June southern Utah trip

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

Hi all,

My wife and I are working on planning a trip with our pooch to southern Utah in early June. We know about the "issues" with dogs in several of the national parks so will be avoiding or only passing through some of them.

We are most interested in areas to primitive camp or where outdoor activities/hiking etc. can be done w/ the dog. She is good at staying close by unleashed, but we will probably keep her leashed so she doesn't "bust the crust" or wander off some cliffside! We have a few ideas in mind, but are also interested in areas that others think are "must sees."

One of the areas that sounds promising for dogs is Manti-la Sal National Forest near Natural Bridges National Monument. If anyone has any information or insight on this area it would be much appreciated. I'm sure more areas will come up as our research continues.

Thanks for your input.

Kyle

 

[brett13]

I have tons of ideas for you. Starting with the Manti-LaSal, you can primitive camp just about anywhere in any direction around it. South of Bridges, the plateau is juniper/pinyon forest for about 25 miles before ending. And I mean ending- the plateau just ends and a cliff drops about a mile vertically to Valley of the Gods (hot in June)- which is like monument valley. On the plateau, there are a variety of roads and camping and some great hiking. There are a number of cliff dwellings to hike and slot canyons too- lots of great stuff all in the same area. Comb Ridge and wash are nearby. You can get gas, food and showers in Bluff or Blanding. PM me if you want more info.