Utah Mighty 5
Trip Itinerary 2022
During this trip P was 7 almost 8, T was 6, and V was 3 almost 4.
Marcus had been wanting to go to Zion for a while now. We had looked at campsites too late to go in 2020 & 2021. So when the time came to book the sites in 2021, we were both logged on trying to get the campsites we needed. Challenge 1 complete - we got campsites! On to challenge 2 - getting Angel's Landing Permit. Marcus really wanted to hike Angel's Landing. I'd like to, but since we were bringing the kids, we'd have to go one at a time. We tried for permits in advance, and didn't get them. So we had more days in Zion so he could apply for a day of permit, which he still didn't get.
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Our kids spring break tends to be early March, so we felt that was too early. Our kids were getting out of school early this year, so we decided to leave the day after they go out of school. We knew it was going to be hot, and just planned for that. We planed on using up all of our food, and replenishing once we got to Springdale, UT. Also, we have friends who live in Cottonwood Heights, UT so we planned on seeing them before heading home. That part ended up being shortened a bit.
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The summer before we had too many last minute stops for the bathroom, and too many wet pants. So this time, I planned all of our rest stops to try and avoid that. Sometimes it felt like we stopped too soon, but I ended up always was glad we stopped.
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Trip Dates: June 3 - June 17, 2022
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Total cost of trip: $3,327.98
This includes; gas, lodging (three different campgrounds, two hotels, and one Airbnb), groceries, eating out, souvenirs, and
fees for activities.
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Total van miles: 3,598
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Itinerary
Day 1 - June 3
7:00 a.m. - Leave house drive to North Platte, NE
587 Miles 9 hrs 30 min (add 1 hrs 30 min for stops) = 11 hours
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8:30-8:45 a.m. - Owatonna - 81 miles (1 hour 14 minutes)
10:15-10:30 a.m. - 904 Cardinal Ave, Dows, IA 50071 - 100 miles (1 hour 30 Minutes)
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I-35 E South to I-80 W in Des Moines, IA
I-80 W to North Platte, NE
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12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. - Lunch & Gas
81 North Marker Drive, Adair, IA 50002 - 130 miles (2 hours)
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2:15-2:30 p.m. - 26551 Magnolia Rd, Underwood, IA 51576 - 68 miles (1 hour)
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4:00-4:15 p.m. - Goehner Westbound Truck Parking, Seward, NE 68434 - 97.1 Miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
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5:15-5:30 p.m. - TA Travel Center, 8033 W Holling Rd, Alda, NE 68810 - 69 miles (1 hour)
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7:20 p.m. - Ramada by Wyndham North Platte & Sandhills Convention Ctr - 129 miles (1 hour 50 minutes)
2102 S Jeffers St, North Platte, NE, 69101
Day 2 - June 4
7:00 a.m. - Leave North Platte head to Arches National Park
610 Miles
9 hrs (add 1 hr 30 min for stops) = 10 hrs 30 min
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I-80 W to I-76 W
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8:15-8:30 a.m. - Colorado Welcome Center
Julesburg, CO 80737 - 81.3 miles (1 hour 15 minutes)
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9:30-9:45 a.m. - CDOT Rest Area: Sterling, I-76 Milepost 125, Sterling, CO 80751 - 58.7 miles (1 hour)
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I-76 W to I-70 W
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11:45-12:15 p.m. - Lunch & Gas
TA Travel Center, 12151 W 44th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 - 129 miles (2 hours)
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1:32-1:45 p.m. - CDOT Rest Area Vail Pass, 190 I-70, Frisco, CO 80443 - 76 miles (1 hour 17 minutes)
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3:15-3:30 p.m. - CDOT Rest Area: Rifle, Exit 90, Lion's Park Cir, Rifle, CO 81650 - 102 miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
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5:30-5:45 p.m. - Utah Welcome Center, Mile Marker 190, Thompson Springs, UT 84540 - 134 miles (2 hours)
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Sego Canyon Rock Art
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I-70 W to US-191
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7:00 p.m. Arches National Park
53 miles (1 hour 15 minutes)
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Stay at Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park
Sunrise - 5:57 a.m.
Sunset - 8:54 p.m.
