Django, This is part one of many replies I'm drafting...LOTS to cover so I'll start with CAMPING: In the USA camping can be done in many areas. There are two types of camping. Developed Camping and Primitive camping. Out west we have both in abundance. You can camp in developed campgrounds such as Kamp Grounds of America (KOA), in National Forest Developed Campground sites, In National Monuments in developed sites and so forth. Zion and Bryce Nat Parks both have developed camping. Developed means a picnic site with a fire ring (parks usually provide firewood unless there's a ban due to dry weather. You'll have a picnic table with a shade cover (usually) and there will be vault toilets or actual flushing toilets with showers and possibly other amenities. In June expect it to be HOT in southern Utah with lots of people milling around in the camp sites in the national parks located in Utah. We have in the USA land owned by the public under the designation of Burau of Land Management (BLM). That land in most cases has open, primitive camping. Meaning you can camp wherever you please without restriction.
To me KOA is the least desirable place to camp. It's a franchise operated campground with small spaces and lots of people (usually boy scouts) making noise until whatever hour in the night.
During the summer the national parks are usually booked for most sites that will take reservations. However, they keep a small number available on a first come basis. Coincidentally I got one of these in Zion when my cousin from Bonn was visiting and it was actually ok. People in the campground were respectful and we slept well (I was in truck and carried a lot of gear like cots and so forth).
Primitive camping is abundant in parts of California, Nevada and Utah and possibly in parts of Colorado (Long Ranger will weigh in on this). If it was me I'd bring an ultralight tent, sleeping bag rated to about 32 degrees, a small camp stove and some ultralight cooking gear. if you have the space. Out west you could get a lot of use out of it. West meaning anything up to Colorado.
I plan to meet up with you and remote camp maybe 1/2 nites. If we do that and you don't have the gear I will. I'll just need to know it in advance so I can bring yours. Possibly at Natural Bridges National Monument (Natural Bridges National Monument became the first International Dark Sky Park certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.) This part of the USA has EPIC horizon to horizon night sky views of the Milky Way.
About our weather. In June it's HOT, did I mention that already? I would refrain from wearing gear that's all black....Ironically as I write this I'm looking out of the garage bay door and snow is blowing sideways at close to white-out conditions...more to come shortly
Your route through Utah: Looks like you will come in from the east into Zion. That's the route I would recommend.
*Anything with an asterixis you should google for pictures of said place.
*Zion: Come early in the afternoon and you could get one of the first come first served spots. someone once asked me what the difference is between Zion and Bryce. I explained it like this. In Zion you spend all your time looking up and in Bryce you spend all your time looking down. The MUST DO portion of Zion is *The Narrows. The classic way to do them is from the top down but that's prohibitive for you based on your schedule. However, once in the park you can get to *The Mouth of The Narrows and hike upstream against the current a ways for pictures and to cool off and that will give a great perspective of the scale of the canyon the Virgin River has cut through this sandstone. The next must do is the drive through the park and you will do that by default. There are many places to pull out on to take pics and there are some spots with hiking trails to view points. Lastly, *Angels Landing. A steep climb with some exposure at the top. Panoramic views of the main canyon will be the pay-off. It will be crowded and if you have even a moderate fear of heights I'd recommend not doing it. Close to the top there are chains to grab.
The drive into Bryce is pretty picturesque as you get closer to it and see some of the red sandstone formations in advance. I like Bryce but I'm not as taken by it as some folks. One of my favorite spots isn't even in the park, it's to the left just before the main gate on a road called *Fairyland Point Road. Drive to the end of it, park and walk the trail(s) out there and you stand a good chance of missing a lot of the crowds. I suppose because this is a bucket lister for you you'll need to make the loop through the park. One of the hassles of Nat parks during the tourist season is finding parking. Because you're on a bike this will be significantly reduced for you.
East of Bryce, on *Highway 12 is where I believe the most scenic portion of Utah lies. I'd like to meet up with you in the town of *Escalante early in the morning (that's a date I need because I'll be planning a few things around it). We will do a morning hike to *Lower Calf Creek Falls (6 miles round trip on foot through a canyon east of Escalante)I'll be on my bike at that point and will have a truck and trailer with ATV's parked east of *Capitol Reef that we will travel to for one night of camping off the atv's on a 2,000 cliff miles from nowhere. After that we come back to town the next morning for breakfast at a restaurant. Drop the atv's off and pick up the bikes and head south for a route around the north end of *Lake Powell via ferry to the east side, then along some striking and VERY remote sandstone byways. Stopping at non-technical slot canyons for short hikes, canyon overlooks and a 1,200 year old native American *Anasazi ruin. We will do about 240 miles on this day We would end up where we started and spend the night in a hotel, Beyond that I can't plan because I need the date we would meet in Escalante but *Moab would probably be next.
