Feedback request on my Southern Utah group ride.

[Sock Puppet]

I'm organizing a little group ride for some friends this May to southern Utah.  I live in Farmington, New Mexico, so I have planned the following:

Day 1:  4-Corners Monument, Monument Valley.  Boring roads but great scenery.  Stay in Page, AZ.

Day 2:  Glen Canyon Dam, Zion National Park.  Stay in Cedar City, UT.

Day 3:  Bryce Canyon, Capiton Reef National Parks.  Stay in Green River, UT.

Day 4:  Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.  Stay in Cortez, CO.

Day 5:  Mesa Verde National Park.  Ride home.

I've attached a map.  Please give me your feeback and let me know if I'm missing anything.  I haven't been through southern Utah in over 3 years so my memory could be foggy.  Currently, we're looking at about 300 miles per day which is about the max if we want to see a few sights.  I'll take my ST2, but the other riders will be on Monsters so I can't ad many more miles to the trip.  

Also, one of the guys will be on an S4RS which has a tank range of just over 100 miles.  I'm not familiar enough with the entire route t o remember all fo the fuel stations.  If anyone can post up a site with that information, or knows it off the top of their head, I would really appreciate it.  Thanks!!!

[1KPerDay]

Looks good as long as you get good weather... May can still be early in some of the passes. Seeing as how we've had lots of cold but little snow this year you might be golden.

I don't _believe_ there's a stretch on your route with more than 60 or so miles without a gas station.

[Fred]

Looks to me like you're covering some of the best Utah has to offer!

I'd suggest you work Utah 128 into your trip to Arches/Moab, if you can/haven't already. A good portion of 128 is a curvy road that follows the Colorado between red rock canyons. In some of the vistas to the east of 128, you can almost expect John Wayne to come riding out.



But fuel range might be an issue....

So much to see in Utah it's hard to cover it all!

[Willie G]

+1 on adding Hwy 128 to your route.  I've never riden it on my bike but I have done it in a Jeep with the top down - it's hard to stay on the road while looking straight up!

 

[Sock Puppet]

Thanks, guys, I'll take a look at 128--I don't think I've even driven it in a car.  We're leaving May 20th, so the weather should be pretty good.

Any adivice is welcome.

[Sock Puppet]

OK folks, I don't think we can work Hwy 128 into the schedule.  Any other changes I should consider making?

[Clair]

WHy can't you work 128 into it?  An alternative for you instead of doing the whole loop is ride about 15-20 milesout and back.  You'll still miss some good stuff after that, but that'll give yu the steep canyon wall riding along the Colorado and some great view of the wide country after.  Figure it'll add between 40-60 miles depending on how far you loop.  Then back in Moab you have gas aplenty. Figure this will add an hour to your ride but well worth it.  You access this at the bottom of the hill, AFTER the entrance to Arches.  You'll cross the Colorado and then head east.

You'll need to watch your miles and stops if they have smaller fuel tanks, but should not have too much of an issue.  From Cedar City you'll seriously want to make a side stop at Cedar Breaks NM (you're basically going to almost ride right past it anyway).  WELL WORTH IT.  After that head toward Bryce.  If need be, go 7 miles into Panguitch for food/fuel.  If you go to Bryce, fuel up there.  If you honestly want to enjoy both the ride and the views, Bryce will take several hours.  Fuel up BEFORE you leave. In this part of UT it is always good to rarely pass up a fuel stop of the bike's have smaller tanks.  You're gonna be hard pressed to do Day 3 as you have it, in all honesty.  I would recommend staying in Torry Utah instead of trying to make it to Green River on this day.   Bryce should take you a minimum of a couple hours if you honestly take in the beauty.  Hwy 12 is fun to ride and very scenic, so great for photo ops.    Capital Reef is also scenic and should take you a couple hours to really enjoy.  Thus, staying in Torry allows you to enjoy this stretch a bit easier. You can then haul ass the next day toward Moab ... figure 1.5 hours to get there give or take (depending on your flying speed).

Day 4 is going to be tough to do as well.  Even ifyou opt to ride hard Day 3 to Green River,its an hour or so just to Moab.  To honestly enjoy Arches should take you 2-3 hours minimum and that really wont do it justice.  yeah,you can ride it out and back in an hour but what's the point?  you need to get off the bikes, go LOOK at things, experience the beauty.  If your bikes have a 100-130 mile range, top off the tanks at the top of the hill before you descend down into Moab.  Figure 60-ish miles inside Arches.  Canyonlands is not gonna be an easy thing to do.  It depends on what you want to see.  In Moab you can ride out to Dead Horse Point.  This is roughly 30-ish miles each way.  Leaving Moab and heading south you have the Needles District of Canyonlands.  This is about 25-ish miles south then anywhere from 35-70 miles EACH WAY after that, depending on where you go and do.  So watch your range.

Moab to Monticello is like 65 miles, easy fast ride and somewhat scenic.  Monticello to Cortez is about the same and somewhat more bland.  If you just do Moab to Cortez your bikes will have no problem.  If you opt to drop into Needles or any side roads, just watch your range.

[CDN]

Only thing I'll add is that if you can try to hit up Monument Valley just before sunset.  Not only will the colors be better (albeit in your mirrors as you head southwest), that would mean you've just come from the Mexican Hat Lodge with bellys full of their famous (thanks to Alton Brown) swinging 18oz Ribeye.   Good eats indeed!

If you've got the time, while at Mexican Hat swing on over to Goosenecks of the San Juan State Park as its pretty neat too.

[blakebird]

If you're staying in Green River, there are Motel 6's, etc off the east end offramp....and they're ok.
But Robber's Roost is a tiny mom 'n pop place in the middle of GR with $28 rooms, and walking distance to Ray's.


and you have to eat at Ray's if you're staying in GR.



(and do the 128 side trip, even if you hit it from Moab as an out 'n back)

+1 on the Goosenecks, and head on up the Moki Dugway too.

[Sock Puppet]

Thanks everyone, I'm taking all of this in and making a few changes!

[CDN]

...and head on up the Moki Dugway too.

+1 again for sure.  Some great views from the top looking back towards Goosenecks/Mexican Hat/Monument Valley in the distance.  If you don't mind 12 miles of gravel you can also do the Valley of the Gods scenic loop.  2 years ago in May I proposed to my sweetie there below Castle Butte    Its like a smaller version of Monument Valley but less frequently travelled.

[DangerMoney]

Also, one of the guys will be on an S4RS which has a tank range of just over 100 miles.  I'm not familiar enough with the entire route t o remember all fo the fuel stations.  If anyone can post up a site with that information, or knows it off the top of their head, I would really appreciate it.  Thanks!!!

I've ridden the section of your route from Mexican Hat to Zion NP. There's gas in Mexican Hat, UT; Kayenta, AZ; Page, AZ; Kanab, UT. West of Zion is Hurricane, UT which Microsoft Steets & Trips shows gas stations in.

I'd recommend getting MS S&T. It shows gas station, hotel, restaraunts among other things and is invaluable for trip planning. You can also make your own maps with it. The cost is inconsequential compared to the cost of running out of gas. You can usually pick it up at Costco for about $25 after rebate.

[Clair]

1 more point of comment about fuel ... particularly in Utah ... you can't always rely on gas stations being open on a Sunday.  Most of the larger chain ones will be (chevron, Texaco, etc.) or at least their pumps will operate via  a card.  But smaller ones may not.  More than likely you'll be safe but just keep that in mind if you are travelling on a Sunday.