Grand Canyon Route?

[Sean]

Has anybody done a grand canyon trip. I think north rim is popular? Routes? ideas? warnings? sarcasm?

[Matty]

Gary and our heading there in June for our road trip... working our way from the 4 corners.

[Nick_Ninja]

North Rim is way better than the South Rim. Less tourists and it is cooler as it is higher in elevation. From the north do Zion & Bryce and the Devils Staircase (UT 12 i believe from Boulder to Tory ------ or something like that.

[fook]

here's the google maps route (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=denver+colorado&daddr=US-50+to:CO-149%2FS+Gunnison+Ave+to:US-160+to:US-491+to:UT-95+to:UT-24+to:W+Main+St%2FUT-12+to:Lees+Ferry,+Coconino,+Arizona+86036&hl=en&geocode=%3BFVIjTAIdbCah-Q%3BFQA8RAIdOnia-Q%3BFaizOAIdnm6f-Q%3BFVDkQQIdgPt7-Q%3BFcRqPQId_kRz-Q%3BFSWRSQIdSdFm-Q%3BFYRrQAIdmtJY-Q%3BFfeGMgIdQFFZ-Q&mra=mr&mrcr=0&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=37.870517,-111.560669&sspn=1.277012,2.120361&ie=UTF8&ll=38.736946,-108.863525&spn=5.046629,8.481445&z=7) i've done a few times, might give you a few good ideas:

denver to Pagosa for night 1, via Gunnison and hwy 149.

Pagosa into Utah, across Capital reef (http://www.utah.com/capitolreef/)(bugs galore), Grand Staircase Escalante (http://www.utah.com/nationalsites/grand_staircase.htm) and Dixie Natl forest to a little KOA campground (http://www.utahidahokoa.com/Glendale-KOA) around Glendale on hwy 89 north of Zion. - night 2

then the next morning into Zion to waste some time, get off the bikes and hike around the rock. late lunch in Kanab and then heading into Arizona as the sun falls.

we go past the North Rim turn off and on to Lee's Ferry (http://www.camparizona.com/Campsites/NorthCampsites/Lees%20Ferry.htm) for camping.. we usually get in after dark but riding in the desert at sunset/early evening is always really nice I think.. we make that our base in AZ. - night 3

and then take a trip back to the North rim the next day and the following day hike around the Vermillion Cliffs (http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/vermilion_cliffs/national_monument.html) - nights 4-5.

then superslab our way home up hwy 89 to i70.. stopping at a KOA outside Rifle for night 6...

both times we've done this its been in early May and usually temps are chilly at night in Pagosa and Glendale for camping.. I remember the first time we got into Lee's Ferry though, arrived around 10pm and it was 97 degrees. didn't even bother with a tent.

[denver_whitest185]

http://www.cosportbikeclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=30670

see post number 16 for my route. i'll be visiting the north rim on may 21st

oh, and the south rim is fine. ive been there, but its a longer trip unless your coming from the south.

[Sean]

Thanks. :up:

Ted, I remember you posting up that you did something last year like this.

[denver_whitest185]

yes. i drove a car back from phoenix, AZ. i flew into phoenix, so that made seeing the south rim easier. i could have seen the north rim, but i was on a time crunch of sorts (had to be back in denver by the third day). here was my route

http://lnk.nu/maps.google.com/v53

[Tipys]

Just wing it sean that should make the trip fun

[Matty]

Sean, Gary and I are working our way down to the GC by means of highway 285 to US-160 to US-89 to AZ-24 to AZ-24 / US-180 to the GC.

However, we plan to travel off the beaten path for a few miles as well. lol.

[denver_whitest185]

Just wing it sean that should make the trip fun

If your going to wing it, just be sure to get some really, really detailed maps of the area. there are some really cool stops out there. one place i just added to my trip is zebra and tunnel slot off of hole-in-the-rock road

http://www.ajroadtrips.com/go/trips/escalante/zebratunnel.html

BTW, this is an awesome map of utah
http://www.udot.utah.gov/main/f?p=100:pg:3405253669677443::::V,T:,346