you get better views than if you stayed on the road. Granted doing this trail in reverse is more fun! I've done it both directions. From there the trail ends and road comes back but is wide, last time had shoulders and pretty flat to Bryce, just a few miles). Oh, you should say thanks to forest service for the trail, alot was put into getting it accomplished.

Bryce village, if that's what you want to call it, has services of all types and is very busy with autos, look out for'em, they're too busy spending vacation credit! Fortunately once you Get to Bryce Park itself, the pace is way way lower.

(park pass) Bryce, 3 years ago, was $25.00 for entry, Zion was 10.00 , capitol reff was $0. zip, nada. (you should probably spend the $50.00 bucks or so, if you have not already and get the annual pass. If you spend the $25.00 at Bryce you may not able to put that toward a park pass later!

cannonville & henriville, probably have some services, check ahead to make sure.

swimming - escalante has a reservior, dont know if they allow swimming there or not.
- calf creek at the falls.
-boulder mtn lakes ( a hike)
-Capitol reef- the falls on the Fremont River
- dont know shere else.

at Boulder, the side road east is Burr Trail Road, it is paved to the switchbacks atop ("the post"). there is camping I believe at Forest service (deer creek campground?????) down this road, ask locally how many miles. The switchbacks had not been paved last I was there(big stink on doing it and two fighting factions on the idea, bad politics either way).

You will see The water pocket fold and a large amount of Capitol Reef Park from atop Boulder, it is tucked in between Boulder Mountain and The Henry's (CR strectches 100 miles North to South but is Narrow). A good trail near the VC and campground is Frying Pan, a round trip hike will give you great views and many surprises.


Coming off top of Boulder you will breeeze by the Town of Grover, dont both to brake, there's only cows, it in name only these days, Torrey is your next stop. They have a Subway at the intersection of 12 and 24 and other restuarants to the left and probably ore by now, growing, Burger king is on 24 toward the park(they couldnt get in town limits) no one wanted em)! Pick up supplies in Torrey or take a ride west to Bicknell and loa via 24, it's the high country plateu and road is relatively flat. The is a campground in Torrey! Go left at 24/12 intersection and ride down through town, past the grocery(fresh bread) and go to the campground at the end of town, they have log cabins and grassy tent sites and great/clean accommodations and were relatively inexpensive. It would be a good treat for yourself after doing rt12! remember, no showers in Capitol reef. (unfortunately most national parks have inadequate bathing) (I think this is so you dont stay long!)

Capitol reef _ scorpions(the little white opaque type(moocho venom) and pygmy ratlers. I was there a long time and saw neither. but be carefule where you put your hands when hiking and keep your shoes in your tent at night!

Good trails, old mormon settlement, lots of good history and green grass(has it rined lately there!).

Captiol ref to Hanksville - nada on stores except used to be a camp ground(commercial** at Caineville, last water and food till Hanksville.

If your going to Canyon lands you have only two options from Hanksville. Someone already clued you in on using dirt road, he's very very VERY correct on that so dont even think about it!

The short would be go north and do Goblin Valley State Park on the way, the super scenic route would be approaching from the south by going 95 from Hanksville and take in much much more of the area enroute. Dont be in to much of a hurry to get to MOAB. It full of yuppie mountain bikers with espresso machines and tourists and if not for Arches NP(in my opinion) would not be worth seeing! Ha!

I guess installment three in a bit -95 to Blanding and Monticello(more than meets the eye) , I have to go do errands for a bit.

I leave tomorrow, so I'll finish this by tonight.

Michael

Part 3

Hanksville to Monticello--

Hanksville may be the only food stop. The is a ranch that used to have food & stuff bout 1/2 way between hanksville and hite marina(north end lake powell) but you will have to ask in Hanksville what left out there. You will cross a bridge at the north end of Lake powell, and condisdering the drought, it may not look too good. Always it will look muddy on this end of the lake. That's the silt coming down from the mountains. Estimate that it will fill up the entire lake in 500 years and then the dam at Page will be irrelevant!!! Dah! You might be able to get supplies here. again call ahead. The road from Hanksville to Natural Bridge is open and hot, the topping is usually pea gravel mix so not as smooth as we touring types like but that's Utah!

