Paria Canyon Roads

[Ronin]

Hi All,

Planning a quick trip 9 day trip to Eastern Nevada and Escalante starting Thanksgiving Day. Plan is to drive to Valley of Fire or Gold Buttes for 2 nights. Hit Zion NP next and weather permitting spend a couple of nights in Paria Canyon area. I'm looking for advice on driving into Coyote Buttes, House Rock Road, and Buckskin Gulch. I'll be going solo, so I'm looking for some really easy gravel/dirt roads that I won't have to worry about getting stuck. If there's any rain I'll probably forego this area and head up to Capitol Reef before wandering back home. My rig is a 2014 Tundra 4x4 with no suspension or drivetrain upgrades.

Open to any suggestions on great places to hit in Paria/Vermillion Cliffs.

Thanks!!

 

[rruff]

I can't help you... haven't been to Vermillion Cliffs, but it looks awesome! N AZ and S UT is such a beautiful area. I worked at Bryce a couple seasons, and have been all around there. So many interesting places to explore and not overrun. Good luck!

 

[Cayuse]

House Rock is a pretty easy road and the road from there over Buckskin Mtn to 89A is pretty as well. Cottonwood Canyon Rd is also worth exploring if you have the time.

Hole in the Rock Rd outside Escalante is another option.

Tuweep would be a possibility, I've been in there with my Tundra a couple times now and it's pretty straight forward but permit is required to camp. You can get a permit at the BLM office in St George if there are spots available on short notice.

As you said weather will be the big factor, BLM offices in Kanab or Escalante will have road reports available but they aren't always current.

 

[OutToLunch]

I echo what Cayuse said.

 

[Ronin]

House Rock is a pretty easy road and the road from there over Buckskin Mtn to 89A is pretty as well. Cottonwood Canyon Rd is also worth exploring if you have the time.

Hole in the Rock Rd outside Escalante is another option.

Tuweep would be a possibility, I've been in there with my Tundra a couple times now and it's pretty straight forward but permit is required to camp. You can get a permit at the BLM office in St George if there are spots available on short notice.

As you said weather will be the big factor, BLM offices in Kanab or Escalante will have road reports available but they aren't always current.

Great info - is House Rock Rd a graded dirt/gravel road all the way down to 89A? Looks like around 30 miles from 89 to 89A - trying to judge how long it would take. Looks like an interesting route to Marble Cny/Lee's Ferry. Thanks!!

 

[Cayuse]

Great info - is House Rock Rd a graded dirt/gravel road all the way down to 89A? Looks like around 30 miles from 89 to 89A - trying to judge how long it would take. Looks like an interesting route to Marble Cny/Lee's Ferry. Thanks!!

House Rock is graded on occasion. There are a couple washes to cross as well. Stateline Campground is a nice spot to spend a night.

 

[Durango1]

Zion NP is incredible but so are the crowds. It is the only place on a hiking trail where I had to look both ways and "merge" into the stream of walkers. I haven't been to Bryce, etc but my guess is all NP's are the same. I'm just saying...

 

[Ronin]

Rough plans are coming together thanks to everyone's info. Looks like it'll be 1 day split between Valley of Fire/Gold Buttes, 1 day/night in Zion's Northern Kolob Canyon ( I've hiked the Narrows, Angels Landing and other trails in Southern Section back in the 90s), 2 days and a night driving down Rock House Road to 89A ( hikes in Coyote Buttes) to Lee's Ferry area and on to Kodachrome. At this point I haven't decided whether to drive up Cottonwood Canyon Road or stick to the pavement and do what looks like a longer loop up to Kodachrome. Looks to be about a 50 mile drive on Cottonwood Rd so again I need some advice on how long of a drive this would be. From Kodachrome head to Escalante and Boulder and explore Hole in The Rock Rd. Head back to home from here - plan is to head to Spencer Hot Spgs for a night before the trek across Nevada. Yikes - this sounds way too busy; fortunately I could extend this trip a day or two.

 

[Cayuse]

Yes to Cottonwood unless there's been rain. There are some great campsites along the road and some good hikes.

I would take pavement down 89A to Lee's Ferry if you want to see that then coming back fill with gas in Jacob Lake and pick up House Rock northbound and then Cottonwood from there as it isn't that far from the House Rock-89 junction to Cottonwood. There are some other options going across and up through Page and back to Cottonwood if you want to go south on House Rock.

 

[CougarCouple]

Ronin
Check out the Lost City museum in Overton you can get to it from the west exit of the VoF park. There is also dispersed camping as you come in to Overton from the direction. Real nice views but if windy no cover. There is also some great dispersed close to Logandale in the Logandale trails system.

Russ

Logandale trail system off of Moapa road turn south on Liston follow to dirt cross over the RR tracks. Stay on this dirt road don't turn off, past the concrete pad on down past the pit toilets. You will come to where it opens up follow on around to the right find a spot along the canyon plenty of spots..

 

[Ronin]

Ronin
Check out the Lost City museum in Overton you can get to it from the west exit of the VoF park. There is also dispersed camping as you come in to Overton from the direction. Real nice views but if windy no cover. There is also some great dispersed close to Logandale in the Logandale trails system.

Russ

Logandale trail system off of Moapa road turn south on Liston follow to dirt cross over the RR tracks. Stay on this dirt road don't turn off, past the concrete pad on down past the pit toilets. You will come to where it opens up follow on around to the right find a spot along the canyon plenty of spots..

Thanks- will check it out!!

 

[Ronin]

Yes to Cottonwood unless there's been rain. There are some great campsites along the road and some good hikes.

I would take pavement down 89A to Lee's Ferry if you want to see that then coming back fill with gas in Jacob Lake and pick up House Rock northbound and then Cottonwood from there as it isn't that far from the House Rock-89 junction to Cottonwood. There are some other options going across and up through Page and back to Cottonwood if you want to go south on House Rock.

More food for thought..hmmm! I don't want to drive both House Rock and Cottonwood the same day. If I knew I could camp at Stateline going northbound (after Lee's Ferry)I could hit Coyote Buttes in the AM and then drive up Cottonwood to Kodachrome. Stateline only has 4-8 campsites - are there other options for boondocking near Coyote Buttes if campground is full??

 

[takesiteasy]

Ronin, we did some of your trip last October (also on good advice from Cayuse). We drove from Tuweep to Kodachrome in one day with a couple of short stops- wished we had more time. Cottonwood Canyon is worth the trip unless there is rain as Cayuse mentioned- the road turns to glop when wet. Along the way there are lots of boondock sites in the National Forest and Cottonwood Canyon.

Although our campsite at Kodachrome wasn't ideal, it is a great park (with nice hot showers).

You can read our report here (the Cottonwood Canyon part starts about halfway through after Tuweep): http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-2.html

 

[Ronin]

Ronin, we did some of your trip last October (also on good advice from Cayuse). We drove from Tuweep to Kodachrome in one day with a couple of short stops- wished we had more time. Cottonwood Canyon is worth the trip unless there is rain as Cayuse mentioned- the road turns to glop when wet. Along the way there are lots of boondock sites in the National Forest and Cottonwood Canyon.

Although our campsite at Kodachrome wasn't ideal, it is a great park (with nice hot showers).

You can read our report here (the Cottonwood Canyon part starts about halfway through after Tuweep): http://travelswithrockythedog.blogspot.com/2016/10/north-rim-and-southern-utah-part-2.html

Thanks for the info - Pine Lake CG looks like a place to consider vs Kodachrome. Like you, I'll be wishing I have more time to explore the incredible places that I know I'll be driving through. Great pics of your trip - can't wait to see it all myself!!