After leaving Zion NP, we decide that we don't use the highway to go to Arches. Instead we want to use a smaller, scenic road (No. 12 and No. 24) that will bring us to Bryce Canyon NP, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM and Capital Reef NP on the way to Moab, which is the town next to Arches NP.

On the way, we have to cross some higher areas at ~3000m. What was rain in Zion, came down as snow there.

Red Rock Canyon is on the road just before Bryce Canyon. It shows rock formations that could become hoodoos some day.

Bryce Canyon NP is the land of the hoodoos. We have never seen so many hoodoos in one place. For example, in the Canadian Rockies you find some, but only ~10 in one place. Here they cannot be counted.

But Bryce Canyon NP is very cold - we even see some snowflakes - and we decide to go on soon.

The road leads to Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, a rocky wilderness with some oasis where water flows.

After Grand Staircase, the road goes up again and we reach a road summit at 9200ft. Again snow. Not on the road, but everywhere besides the road.

From this summit, the leads down to Capital Reef NP.

When we arrive in Moab, the town is full. There is a car parade, which means:
(1) Traffic jam in the "city".
(2) All campgrounds in Moab are full and, therefore, we have some difficulties in finding a free place in a campground.

  

markus-nick.de > traveling > north america > canyonlands usa > scenic road to arches NP