Looking For Advice For Our June Trip AZ-CO-SD-UT

[AzScorpion]

Sounds like a great trip planned.
If you have the time on your way to Durango, I would spend some time in Monument Valley (great hotel there) and trip through the Valley of the Gods (dirt road) and Goosenecks State Park.

Thanks Kent! We passed Monument Valley the last time we went up there but didn't have time to stop. Thanks for bringing this up as we'll leave a little earlier to go through. Thanks for the other suggestions too I just hope we have time so stop at all. If not I guess I'll have to make another trip.

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[D Fresh]

We did the black hills a couple of years ago.

This restaurant is really good.


The Gaslight Dining Saloon
(605) 343-9276
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zuXTTja7H3oYyFKw5

Wherever you end up eating there try the Chislic, it's a local fried steak appetizer that is to die for.

Definitely do the Bear Country USA tour. Morning is best, animals are more active. If you time it right you can feed the baby bears, mid morning ish.

Sounds like the Colorado portion of your trip is pretty full. But you should try to to find time to meet up with some of us front range guys for a beer or 3. If you do I'll even let you workout with my tailgate.

 

[canyonslicker]

That was the time frame I wanted to go but my gf has to have her vacation days used up by mid July. She can only carry over so many and right now she has 5 weeks to many and she'll lose them. We were going to go through WY after leaving SD and head over to Yellowstone NP. The more I looked at it I felt like I was going to be pressed for time as we wanted to take our time and see most of Yellowstone.

So next year we're going to start planning earlier and I'm thinking when we leave here we'll head straight up north to Glacier NP just stopping a few nights to sleep. Spend a week there then head down to Yellowstone for another week or so then through ID and back through UT.

You may want to take Beartooth highway going into the north east corner of Yellowstone. A bit out of the way but worth if wildlife is your thing. The park will be packed that time of year. The Beartooth highway not so much..

 

[AzScorpion]

You may want to take Beartooth highway going into the north east corner of Yellowstone. A bit out of the way but worth if wildlife is your thing. The park will be packed that time of year. The Beartooth highway not so much..

Thanks Andy! I think we're going to do Yellowstone next year because we just won't have enough time on this trip and I don't want to rush. I will save this because I heard there's so much to do in and around Yellowstone including the Grand Teton NP.

 

[Radioman]

Leaving here we're heading up 550 through Silverton to Montrose then to 50 over to Salida where we'll spend the night. Any places of interest along this route?

Even though you stop in Silverton on the train, it doesn't allow enough time to explore the town, and since you are going up 550 anyways, I would stop again in Silverton and look around at your leisure. There are a few good places to eat there.

 

[Bob902]

Thanks Bob! We loved going to Bryce Canyon and will defiantly stop at Cedar Breaks, those pictures are great!! Is it as large as Bryce and should we plan on spending a whole day there?

No it isn't as big as Bryce. We did the trail that went down to the double arches, it was about six or so miles round trip. We also did another two mile trail that goes around the lake. We stayed in St George and drive there, about an hour. Did the two hikes and was in our way back by mid afternoon.

 

[AzScorpion]

We did the black hills a couple of years ago.

This restaurant is really good.


The Gaslight Dining Saloon
(605) 343-9276
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zuXTTja7H3oYyFKw5

Wherever you end up eating there try the Chislic, it's a local fried steak appetizer that is to die for.

Definitely do the Bear Country USA tour. Morning is best, animals are more active. If you time it right you can feed the baby bears, mid morning ish.

Sounds like the Colorado portion of your trip is pretty full. But you should try to to find time to meet up with some of us front range guys for a beer or 3. If you do I'll even let you workout with my tailgate.

Awesome suggestions Doug! That Chislic does sound good and I'll definitely be stopping there and the Bear Country tour sounds fun.

When it gets closer I'll message you and we can try and meet up, that would be great. Not sure if I'll have enough strength to lift your tailgate though, I've been dampered way to long now.

 

[Bob902]

This is where we had lunch on the lake hike. Climbed up on some rocks

 

[AzScorpion]

Even though you stop in Silverton on the train, it doesn't allow enough time to explore the town, and since you are going up 550 anyways, I would stop again in Silverton and look around at your leisure. There are a few good places to eat there.

We've been through Silverton on our trip in 2019 and it's a cool little mining town. We'll definitely be driving back up there before leaving because I want to walk around there again and do some off roading up there.

 

[Bob902]

We also did a hike just west of Denver called Chief Mountain. It was a shorter hike since you are able to drive most of the way. Only about a mile and a half walk. But, at the top you can see for miles. Look South and you can see Pikes Peak. As you can tell, we love our hiking. Now that I have this truck, want to add some off road driving to the mix.

 

[AzScorpion]

No it isn't as big as Bryce. We did the trail that went down to the double arches, it was about six or so miles round trip. We also did another two mile trail that goes around the lake. We stayed in St George and drive there, about an hour. Did the two hikes and was in our way back by mid afternoon.

That's great and Hurricane is about 20 mins east of St George so it's something we can easily do from there. Thx!

 

[AzScorpion]

This is where we had lunch on the lake hike. Climbed up on some rocks

Wow that's a great view for lunch! UT is one of my favorite states and I'm glad we're close by. It's on our short list for places to move.

 

[Bob902]

Wow that's a great view for lunch! UT is one of my favorite states and I'm glad we're close by. It's on our short list for places to move.

Have a great friend who is a DJ in Vegas. So when we went to visit, we would hike all over the Vegas and southern Utah area. Beautiful country and the pics really don't do it justice. Zion is still my favorite

 

[AzScorpion]

Have a great friend who is a DJ in Vegas. So when we went to visit, we would hike all over the Vegas and southern Utah area. Beautiful country and the pics really don't do it justice. Zion is still my favorite

We didn't spend much time at Zion on our last trip because it was so crowded. It was 10/2020 and everyone wanted to be outdoors because of Covid and the place was packed. We had a great time up at Bryce and a local gave us a few places to go so we had fun checking them out.

 

[Bob902]

We didn't spend much time at Zion on our last trip because it was so crowded. It was 10/2020 and everyone wanted to be outdoors because of Covid and the place was packed. We had a great time up at Bryce and a local gave us a few places to go so we had fun checking them out.

Unfortunately Zion does get packed. If you hike far enough up the narrows, the slackers give up. Then you get this

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