Capitol Reef / Grand Staircase

Bluestem

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We just returned home after 11 days out in canyon country South Central Utah. We decided when we planned this trip to leave our little Burro travel trailer at home and take the easy route with airbnb. The Burro is almost 40 years old and I would be worried we would either rattle the whole fiberglass body off the frame or break something trying to get it out into a quiet location. Our daughter has autism and we need pretty specific sleeping conditions to make a camping trip work and generally campgrounds don't work. It's either away from everything and everyone or in a house that is quiet and we can control the environment.

We did however take the Ranger which allowed us to get away from the crowds and see some country that most just passing through miss. I have wanted to explore this part of Utah for awhile and it certainly didn't disappoint. My wife tells me that it makes her stomach hurt when I start planning the next trip while we are still on the vacation! About a decade ago we also decided to concentrate our vacations on one or two locations and really try to explore the area instead of moving around every day or two. We still ended up putting 4300 miles on the Ranger but allot of that was just getting from N. Illinois to the desert.

I was surprised with how well the topper I built packed up, plenty of room for everything and my brothers Snowmaster fridge fit perfect in the drawer I built quick before we left.

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(Iowan Casey's plug and lunch break)

We spent 5 days around Capitol Reef:
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(Capitol Gorge)
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(Burr Trail)

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(Cathedral Valley)

And then spent 3 days in Escalante:

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(Grovsener Arch)
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(Cottonwood Canyon Rd)
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(Kodachrome State Park)


We have spent limited time in Utah so we wanted to see some of the main park features, we also spent a day driving and visiting Cedar Breaks and Bryce Canyon (which was horribly busy). When we return in the future we will spend more time out in BLM and Forest Service land. We found a few areas that were incredibly beautiful and we were the only people around. We will also hopefully be pulling an off-road trailer that I am still trying to figure out how to build out. Fabricating the truck topper (and it surviving the miles of rocky, washboarded, dusty roads we travelled) has given me the confidence that I can build a small off-road camper that suits our needs. It's just a matter of finding the platform and figuring out the layout.
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dtech

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If you thought Bryce Canyon was busy - multiple that by 5 and you have Zion. So glad to have visited so many n'tl parks out West in the 80s. , was able to do stuff without making a reservation or taking a shuttle bus .
 

DukeCanBuildit

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Hey Chris,

Going by how that topper looks alone, I’m sure any off-road trailer you build will be a worthy unit. Wow - so many memories for your family on this trip and so many more to make. ??
 


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If you thought Bryce Canyon was busy - multiple that by 5 and you have Zion. So glad to have visited so many n'tl parks out West in the 80s. , was able to do stuff without making a reservation or taking a shuttle bus .
Zion is busy, but the Narrows and Angels Landing is worth it!!
 

dtech

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Also, veterans can get a free national park pass!
I paid $20, getting it the year before they raised it to 80 or so. Well deserved perk for veterans and I'd support veterans getting preferred access to the ever increasing use of reservations for parks. I'm personally disgusted that one has to make a reservation to use a park, or get stuck in traffic jams behind people that rarely get out of their cars except to load up on fast food.
 

Bob902

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I paid $20, getting it the year before they raised it to 80 or so. Well deserved perk for veterans and I'd support veterans getting preferred access to the ever increasing use of reservations for parks. I'm personally disgusted that one has to make a reservation to use a park, or get stuck in traffic jams behind people that rarely get out of their cars except to load up on fast food.
no argument from me!!! Too much to see to just stay in your car. Reservations are crazy. Keep further comments to myself?
 

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That is a fantastic trip. I am very jealous. I plan on doing a similar trip next year with my tent trailer. It's built for off road with large tires and off the grid with solar power and two propane tanks. Very awesome and thanks for the pictures.
 
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Bluestem

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Also, veterans can get a free national park pass!
The National Park system also offers a free park pass to people with disabilities, which our daughter qualifies for. We always donate money in the visitor center though.
 
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Bluestem

Bluestem

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If you thought Bryce Canyon was busy - multiple that by 5 and you have Zion. So glad to have visited so many n'tl parks out West in the 80s. , was able to do stuff without making a reservation or taking a shuttle bus .
Yeah, we have been lucky enough to visit Zion and Arches before they got swamped as well. Although our Arches trip was pretty miserable weather wise. I'm glad we got to Zion before it got real busy because I'm not sure I or my daughter would ride to well on the shuttles!

There's so many absolutely stunning places to see off the beaten path in Utah. I think we could spend 2 or 3 weeks a year out there for a decade and still not be satisfied.
 
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Bluestem

Bluestem

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Hey Chris,

Going by how that topper looks alone, I’m sure any off-road trailer you build will be a worthy unit. Wow - so many memories for your family on this trip and so many more to make. ??
It turned out well, it leaked dust a bit(what topper doesn't) and only a bit of water got in driving through heavy rain across Iowa( which I think came in through the gaping holes in the bed!). I really copied the idea from Ripcords camper build over on Tacoma world (sorry for the curse word!) with some modifications. There's no way our daughter would sleep in a RTT so I knew that idea was out immediately.

I'll start any trailer build when I can find a cheap trailer platform on Fbook marketplace or craigslist.
 
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Bluestem

Bluestem

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That is a fantastic trip. I am very jealous. I plan on doing a similar trip next year with my tent trailer. It's built for off road with large tires and off the grid with solar power and two propane tanks. Very awesome and thanks for the pictures.
Thanks Mark, I should thank my wife as well, I'm terrible at taking and remembering to take pictures so these are all hers. I will definitely be adding solar to an off road camper.
 

Mighty Little Blue

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If you thought Bryce Canyon was busy - multiple that by 5 and you have Zion. So glad to have visited so many n'tl parks out West in the 80s. , was able to do stuff without making a reservation or taking a shuttle bus .
Best time to go to either Bryce Canyon or Zion is Feb. A lot less crowded, and you get beautiful weather.
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