There is camp ground at Natural Bridges, whether or not there is a store (call ahead). Have I made it clear you will have to preplan this part really well! Natural Bridges and some of the rock formations on the way to it are pretty neat. There is probably only one ranger out there, it's pretty isolated. The road South (261) is relatively flat(top of mesa) that can take you to Mexican Hat or you can continue east on 95. taking a side trip on (261 S) out about 20 miles to the rim of the switchbacks is an awesome sight. There are primitve campgrounds along here also, but a day trip from Natural bridge would be feasible, out 20 and back 20. The idea is to stand on the rim of the canyon walls and look down into Monument Valley(just like in the westerns) and Valley of the Gods. again, especially if you have a moonlite nite, erieee! The switchbacks down the side of the canyon is pretty awesome. Last known was still dirt and rocks and they dont advise trailer and motorhome to traverse. Narrow and heart stopping in a car even. When you stand on top you are about 2000 feet or more above the desert floor and command a view of alot of prime navaho country.

You could go down the switch back, I'd walk the bike or bum a ride with a very sturdy driver, and go to Mexican hat. via a side road right through the valley of the gods(paved) then continue on relatively flat roads from Mexican hat to bluff and blanding using 191 and 163 and then on to Monticello. Could be hot on the floor there.???

if you go from Natural bridges and stay on 95 you will start having lots of ups and down through passes and washes and go through the bears ears and up to blanding and monticello.
Monticell has motels and stores and services.

By the way, bike shops for sure in Moab, I dont know of others.

camping in monticello is cool if you ride out cr101 west of town into Manti Lasalle NF and camp at the end (Sping Lake Dam area?) or better yet, climb the trail to NOrth side of Twin Peaks mtn and sleep up there. YOu see mountains to the East and your peering right down into the back side of Canyon Land Np to the west and north.(contrast of borwn canyon and green grass moutains is so cool)! anyway you can talk to NFS ranger in Monticello.

I went east from here to Cortez and the ruins and Durango(great hot springs for biker sore muscles and a good Contra dance community!

The biggest part of the whole trip will be the sensory overload you get from all that your eyes are taking in. In a car running down the road, it can be maxed out, but on a bike, rolling along at our speeds, it just keep filling you up and your hard drive is soon in need of cleaning!

You wont sweat much. Acually you will, you just won't see it on your skin, cept maybe on your head band. The air is so dry, no moisture forms on your skin. Some people take that as no sweat and avoid compensating for the dehydration. Drink lots H2O.

For all I know calf creek could be dried up by now with the draught, again, call ahead to forest service and inquire.

Your biggest problems will be keeping cool and avoiding the motorhomes on rt12. This is a tuff route on the legs but I take it you are a strong rider otherwise you would not be planning this trip. Dont expect to make too much mileage in a day on rt 12. Again, there is so much to see, you want to meander anyway. Travel early. It is awesome country and spring and fall have there own travel problems with snows in the higher elevations, so you have to go when you have the opportunity. I've been on Boulder in late spring when snow closed the roads. I would drive up from Capitol Reef(90 degrees) and get a snow fix on top of Boulder.

Okay, I've rambled enough. Good Luck. Send us all a report on your progress.

I'm outta here toward the land of Cheese and PIE!


Michael James
aka Chief Twonuneez

Have a great time Michael. again thanks for taking the time to type up all the info, you may want to think about writing up a guide book :). i know the info will be a big help to me.
o and i have my park pass :). also have Delorme Topo 5, but MS streets and trips allows you to export a map in HTML, and topo didnt(atleast i couldnt figure out how if it does) so i used MS for the map and directions.
Thanks again!!!

I assume you're gonna stop and sightsee? If not, you should at least consider it... Zion NP is simply amazing. If you can, bring some other footware and hike a couple miles into the Narrows.

siteseeing was my main reason for choosing this route. i love the national parks and this seemed like a great way to see some of them. just wish i had more time :)
i won't spend much time in Zion maybe do one of the shorter hikes. not because it's not a fabulous, it really is. but, i've been there before, and have'nt been to any of the others yet. i'm hoping to spend atleast a half day each in the others and more if time allows :) never enough time.