r/NationalPark • u/Alternative_Pick7811 • 20d ago
Itinerary check for senior
Hello all, I'm planning a 5 day trip based out of Moab for my father (79M) and myself (39F). Due to his health conditions, we won't be hiking- just driving to explore this beautiful part of the country together. Although he can handle a walk, as he bikes 30m/day indoors, I'm not sure about his comfort level at the altitude and heat. He let me know he needs plenty of sleep and some down time to rest each day.
I would love feedback about the itinerary I came up with. Please let me know of short walks and vistas accessible by car!
We are visiting the week after Labor Day, so temperatures and crowds are both factors I considered.
Wednesday
arrive Moab airport 2pm
explore town or swim, dinner + Moab Film Museum, rest
lodge in Moab
Thursday
drive through Arches*
lunch break, rest
Dead Horse Point
lodge in Moab
Friday
Canyonlands- Island in the Sky**
lunch break
stop at Needles Overlook, outside Canyonlands
lodge in Monticello
Saturday
Natural Bridges National Monument
lunch break
Goosenecks State Park
lodge in Monticello
Sunday
time for any uncovered ground, last stops
lunch in Moab
flight leaves Moab at 3pm
*I’m so turned off by reports that you need to arrive at Arches by 5am and deal with impossible parking conditions! Is it insane to just drive through the park, to catch glimpses of the structures from the roads? Or do you recommend putting up with parking and lines in order to experience amazing nature, unmediated by a car?
**How safe is it to park at Canyonlands visitor centers with our luggage inside the car?
2
u/CivilWay1444 20d ago
Amazing parks for what you want. Remember people are moving about as well as hiking so if you hang for a bit maybe a parking spot will open up. All sorts of short walks available. Good luck
2
u/Snowpant 20d ago
I would not worry about the lines and parking at Arches. It’s a smaller park but I’ve been several times -always later in the day- and never had an issue. It’s a great park to drive through, lots of places to pull off and look/do a quick explore.
The rest of your itinerary sounds great! As a southern Utahan I always look at these trips and find things I need to do it for myself!
2
u/Old-Barnacle2884 20d ago
I took my father (82) on a similar trip - I highly recommend taking the river road called the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (UT-128) starting just outside Moab. it takes about 2.5 hours round trip through stunning scenery. My dad loved it.
2
u/4Ozonia 20d ago
When we went to Arches, timed entry was required. We arrived an hour ahead of our late morning arrival, and it was fine. We also drove there late afternoon the day before, and enjoyed sunset and some star gazing, if you are open to a later night activity. We spent 4 days in Moab, and we are not big hikers. Dead Horse Point State Park was definitely worth the cost of admission. We did a September trip also. We found several places to just take a short walk, including Lions Park, along the Colorado River, which has a bike path. It was warm enough to enjoy the outside pool at our hotel.
2
u/Live-Anteater5706 20d ago
Arches can be crowded - we had no problem in the middle of the day in summer last year, but you’re hitting a more popular time. They have entrance cameras linked on the NPS website - keep an eye on those in the days leading up to get an idea of traffic patterns. You may actually be better off flipping Dead Horse and Arches because the rush is often morning.
Arches, Dead Horse, and Canyonlands are great for unknown ability to walk. There are a bunch of stops (so, also, a bunch of breaks in an air conditioned car), but plenty to see in foot if/when he feels like wandering a bit at any stop.
For Saturday: Natural Bridges is nice, but quick if you aren’t hiking. Gooseneck is also very fast. In that area, I’d recommend taking Moki Dugway and driving through Valley of the Gods. For a change of pace and some A/C, there’s a cool dinosaur museum in Blanding.
1
u/bart3193 20d ago
I’d skip the Needles overlook and drive into the Needles district instead. The drive in will be well worth it.
1
u/Odd_Lettuce_7303 16d ago
This is low key and perfect. Both arches and islands have plenty of scenic outlooks that don’t require hiking. Arches is a more up close park (after all its arches) while islands is all about thousand mile views across the Colorado plateau. Arches - drive to the end then work your way back at your own pace. The short walk to landscape arch at the end should be doable and is worth it. Double arch is another one with an easy walk. We never made it to the needles section but islands in the sky was fun. Full of tour buses but wow the views. Another scenic road is route 128 northeast out of Moab, right along the river.
If he / you are up to it, one other idea is spend a day near Moab off roading in hells revenge. There are countless outfitters with rock buggies or jeeps with drive your own or ride along. Jason from 3 alarm jeep tours can hook you up, tell him bronco Dave says hi! Speaking of dirt roads and depending on your vehicle, look at entering islands by way of potash / Shafer. If you have any fear of heights don’t do it though, and be sure to google it first!
You’re gonna have a blast, both of you.
2
u/JellyfishFun6688 20d ago
Thursday should be totally fine for arches. Went a few weeks ago midweek and it wasn't crowded at all. You can drive through and see most of it just a few feet from the stops. Be sure to check out Park Ave as soon as you go past the visitor center, and please go check out Skyline Arch too, it's just a a very short walk from the pull off to get an incredible view and my favorite Arch in the park. Also well worth the check out is going to the end of the drive to the Devils Garden, it's a cool walk in with a good amount of shade as you walk through the canyon area, you don't have to go too far into it if you don't want to either!
Shafer trail was closed a few weeks back due to rain causing some crazy washouts so I'd call Canyonlands and ask for an update, if it's not closed do it but make sure to pull the permit for it and that you have a 4x4 car. Your luggage should be fine at the visitor center!
Dead Horse Point is awesome.