Some of this route is available under the seat time section with a lot of pictures I posted. You might want to look it up.
To me KOA is the least desirable place to camp. It's a franchise operated campground with small spaces and lots of people (usually boy scouts) making noise until whatever hour in the night.
During the summer the national parks are usually booked for most sites that will take reservations. However, they keep a small number available on a first come basis. Coincidentally I got one of these in Zion when my cousin from Bonn was visiting and it was actually ok. People in the campground were respectful and we slept well (I was in truck and carried a lot of gear like cots and so forth).
Primitive camping is abundant in parts of California, Nevada and Utah and possibly in parts of Colorado (Long Ranger will weigh in on this). If it was me I'd bring an ultralight tent, sleeping bag rated to about 32 degrees, a small camp stove and some ultralight cooking gear. if you have the space. Out west you could get a lot of use out of it. West meaning anything up to Colorado.
I plan to meet up with you and remote camp maybe 1/2 nites. If we do that and you don't have the gear I will. I'll just need to know it in advance so I can bring yours. Possibly at Natural Bridges National Monument (Natural Bridges National Monument became the first International Dark Sky Park certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.) This part of the USA has EPIC horizon to horizon night sky views of the Milky Way.
About our weather. In June it's HOT, did I mention that already? I would refrain from wearing gear that's all black....Ironically as I write this I'm looking out of the garage bay door and snow is blowing sideways at close to white-out conditions...more to come shortly
Your route through Utah: Looks like you will come in from the east into Zion. That's the route I would recommend.
*Anything with an asterixis you should google for pictures of said place.
*Zion: Come early in the afternoon and you could get one of the first come first served spots. someone once asked me what the difference is between Zion and Bryce. I explained it like this. In Zion you spend all your time looking up and in Bryce you spend all your time looking down. The MUST DO portion of Zion is *The Narrows. The classic way to do them is from the top down but that's prohibitive for you based on your schedule. However, once in the park you can get to *The Mouth of The Narrows and hike upstream against the current a ways for pictures and to cool off and that will give a great perspective of the scale of the canyon the Virgin River has cut through this sandstone. The next must do is the drive through the park and you will do that by default. There are many places to pull out on to take pics and there are some spots with hiking trails to view points. Lastly, *Angels Landing. A steep climb with some exposure at the top. Panoramic views of the main canyon will be the pay-off. It will be crowded and if you have even a moderate fear of heights I'd recommend not doing it. Close to the top there are chains to grab.
The drive into Bryce is pretty picturesque as you get closer to it and see some of the red sandstone formations in advance. I like Bryce but I'm not as taken by it as some folks. One of my favorite spots isn't even in the park, it's to the left just before the main gate on a road called *Fairyland Point Road. Drive to the end of it, park and walk the trail(s) out there and you stand a good chance of missing a lot of the crowds. I suppose because this is a bucket lister for you you'll need to make the loop through the park. One of the hassles of Nat parks during the tourist season is finding parking. Because you're on a bike this will be significantly reduced for you.
East of Bryce, on *Highway 12 is where I believe the most scenic portion of Utah lies. I'd like to meet up with you in the town of *Escalante early in the morning (that's a date I need because I'll be planning a few things around it). We will do a morning hike to *Lower Calf Creek Falls (6 miles round trip on foot through a canyon east of Escalante)I'll be on my bike at that point and will have a truck and trailer with ATV's parked east of *Capitol Reef that we will travel to for one night of camping off the atv's on a 2,000 cliff miles from nowhere. After that we come back to town the next morning for breakfast at a restaurant. Drop the atv's off and pick up the bikes and head south for a route around the north end of *Lake Powell via ferry to the east side, then along some striking and VERY remote sandstone byways. Stopping at non-technical slot canyons for short hikes, canyon overlooks and a 1,200 year old native American *Anasazi ruin. We will do about 240 miles on this day We would end up where we started and spend the night in a hotel, Beyond that I can't plan because I need the date we would meet in Escalante but *Moab would probably be next.
Some of this route is available under the seat time section with a lot of pictures I posted. You might want to look it up.
