Need some help on planning Utah "TOUR"-weather in particular

[RKC03]

Vacation days accural getting ready to spill over the top (reaching maximum accural) NEED HELP in planning what month and time of month to visit the National Parks in southern UTAH, any and all advice appreciated....TIA      RKC03    

[fleetmechanic]

Late May is good except there can still be some snow falling.  After that it's pretty hot until late September.  Went out around Moab and Zion several times around mid-June and July 4th and it was usually over 100 degrees everywhere. and that was 30 years ago.  Probably hotter now.

[Memnar]

We ( 5 of us) did that tour last year on Memorial day weekend. About perfect weather. Mornings were a long sleeve t-shirt  and a leather vest. Bring sunscreen. We camped out and it was chilly in the morning. Bring warm clothes as it could snow or get really cold. And rain gear, but when it rains it pours, doesn't really drizzle.

I grew up in southeastern Utah/western Colorado and I feel thats the best time of year, or October.

If you go through Bluff Utah - north of Monument Valley, please stop at my friends place if you need to eat for dinner.

Its the Cotton Wood steak house. Serves a awesome steak for dinner. Lots of beer and the owner Rick owns three Harley's. He and his wife Dianne bought the place a couple of years ago as he got tired of the cooporate rat race.

post pixs when your done with the ride.
Erik

[Tow-Truck]

I went through last year in August it was red hot, or it seemed that way until I got to Death Valley! Fortunately I like it hot, so it was the ideal time for me. You'll be spoilt with all the great scenery.

[RKC03]

Be pulling a trailer, thought about camping "this" trip  , got heated gear and rain-gear, but prefer not to have to   use it    , want to go before big crowds, will tolerate moderate cold...  Just want the "Best" of conditions...thanks for these and future replies as I mull them over....  RKC03

[03deuce]

I would assume you could miss some of the summer traffic rush by going before the kids get out of school or after they go back.  Weatherwise, I would think that early September after the holiday would be the best.  The scenery there is awesome.  If you want to see the canyon at Zion National Park you have to ride the park shuttle, can't ride up the canyon to the lodge unless you have reservations to stay the night there.  If you have the time, I would catch the shuttle and check it out! 

[inspector]

We were out there the 1st of june,last year and the weather was great.

[blk-betty]

Wow - guess we got bad weather compared to some of you.

May 28 2008 - We rode up from SE Arizona on 163 into SE utah and stayed the night in Blanding.  We got into town just as it started drizzling and the temp was dropping.  May 29 - The next morning we left at 8:30 in the rain with temp of 37 and headed north on 191 to Moab.  After 20 miles and climbing in elevation temp dropped to 30 and rain turned to snow for about 10 miles.  Came down in elevation and by the time we go to Moab it had warmed up to about 50.  May 31 - Leaving Vernal UT in the NE corner of the state and heading north to Flaming Gorge it was again about 30 degress on the pass but no snow this time but plenty on the ground.

[OFBagger]

blk-betty ... I hit that same little snow storm on May 29 between Cortez and Monticello, had 1" to 3" of snow, slush for 60 miles, followed DOT snow plow for 20 miles around Dove Creek, 50* at Moab was a belssing.
OFB

[fxrp]

I agree with the above, go in late May, cool to cold in the morning in the higher elevations though.

You want a beautiful route, get yourself to Hanksville, UT then go west on Hwy 24 through Capital Reef National Park, beautiful place, really unique. Once you get to Torrey, UT go south on Hwy 12 through Escalante and Tropic to Bryce Canyon. I won't try to describe the ride on 12 but it is breath taking to say the least.

I took that route in 2007 and stayed overnight at Bryce Canyon. Bryce is pretty high so IIRC it was mid-thirties when we left the next morning.

Paul

[blk-betty]

OFB too funny.

We were heading north from Blanding to ward Monticello and by the time we got into Moticello the snow had stopped but it was still in the mid 30s.  It couldn't have started much sooner when we ran into it since there was just the faintest accumulation on the road that early in the morning.  Glad we got through before the slush, I think that would creeped this southern boy out.

[Norskie]

In '06 we went from southeastern WI and covered the southern half of UT.  We left WI in early June as we wanted to leave late enough for the CO mountain passes to be open yet early enough to beat the desert heat.  We had to reroute once for a closed mountain pass in WY.  At Bryce Canyon it was 37 degrees and pouring rain.  If I were to do it again I would go in the same time frame.  Southern UT is absolutely beautiful and going through the Black Hills of SD, then going through WY and CO were fantastic.  You'll love the trip!
Ray J.

[Memnar]

Wow - guess we got bad weather compared to some of you.

May 28 2008 - We rode up from SE Arizona on 163 into SE utah and stayed the night in Blanding.  We got into town just as it started drizzling and the temp was dropping.  May 29 - The next morning we left at 8:30 in the rain with temp of 37 and headed north on 191 to Moab.  After 20 miles and climbing in elevation temp dropped to 30 and rain turned to snow for about 10 miles.  Came down in elevation and by the time we go to Moab it had warmed up to about 50.  May 31 - Leaving Vernal UT in the NE corner of the state and heading north to Flaming Gorge it was again about 30 degress on the pass but no snow this time but plenty on the ground.

after reading your post I realized my ride was in 2007 not 2008. We had great weather in 2007. My mistake. Time fly's.

[Ironpig9]

 
My wife and I spent a week in southern Utah in early May 07 and found it wonderful (take your leathers, etc.). We road in from Colorado Springs to Moab. Avoid Moab on the weekends because it is packed to the gills. On Sundays it's a mass evacuation until the next Friday. The Canyonlands and Arches parks are right at Moab. Greenriver is just an hour north and has a good hotel (I think a Comfort Inn) and restaurant if you're heading that way. If you want to get funky plan a stop in Hanksville (SW Utah) and go to the Rockshop there (just west of the town I think). Very funky with cool rocks, dino bones etc.

YOu really can't go wrong in southern Utah. I would go in early May to avoid the heat and summer vacationers. If you go to Moab look up the Kokopeli Inn. It's a 1950's era small motel that originally was the Atomic Inn (when the area was a hotbed of uranium prospecting). Real simple but nice. Also, go south from Moab about 30 miles and there's killer ride off the main road (22 miles of single lane thru the desert) to a fantastic overlook of the canyons.

If you ride to the SW section hit any and all of the parks (Brice, Zion etc). The riding is great.

ALSO: if you contact the state's tourism dept they'll send you a nice mag and a good, usable state map. Whatever you do: HAVE FUN !!! It's a great ride.

Ironpig9

[1st Dyna]

I love southern Utah, but don't forget the north! There are some absolutely breathtaking rides throught the Uintah Mountains, imagine coming over a hilll, seeing beautiful Lakes with mountain Peaks, lodegple Pine with a sprinkling of Aspen trees, lush Meadows with Wildflowers in bloom-it is beautiful-