45

I must've confused the timing of this trip with that in another thread. My mistake.

46

Would the 250miles from Denver be a good starting drive, and stay over in the mountains for our first night out of the city?

Yes. Durango, Montrose and Pagosa Springs are the largest towns in the area, but none of these are "in" the mountains exactly. For a place to stay for a couple days, I'm partial to the tiny town of Ouray, with its spectacular views and hot springs. Some will no doubt prefer Telluride, which is a much larger town, and much more upscale, with equally spectacular mountain views. Silverton is right in the heart of the mountains, with high passes on all sides and steep mountains rising above the tree line crowding every horizon. Silverton is also the least luxurious of these destinations, with a slightly kitchy "old west" downtown block that caters mainly to day-trippers coming off the train from Durango, and the rest is decidedly down-at-heel compared to swankier upscale tourist towns like Telluride - I don't think this is entirely a bad thing.

47

By landing in Salt Lake rather than Denver, in practical terms you'd basically save a day. It would also be less of a hassle. Salt Lake has grown in recent years, but it still has only 40% of Denver's population but just as much road infrastructure, which means it's much easier to get through I'm not the Salt Lake p.r. guy, but if it were my trip and I had limited time that's where I'd start rather than Denver.

HAVE A GREAT TRIP

48

You mean landing in salt lake and skipping Colorado altogether? That would certainly save time.

49

Very keen on the San Juan Mountains and towns around there, so it looks like flying into Denver is the sensible option, although it does add a fair bit of mileage on overall.

The big question: is it feasible to do this route in the timeframe available (10 days + 2 at each end if wanted), or are we going to cut it too fine? Flights reserved (into Denver, out of SF), so the clock is ticking!

http://bit.ly/YoSxWB

P.S. You lot are a goldmine of information - will definitely be trying to pay it forward to others going to places I've been!

50

FlagStuff, that'd be my advice, given the time limitation. I know it sounds like I've got some grudge against Colorado. While it's true that Denver doesn't thrill me, and Vail reminds me of a Nieman Marcus store with snow, I've been in some great parts of Colorado. But the OP can't do everything, or at least (in my opinion) shouldn't try. So yeah, I suggest saving a day and starting in Salt Lake. But it's just my idea, not my trip. Different people will differ, and that's great.

51

Tickets booked!

Thanks again for your input all. Was invaluable in deciding where to go. We're now flying into Denver and out of San Fran, with 12 days of driving in between, and the following planned route. Feel free to comment on anything en route that shouldn't be or vice versa.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=denver&daddr=39.4226915,-106.1725762+to:US-550+S%2FMillion+Dollar+Hwy+to:Main+Ave+to:37.451056,-110.71149+to:36.6160195,-110.9843552+to:36.2282962,-112.0591054+to:Zion+Park+Blvd+to:Unknown+road+to:CA-168+W%2FUS-395+N%2FS+Main+St+to:37.8690048,-119.4290978+to:California+State+Route+140+to:CA-1+N+to:37.0067281,-122.1866128+to:San+Francisco,+CA,+United+States&hl=en&sll=36.783992,-121.721649&sspn=0.597222,1.352692&geocode=Fd9YXgIdcg---SnPFx8jqoBrhzHWNoon-PSOEQ%3BFeOKWQIdYO-r-SmhjOSOT4tqhzF5eone95pOPg%3BFSreQAIduhCV-Q%3BFUUKOQIdxfiR-Q%3BFTB1OwIdPq1m-SmNBOS4Z_U2hzEV29W0OlDVfQ%3BFVO3LgIdXYNi-SkHYZvCwlAxhzEqigFxqKoS3A%3BFcjMKAIdHx1S-SmDA7VZXW0zhzGN8ZMenMdnKw%3BFc10NwIdF8RD-Q%3BFcz9JwIdPtAi-Q%3BFZ7yOQIdqG7x-A%3BFczVQQIdF6jh-CnBx1vnAfiWgDGiFpPIPmTxxQ%3BFc_oOwIdVITZ-A%3BFZxlNAIdOG66-A%3BFYitNAIdjJS3-CmHSL0YV1uOgDF5ftyYiQ8vYQ%3BFVJmQAIdKAe0-CkhAGkAbZqFgDH_rXbwZxNQSg&mra=mivtw&via=1,5,10,13&t=m&z=7

Can't wait!

52

Win!

53

I'm curious about your "point D" on the map. Are you thinking that you'll see Escalante National Monument over there? Or Lake Powell? Either way, reconsider. That road does to Bullfrog Marina, where there is an on-again-off-again ferry across the Lake, as well as a campground and boat rentals. Other than that, there's nothing out there. There are (much) nicer places to camp, and other places you can spend your time more profitably - unless you were simply dying to rent a jet-ski for the day.

