Help Me Plan My First Trip Please! SW

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brp

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I am relatively new to the forum and want to say thanks in advance for the great resource here. I ordered an ATC Bobcat for my Tacoma 4x4 that I will be picking up on April 21st in Reno, NV if all goes to plan! On May 6th I will be running rim-to-rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon. So, from April 21st until May 5th I am going to be Wandering the SouthWest. I am from Minnesota, so I don't know what is good to see and do, for the most part.

I really like to get off the beaten path and do the quieter and less developed activities. High altitude campsites, logging/jeep roads, beautiful hikes and runs, hot springs, cool geological formations, archeology/history, etc. If you have ideas/suggestions/routes, please share them. I have a lot of experience camping solo, on foot, etc, so I can handle the more aggressive/remote stuff well. One of my concerns is that it will be the tail end of winter so I don't what will be accessible/open etc.

I have an Ansel Adams book that is giving me some good ideas to get started. Also, I will have my dog with me, i'm not sure if that really matters, but she can run/hike/swim any place that I can so it shouldn't really limit anything.

One odd-ball type of activity that i would like to try is metal-detecting for gold. I have heard there are places in AZ to do this on public land. I guess you might not be inclined to share if you know a good spot, but it can't hurt to ask.

Thanks again for the great resource.
 
I would suggest southern Utah.

You can spend your time driving or concentrate on exploring one area. It's easy to spend days in just a small portion of southern Utah and just scratch the surface. Since you will be in the area anyway take some time to explore the canyon country.

Late April and early May are the best times to visit.
Stay at the lower elevations and most of the roads in western Utah, St. George area area will be open. Plenty to see and do on the Arizona Strip and Paria areas. The way the snowpack in Utah is looking there will be snow in the high country most of May and June.
Plenty of free camping and you can get away from the people by avoiding the national parks. Get some guidebooks to the canyon country and plan on spending your time cruising the backroads, hiking slot canyons, backcountry camping.
Dsrtrat
 
Utah, with out a doubt. But since you are picking it up in Reno there are alot of remote places in central Nevada as well, and of course HWY 395 and the Eastern Sierras. You are picking a good time of year to wander.
 
I will have my dog with me, i'm not sure if that really matters, but she can run/hike/swim any place that I can so it shouldn't really limit anything.


You may find that the most national parks and many state parks will not let your pup on the trails. Also, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon may still be snowed in.

But as SunMan and Dsrtrat say, the low lands of SUT and NAZ are the places to be in early spring. If you go high, you could end up like Dirty Dog and Stew last May in UT. :(
R17es.jpg
 
The rim-to-rim-to-rim...? Oh man, good luck! My neighbor did it last year and she lost 6 toenails and couldn't walk right for a month. Tough challenge!

From Reno to the Grand Canyon, I would make time for Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Sedona, AZ and Anza Borrego State Park in So. California. Southern Utah on the way home to MN if at all possible... You should have good weather in any/all of those spots in late April & May.

I would highly encourage you to order the Benchmark Maps for CA, AZ & UT and any other states you might visit on your trip. They are a wealth of info for routes & activities.

Best of luck!
.
 
Is Rim to Rim an organized event? Usually the North Rim won't open until June. Some great trail running around Moab but as mentioned no dogs allowed on trails, not even allowed in the truck on the White Rim :mad: Hwy 12 is superb, maybe take the ferry across Lake Powell, Burr Trail. I used to guide students from Minnesota (St. John's) backpacking in Arches, Canyonlands, etc..
 
As others have suggested, I'd also recommend working your way through NV towards S. Utah. Either stick to the Sierra's and swing east before Death Valley (it will be too hot) or cut through central NV (Austin area) towards St. George. Everything out that way is your exploring oyster. Not far from St. George is Zion & Bryce, though you can explore the Escalante and the Kaiparowits Plateau with great freedom from crowds and rules. Then it's only a few hrs to the S.Rim. Benchmark maps (the state gazetteers) are the best, especially with Nat Geo recreation maps of particular areas.
 
Thanks for all of the info, that was fast. The event is not organized. There are a few guys I know who have done it between 5 and 7 times and it is just an annual deal for them.
One year they got turned away by the authorities because there was too much snow. There are going to be 8-10 of us this year. My toe nails have survived a lot of miles, more than a set of tires, so I've got my fingers crossed. This is my first year though.

I think I will invest in the maps that have been mentioned. It sounds like S Utah and N Arizona are the overwhelming favorites. Please keep ideas coming though, I have got a while yet to loosely plan things out. If anybody has any really detailed advice that would be great too. This road, that trail, this restaurant........

