I booked lodging in Escalante for Labor Day Weekend.

[3Hotdogs]

Any suggestions for what to do in the area? I am mostly interested in landscape.

I was thinking of Arches Ntl. Park as part of the trip.

I will be driving from N.J.

[dawg day]

1. It's all insane but beautiful-- Utah!

Utah looks like nowhere else on earth. There are 5 national parks! And everyone is different.

Zion is very beautiful. It's the bottom of the canyon, so a different perspective than you'd get from the Grand Canyon. The lodge is pretty, rocking chairs on the porch.

Fruita (near Capital Reef Park) is a ghost town-- or at least, it has all these old buildings from the original town. It's nestled against a river, a very nice walk.

It should still be warm in Sept. We were there in October, and a blizzard blew in! Then 40 miles north, it was 50 degrees and sunny.

If you have a car, you could probably hit several of the national parks. Don't miss Zion-- it's so lovely. Arches is AMAZING... but in an otherworldly way.
They're all so different.

[bdtrppr6]

2. By the time you drive from NJ

to Utah, you are gonna be fucking sick of "landscape".

But yeah, Arches is very cool and would be a sight to see. I've only driven through the general area of it and the rock structures are awesome. We plan to go for a proper visit once our son is a little older.

[argyl]

3. Southern Utah is amazing.

My personal favorite spot is Zion. But it's a good ways from Arches/Canyonlands.

Zion's close to the Nevada border and Arches/Canyonlands are close to the Colorado border. You really can't go wrong. Exceptionally beautiful and unique country.

[KPN]

4. Lots of amazing day hikes through epically beautiful canyons around Escalante. Tops on the list

in my opinion is Coyote Gulch. Bring plenty of water and snacks/lunch. You can do a loop hike on this canyon fairly easily, but you will need to hire a shuttle to your entry point after dropping your vehicle at your exit location. Shuttles are easily arranged in Escalante. Check at the outfitter store in town -- they also have great pizza and microbrews.

I would also take the time to drive to Boulder from Escalante. It's a pretty short drive, but it traverses a a narrow ridge with steep canyon drop-offs on each side. The views and drama as you cross that ridge are mind-boggling.

Be safe while hiking. Never jump down from a drop-off that you can't easily climb back up -- you may end up stuck between that drop-off and another sheer drop-off down canyon that you absolutely cannot descend. And stay hydrated. There is also some poison ivy in patches that you need to be aware of at spots -- know what it looks like, watch for and avoid it. Finally, if you hear thunder nearby or in the distance, best to get to high ground. Labor Day is in the tail end of the monsoon (flash flood) season. You don't want to experience one of those.

Otherwise, have fun and enjoy. Don't read too much into the safety precautions I mentioned -- as long as you are alert about those few points you will be safe and have a magical visit. It really is magical country.