We are going to Southern Utah for a ten day riding trip. Does anyone have any suggestions to some great spots. We want to camp. Any recommendations to trails in the Parks would be appreciated.

There are numerous places in South and Central Utah, depending on the seasons.  I don't like to ride in hot temps. So I avoid the lower desert areas during the hot months and ride the higher elevation trails. Inthe colder weather, I then ride the lower desert  areas.

So give me a better idea of when you camp out is and what you want to see.

But in general. You can ride Zions Natiional Parks Kolob trail down and thru the Hopps Valley.  I camp int he St George area. Usually a Horse motel for the horses and motel or relatives for me. Red Mountain out west of St George is a good day ride. The Maze near Leeds Utah is another good day ride. These are all Oct-April rides for me.

Zions Kolob Trail

[IMG]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/National%20Parks/100_0126.jpg[/IMG]

The Dixie National Forest above Brian Head ski resort is a good summer ride. It's at 10,000 foot. So snow comes early and stays late.

Bryce Canyon is a must do at least once. There are several trails in the Bryce area and Grand Staircase Escalante.

Bryce Canyon is at 8000 so it cools off earlier than some desert areas. I wouldn't plan a winter ride in Bryce[IMG]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2009/Bryce/Bryce-Canyon-2009-051.jpg[/IMG]

I just spent 5 days on the Aquarius  Plateau Elk hunting.  Take the road between Loa and Escalante Utah to access the area. It's gravel but in good shape.  Lots of just open riding. Or you can follow the Great Western Trail across the area.  Again this is at 10,000 foot.  So the weather turns cold soon.  I just pull off the road near a water pond. Roundy Reservour is a good central spot.

San Rafael Swell area of Utah is stunning in its Raw beeauty. It is extremely rough and remote.  I avoid it in the summer. Too hot and the The narrow slot canyons often flash flood. But September thru May is a great place to ride.

Chute Canyon int he San Rafael near Goblin Valley

[IMG]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Chute/Chute-Canyon-073.jpg[/IMG]

Wild Horse canyon near Goblin Valley

[IMG]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p259/Painted-Horse/2010/Chute/WildHorse17.gif[/IMG]

Ooops!.  I keep forgetting that this website uses a different inserting format when adding photos.  So lets try again.

Zions Kolob Trail

Bryce Canyon

Aquarius Plateau.  Elgin Spurce and Quakies with lots of open meadows.

Chute Canyon in San Rafael

Wild Horse Canyon San Rafael

We usually stay at Ruby's Inn.  They have horse stalls for $10 a night that we put the horses in. The ride in Bryce Canyon itsell is just one day, Unless you want to repeat. You go down the Peek-a-boo trail. The horse concessionair gets first priority.  If you meet his string of horses/customers on the trail, YOU must turn around and return to a wide spot for them to pass. Talk with the guides before you ride, so you will have an idea what time they will be on the trail, It may help you to avoid them.

Outside of Bryce, We ride the Thunder Mountain trail in Red Canyon. Also Casto and Losee canyons.  Some folks have primative camped near the mouth of Casto canyon if you don't want to put the horses up at Ruby's inn.

The Grand Staircase Escalante is just a short drive away from Ruby's Inn. Go down through Tropic and Cannonville and enter the Grand Staircase. The ride down Sheep Creek and Willis creek is a good slot canyon ride that puts you down into some narrow canyons. Do a search on Grand Staircase and you can find trail maps of the area. Some are not suitable for horses. So just read the details. You could ride for weeks in the Grand Staircase.  Also Capital Reef is nearby and has some great riding also.

Zions is 2 maybe 3 hours drive away.  Down Hiway 89, across Hiway 14 and south on I-15. You will pass through LOTS of areas to horse ride. Most don't have marked trails. But none the less, Lots of country. Although some of it is at 10,000 foot. So late October could have snow. I've ridden some up in the Navajo Lake area, you are kinda on top of the world, So it's a little more level ridding, with out all the really climbs.

Zions really only has one trail that you can ride the horses on.  It's the Kolob Arch trail. Get off I-15 at the Kolob entrance to Zions.  The trail follows down Timber creek ( usually dry) and up LaVerkin Creek ( good water for horses) to Kolob Arch. You tie up and hike the last 1/2 mile.  The main trail will continue down through the Hops Valley.  It's a beautiful ride.  The trail is 14 miles end to end, So a in and out trip makes a 28 mile ride.

