Community Forums

happy2rv · 08-05-2020, 11:37 AM

We are considering a 2 week October trip with about a week in Utah mostly to see the big 5. Might consider a stop at the Grand Canyon before or after Utah. Problem is we haven't been able to nail down specific dates yet and haven't planned a specific itinerary.

I realize October is considered peak season in Utah. So I'm wondering how soon I need to make reservations. In a normal year, I would think I probably should have already made reservations, bu given everything that's going on right now I'm not sure. Would it be the pinnacle of absurdity to travel without reservations this year?

I poked around a little bit yesterday and most places still have sites open right now.

I'm not tied to any specific parks, but I do hope to find decent full hookup sites. We aren't really set up for boon docking. We could manage for a day or two, but no more.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

profdan · 08-05-2020, 04:22 PM

I would not call it absurd to go without reservations, but yes, there is a risk that this year will be very busy -- there is no way to know what will happen. Obviously, early October is busier than late October. Zion will be busier than (say) Kodachrome State Park.

For whatever it is worth, we often travel through Utah without reservations in October and have had no problem finding a vacancy. We rarely stay at RV parks, except when trying to make a lot of miles per day (at the beginning and end of each trip). The further you are from Salt Lake and the whole I-15 corridor, the easier it should be to get a space.

And, of course, there is often boondocking available, if you are feeling adventurous!

I realize that this is not a hard-and-fast answer to your question, but it is the best I can do. Bottom line -- if your plans are flexible, you should be ok: "Moab too busy? Then let's go to Capitol Reef!"

happy2rv · 08-05-2020, 08:02 PM

Thanks for the input. We are thinking something around Moab, for several days. We're still trying to nail down time off from being "essential". Probably 2nd week of October. Moab is around 1600 miles from home and I'm not sure how many miles we want to drive per day. So even after we decide on the time frame, we would prefer not to box ourselves into being at specific places on an exact schedule.

twogypsies · 08-05-2020, 10:38 PM

This is this year's Calendar of Events in Moab. Notice some things are cancelled because of the virus. However, I see the Jeep Jamboree is still on. It's usually a biggie so for Moab you might want to reserve ASAP.

You're planning a 2-week trip to see the 'Big 5'. That's rushing it if you have 1600 miles of driving. Don't try to do the parks from one base camp. That's entirely too much driving. Try to stay as close to the parks as possible. With the foreigners not coming here in droves because of the virus, you may have more luck than normal.

Good luck!

https://www.moabhappenings.com/events%20year.htm

UTTransplant · 08-06-2020, 09:04 PM

The visitutah.com website has fantastic information about visiting the Mighty 5 and the other sites in the area. They have a number of recommended itineraries of various lengths.

Busskipper · 08-07-2020, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2rv

We are considering a 2 week October trip with about a week in Utah mostly to see the big 5. Might consider a stop at the Grand Canyon before or after Utah. Problem is we haven't been able to nail down specific dates yet and haven't planned a specific itinerary.

I realize October is considered peak season in Utah. So I'm wondering how soon I need to make reservations. In a normal year, I would think I probably should have already made reservations, bu given everything that's going on right now I'm not sure. Would it be the pinnacle of absurdity to travel without reservations this year?

I poked around a little bit yesterday and most places still have sites open right now.

I'm not tied to any specific parks, but I do hope to find decent full hookup sites. We aren't really set up for boon docking. We could manage for a day or two, but no more.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

Would it be the pinnacle of absurdity to travel without reservations this year?

We seldom travel with reservations, But if you are the Reservations type - make them when you decide or have firm dates.

We just spent the heart of the Summer with two other RV's in - Yellowstone - Tetons - Idaho - Flaming Gorge - Dino - Montrose - Taos - Buena Vista - Red Cliff - Dino - and now heading Back to Maryland, before we head back, again, for the Aspen in Colorado in September.

We had a BLAST - no reservations - but that's the way we have always traveled, so we had no problems - Moab and the 4X4 rallies would be a question - Zion and the crowds would be a Covid Issue for me - BUT there is so much to see and do in Utah in the Fall and Winter, I cannot imagine it would not be a Great Adventure this Fall/Winter. Do not forget or Miss the State Parks, as they alone are worth the trip.

So to answer your Question - No it would not be - the pinnacle of absurdity to travel without reservations this year, Depends on How YOU Travel.

Best of Luck, let us know how/what you decide,