I went to Saint John's, graduated 2003. I probably know some people that you know!

It's great to have this board to receive everyones' advice, I will post details about the trip so that I can become a contributor.
 
I'd strongly recommend the one day river trip down the San Juan River with Wildriver Expeditions out of Bluff, Utah. http://www.riversandruins.com/

And while in the Bluff area explore the Butler Wash Road and Comb Ridge Roads and environs. A copy of The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey will familiarize you with this area.

If you are interested in cliff dwellings but not crowds check out Navajo National Monument. The "overload" camping area is private with much better views than the developed camping area.

Capitol Reef National Park's Catherdral Valley and Canyonlands' White Rim Trail are scenic wonderlands.
 
Thanks again everyone. I have been reading up on the suggestions and I am really looking forward to the trip.
 
Last fall, my husband and I took a 3 week trip through Eastern Nevada/Southern Utah. Her eis a trip report:
http://clikrf8.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/
and
http://clikrf8.wordpress.com/2010/10/

There are so many places to visit here. Your best bet is lower elevations of course. It all depends on what you want to see. Second the Grand Escalante from US89. Watch out for mucky roads if it has been raining. Nevada has a great state park called Valley Of Fire about an hour from LV. Take the scenic route that follows Lake Mead shoreline (you rarely see the lake) as I-15 is boring. Also, Snow Canyon state park right outside of St George Utah is gorgeous with lots of trails. Go early on a weekday or you will run into the OM people from the spas. Zion and Bryce are always beautiful but you have the crowds. Zion is better-more hiking and variety. Anywhere along US 89 that wanders between Utah/Arizona border you should find lots to see and do. If you are a photographer or even not, check out Laurent Martres' books on photographing the US Southwest. Many tips and advice.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=martres

Another second for Valley of the Gods/Monument Valley although it is on my wish list, I have never been there. Also, Canyon de Chelly is nearby for Navajo culture and photography.

Have a great time. Wish I could get back there soon with a new camper.
 
Sounds good. Things are still on schedule for the trip. I am going to be ordering some Firestone air bags soon and doing other things to get the truck ready. Thanks again for all of the info and suggestions. I will keep things updated.
 
I have got a little change of plans for the trip. I am going to be getting the camper on April 14th in Reno now and leaving Moab on the 27th. I am picking up my friend at the Vegas airport on the 19th.

Those are my only set times/places. Can anybody comment on things to do between the Reno / Sacramento area and Vegas in mid April? I was thinking Yosemite and Death Valley, not sure on specifics. I want to see The Racetrack.

Thanks again for the great site and community.
 
From reno take 395 south, there are primitive hotsprings around Mammoth and a campground with hot tubs fed from a spring in Benton CA. Eureka dunes is cool and if you are adventurous take Dedeckera canyon (see pics from last year in the trip forum) into saline valley (exquisite hot springs). From there you can get to the Death valley high country, the racetrack, hidden valley etc. The lowest parts of DV may be hot but the high country will be nice.

FYI bring chains for your truck, we can always get a late spring blizzard in the high country and chains may be needed for snow/mud in the backcountry. I'd just do the DV backcountry in your time from reno to LV, Yosemite will be inaccessible from the East and if you go in from the West you will have to drive back through Reno or almost all the way to LA to get back over the Sierra.

From LV I'd head to southern UT. Lots to explore, great camping and slot canyons in the San Rafael Swell, beautiful hike to great Rock Art in Horseshoe canyon. Comb Ridge around Bluff is nice for exploring and camping. Do not miss Valley of the Gods, it is much less visited than Monument Valley and is not on the Navajo Res so is much nicer in my opinion. Around Moab visit the Nat Parks but camping is much better (free and more solitude) on the surrounding BLM land, the Gemini bridges area is one of our favorites.

Make sure your tires are in great shape (I would recommend LTR's not P rated) take lots of water, good maps and have fun.

-Bill
 
Our DV trip is at http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3290/page__fromsearch__1

-Bill
 
Can anybody recommend a specific guidebook or map source? Kcowyo, I was looking at the benchmark maps, but they dont have the recreation map for AZ. Is
It the recreation maps you suggest? (there are also atlases and landscape maps). I've got Monkey Wrench on order. Thanks a lot to everyone, the trip is fast approaching and I can't wait.
 
Can anybody recommend a specific guidebook or map source? Kcowyo, I was looking at the benchmark maps, but they dont have the recreation map for AZ. Is
It the recreation maps you suggest? (there are also atlases and landscape maps). I've got Monkey Wrench on order. Thanks a lot to everyone, the trip is fast approaching and I can't wait.
 
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