In the St George area. I like to ride the Maze near Leeds UT. It is a windy  twisty trail that goes down through the Grapevine to the Virgin River.  Beautiful colors and interesting rock formations. A little hard to find, But maybe a local can help you find the trail head.  The turn around at the end of the road, is a little tight, be careful taking a realy large trailer all the way to the end.

On the other side of St George, I love the ride up to Red Mountain and the over look over Snow Canyon. Take the Diamondville hiway,  A few miles past Diamond Valley and well before you get to Veyo you will see a high voltage power line, Under that power line is a small dirt road and sign that says Red Mountian.   Pull in and park anywhere.  There are two trails. One up the ridge that ATV/motorcycles ride ( I understand they have closed it to any motorized vehicle now) That ridge line trail is rocky and rough.  I go about 3 maybe 4 power line towers to the north and follow the trail up the gulley.  This trail is much sandier, better footing for the horses. Both trails meet on the top of the mountain.

There is just so much area to ride, It's hard to pick just a couple of trails. Just be aware that anything above 8000 foot elevation could have some serious snow that time of year and be prepared.

The Utah general season rifle deer hunt opens on Oct23 and runs through Oct 27.  This means that the more forested areas of the state where deer herd are prevelant will have lots of hunters on the mountain.  Not to frighten you. I still ride the horses a LOT during hunting. But it will affect your ability to find camp site. Since Lots of peope who hunt will be camping also.  Hunting is not allowed in the National Parks, So those would be good days to ride in Bryce Canyon, Zions, Capital Reef etc.

You asked about the Griffin Top.  This area is over 10,000 elevation, The road from Widsoe Junction up and over the griffin top to the junction at Posey Lake road, is a good gravel road. They don't snow plow these grave roads. So deep snow could be a problem, But the road has enough gravel in it, That it won't be a muddy problem if it gets wet.

I'm standing on the rim of the Aquarius Plateau.  The Griffin Top the flat area at the top of this photo.  It's all around 10,200 foot elevation. The Great Western Trail follows a contour line around the rim about 400-500 foot elevation lower than the rim itself. Of course when you get here in Oct. The quakies will be bare.

Up ontop of the Griffin Top or the Aquarius Plateau, are lots of Spruce forest with meadows intertwined through the forest.  It's very easy riding in the open and nasty if you get into the  trees. Too many deadfalls and blowdowns to get thru.  But there are enough meadows that if you are not worried about going in a straight line, you can meander all over. This area is heavily grazed by cattle all sumer. So their are cattle trails all over the mountain that you can follow.

Most of the lakes that they show on the maps. Really don't exist.  They have lots of water in May when the snow melts are are often by September are just small muddy ponds. Jacobs Valley Res, Roundy Res both have good camping and water for the horses. And other lakes may or may not exist in the fall.  The official Forest Service camp grounds a Posey Lake, Baker Res etc all closed by early sept. So any camping you do on the Top will be primative camping.

From the Back Country Horseman Website

1. East Virgin River Canyon Ride. (Shown on maps as Parunuweap Canyon). The access is just

south of Mt. Carmel Junction community on Highway 89. Turn off the highway onto the dirt road.

Drive as far as you want until you find a good parking place for the trailer. There is a good parking

place within a mile of the highway or you can go further down the canyon to park. Lots of ATV traffic

on the dirt road but you can find horse/cow trails to ride on away from the road. Several fences to go

through and you might have to search for the gate as there are cattle guards along the road. A beautiful

canyon with water in the river. Beautiful Fall colors. Ride as far as you want and return back up the

canyon to the trailer.

2. Paria River Canyon. This access and trailhead is not shown on the Arizona Strip map. If you want

a map, buy either a USGS topo or “Smoky Mountain Surface Management Status.” From the junction of

US89 & 89A at the stoplight in Kanab drive 33 miles on Highway 89 to a well marked junction that

says Paria Townsite. The dirt road from the highway to the old movie set location is not wellmaintained

and usually in a washboard condition. Because of washboards, you probably should have 4-

wheel drive to pull the horses & trailer back up the hill from the Paria River trailhead. If you don’t have

4-wh drive, park at the large parking lot next to the Highway 89 and ride in, about 5 miles or drive north

until the dirt road drops into the canyon.