However, I can support at least part of that detour, as far as heading west to hwy 261 before turning south. Taking 261 down the Mokee Dugway is one of the great driving experiences in the southwest, and a stop at Goosenecks State Park overlook will be a highlight. Skip Bullfrog, but do the rest of this jog.

54

That's exactly the sort of info I wanted! The points on the map are fairly arbitrary at the moment (just put in so that the route followed the key points we wanted to get to), and is largely based around linking up the parks rather than getting to specific points within them.

A couple of questions in the context of this route/timeframe:

1) Is Canyonlands worth the additional distance in the approximate Durango-Goosenecks leg?
2) I presume north rim is the better option for the Grand Canyon given our route?
3) Which is the best/most accessible bit of Lake Powell to get to?
4) Should we try to add in Grand Staircase-Escalante or Bryce Canyon NPs as well/instead of anything?
5) What's worth seeing on the Hurricane-Las Vegas leg of route 15?

And once we get into California,

6) Where are the best places to stopover near/in Yosemite?
7) Recommendations for places to see/stopover between Yosemite and the coast (likely at Santa Cruz but happy to listen to alternatives!)

Thanks in advance you knowledgeable bunch...

55

It's a great place, but will be very hot.

It lessens driving and will be cooler.

There is much that is "accessible," but the real question is "why bother?"

Bryce over Lake Powell. No contest.

Valley of Fire.
And you'll really feel like it's on fire.

You might want to see if you can even get a spot there first, then figure out what is "best."

56

I'll have spread my comments over a couple posts. First off, about Yosemite. The place will be mobbed in August. It's close to the Bay Area, where 8 million people live. And Yosemite Valley just doesn't do crowds well, from everything I've ever heard. I was just there this past week, and loved it, but I think it's the archetypal off-season destination.

In fact, I suspect (but could be wrong) that you'll have a hard time even getting a reservation for accommodations in the park. If you do decide you want to go, now's the time to look. People will be advising you to avoid Yosemite Valley and go to other spots in the park, but the roads pretty much lead through the valley so you won't be able to avoid it even if you want to. If you do go, try to hit it during the week rather than on the weekend.

57

First off, about Yosemite. The place will be mobbed in August...I think it's the archetypal off-season destination.

With regard specifically to Yosemite Valley, I agree with this 100%. 110%. My one and only experience of Yosemite Valley was during August. My wife and I (then girlfriend, we actually got engaged on this trip) had just hiked for a week through the backcountry of the park and adjacent wilderness areas, and our route ended in the Valley. This seemed like a classic, climactic way to end a long trip in the Sierras, by hiking out into the iconic Yosemite Valley. Hoo-boy, was that ever ill-considered. The last day of the hike, the crowds on the trail got thicker and thicker, until it was quite literally like pushing through a shopping mall at Christmas. On one narrow section near Vernal Falls, we were actually pressed up against people trying to funnel through the constriction; as we continued we must have said "sorry" and "excuse me" 20 times a minute, as everytime we moved or turned, our large packs would thwack someone standing or walking in close proximity. Once off the trail, everything was a madhouse, people and cars everywhere, long lines for absolutely everything. I was very much looking forward to Yosemite Valley; but once there, all I wanted to do was get out. I'm sure my experience was extreme, being there on a really beautiful warm weekend in August, after just having spent a week in relative solitude.

So, yes, avoid weekends. My preference would be to spend your days not in the Valley, and experience the Valley during the relative calm of early morning and late evening, after the day-tripping hordes take flight. It is still a wonderful place, but in August you'll have be somewhat thoughtful if you want to have a positive experience of it.

58

1) Is Canyonlands worth the additional distance in the approximate Durango-Goosenecks leg?
I agree with bzook, and you have enough to do already.

2) I presume north rim is the better option for the Grand Canyon given our route?
Yup. Make plans now, there is limited accomodation near the North Rim.

3) Which is the best/most accessible bit of Lake Powell to get to?
Unless you're taking a boat tour, you will not see any "best" parts of Lake Powell. You'll get a look from the Page area, which is on your current route, and I wouldn't go out of my way even a little bit for a better view.

4) Should we try to add in Grand Staircase-Escalante or Bryce Canyon NPs as well/instead of anything?
Of all your proposed detours, Bryce would be the most worthwhile, by far. It is not far, and it is wonderful. You don't have enough spare time to make the trip to Escalante worth it.

5) What's worth seeing on the Hurricane-Las Vegas leg of route 15?
I-15 actually has a nice scenic section where it crosses the NW corner of Arizona. Otherwise, just get where you're going on this leg of the journey.