At the Paria River Trailhead there are information signs and a picnic area with vault toilet. You can ride

up the Paria River, water available, at least in places. Wide canyon that gets narrower as you ride north.

Some interesting side canyons to explore. Come back the same way.

3. Paria Box & Hackberry Canyon. Another interesting ride out of the Paria Trailhead is to go

south along the Paria River through the “Paria Box”, a narrow gap in the canyon walls as the

Paria cuts through the sandstone walls and joins Cottonwood Wash. Look for old stone

buildings left over from a “flour” gold mining era. The “Box” was site of filming for

“McKenna’s Gold.” If you want, you can ride up Cottonwood Wash about 2-3 miles to

Hackberry Canyon and ride up Hackberry about 3 miles to an old Homestead Cabin.

4. Buckskin Gulch. Drive 4.5 miles beyond Paria turnoff to House Rock Valley Road junction

with 89. (Total of 37.5 miles from Kanab stoplight.) At the big curve and before the “Cock’s

Comb” leave 89 and go south 4 miles on House Rock Valley Road to Buckskin Gulch

Trailhead. A slow, rough road but passable with horse trailer. Buckskin Gulch is a narrow

canyon. (As narrow as I would want to take our horses.) Do not enter if there is any possibility

of rain as a flash flood would ruin your day and probably your life. You can ride as far as the

confluence with Wye Pass Slot Canyon. Beyond this confluence, Buckskin becomes real

rocky. Wye Pass too narrow for horses but fun to explore on foot. Return up Buckskin.

5. Snake Gulch. Take Highway 89A (alternate) south out of Kanab through Fredonia, AZ.

About 1 mile south of Fredonia, turn right (south) onto FS22, a paved road. Take FS22 several

miles south across the desert. When the pavement ends, continue a short distance to FS423 –

turn west (right) onto FS423. Go about 1.3 miles and turn north (right) onto FS642 and go

about 3 miles to the trailhead. From there ride into the canyon. Look for rock art on the

canyon walls as you ride down the canyon. Go as far as you want and return back up the

canyon. This beautiful canyon gets hot from mid-June through the summer.

6. Cottonwood Canyon. A new trailhead constructed in 2009 by the High Desert Backcountry Horsemen

in cooperation with Kanab City and BLM. Go south 0.8 miles from the stoplight in Kanab at the

junction of Highways 89 and 89A. Look for a large sign on the west side of 89A that says “Kanab

Creek Ranchos.” Turn right (west) on Kanab Creek Drive, go down into Kanab Creek and back up.

Continue straight through the 4-way stop. As Kanab Ck Drive turns to the left (south) turn right on the

next street, Stansfield Drive, and continue to the west. You go down the hill to Bunting Trailhead

(hiking only) and back up the hill to the Cottonwood Canyon Trailhead.

Large parking area with a trailhead sign and a beautiful picnic area. Study the map before starting on

trail. The ride-through swing gate is unlocked. Be sure and fasten the chain clip to keep the cattle from

getting out of the BLM pasture. You will see the hiker-horse trail signs. Pay attention as you ride and

look for rock cairns along the trail. There are not a lot of signs on the trail. There is some flagging

along the trail but it may be faded or missing.

The first part of the trail is difficult with a lot of steep ups and downs. Basically you are following an

old ATV trail. (The area is now limited to non-motorized access.) Eventually you will come to a small

ride-through iron gate. From there go southerly along an old road until you see a large cairn. Turn right

and follow the trail down into the wash. You will follow the wash bottom until you come to a large pile

of lumber left over from the movie set. Leave the canyon and go west cross-country. You will cross

three old roads and within an hour come to a more-used two-track headed north towards Cottonwood

Canyon. This road also has a Fredonia City buried water line and occasionally you will see evidence of

the water line. Eventually you will join the Cottonwood Canyon road and continue north. There is a

locked gate. Get the combination before you leave by calling either 435-818-0005 or 435-644-5694

(two members of the High Desert Backcountry Horsemen Chapter). When you go through the locked

gate, you are entering private land. Please respect the landowner’s demands that we stay on the road,

lock the gate behind you, and do not give the combination to others. The further north you ride the

pretty the canyon gets. But you need to turn around and come back out before dark.

Public Campgrounds:

See or ask for he High Desert Backcountry Horsemen’s flyer on Private Horse Boarding Facilities in the

Kanab Area.