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Dinner if at camp
Milk
Coke
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Depending on time, hike from campsite
Day 3 - June 5
Stay at Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park
Breakfast: Cheerios & Chex, eggs, onion, bell pepper, cheese, coffee & milk
Fiery Furnace Viewpoint - 0.3 miles
Salt Valley Overlook drive - 0.2 miles
Wolfe Ranch/Delicate Arch Viewpoint -
-Wolfe Ranch hike - 1.4 miles
-Delicate Arch Viewpoint hike - .04 miles
Cache Valley Overlook
Panorama Point drive - 0.3 miles
Balanced Rock - lunch
Garden of Eden
Double Arch Trail hike -
Windows Primitive loop trail - 1 mile
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Snacks: Apples & Chex mix
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Lunch: hummus, chips, baby carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, peanut butter, bread, jelly, cookies
Dinner: Turkey Tacos, salsa, tortillas, canned corn, onion, cheddar cheese, milk, coke, &ice tea
Day 4 - June 6
Stay at Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park
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Breakfast: Oatmeal, coffee, milk
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1 hour drive
Bring lots of water
Enter at Island In The Sky Visitor Center
Mesa Arch hike - 0.7 miles (popular for sun rise)
Aztec Buttehike - 0.6 miles
Whale Rock hike - 0.4 miles
Upheaval Dome - Lunch and hikes
Drive to Murphy Point Trail - 14 minutes
Murphy Point Trail hike - 1.8 miles
White Rim Overlook hike - 0.9 miles
Grand View Point Overlook hike - 1.0 miles (lunch if Upheaval Dome was too early)
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Snack: Pretzels & dried fruit
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Lunch: Sandwich meat, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, crackers, baby carrots, watermelon
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Dinner: Mongolian Broccoli Beef - premade and frozen, Rice
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Hike
Day 5 - June 7
Stay at Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park
Breakfast: Pancakes, syrup, eggs, onions, bell pepper, cheese, cilantro, sausage
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Needles District Canyonlands (2 hours drive)
Or More of Arches NP
Or Dead Horse Point State Park
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Snacks: Veggie straws, pumpkin seeds, popcorn
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Lunch: Canned Chicken, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, naan, grapes
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Dinner: Stuffing, turkey burger, boxed mashed potatoes
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Pack up camp
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Hike
Day 6 - June 8
Leave Arches National Park Drive to Bryce Canyon National Park
Breakfast: Chex, cheerios, milk, coffee
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Pack up camp and head out
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11:30 a.m. - Capitol Reef National Park
Hickman Bridge
Between Hickman Bridge and Fruita to see petroglyphs
-Visitor Center
Get Pie at Gifford Homestead
Cassidy arch hike - 3.4 miles
Grand Wash
Capitol Gorge hike - 1 mile +
Lunch at picnic area: Sandwich meat, bread, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, grapes
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Snacks: Snack mix, dried fruit
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Bryce Canyon National Park
2 hours 30 minutes
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Stay at North Campground, Bryce Canyon National Park
Check-in starts at noon
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Dinner: Frozen Stew, Chips
Day 7 - June 9
Stay at North Campground, Bryce Canyon National Park
Breakfast: Oatmeal, dried fruit, brown sugar, coffee, milk
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Sunrise Point to Sunset Point
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Drive all the way down and stop on the way back - all stops are on the left of the road
Fairyland point drive
Rainbow point
Black Birch Canyon
Agua Canyon
Natural Bridge
Fairview Point
Piracy Point
Whiteman Bench
Swamp Canyon
Paria View Trail
Drive back to camp site, walk to visitor center, and take the bus if needed to:
Bryce Point - hike bus goes here
Inspiration point - bus
Mossy Cave
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Lunch: Hummus, carrots, cucumber, bell pepper, peanut butter, jelly, crackers
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Dinner: Hamburgers, hamburger buns, canned green beans, pickles
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Pack up camp
Day 8 - June 10
Breakfast: Cereal, eggs, coffee
9:00 a.m. - Leave Bryce Canyon National Park drive to Zion National Park
85.9 miles - 1 hr 50 minutes (add 40 min for stops) = 2 hrs, 20 min
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10:30 a.m. - Canyon Overlook trail - The Great Arch
Just before Before Springdale
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Go in town for groceries and ice
1.5 miles , 5 min
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Lunch ideas:
Sol Foods Supermarket
995 Zion – Mount Carmel Hwy, Springdale, UT 84767
Or Happy Camper Market
95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767
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ISol Foods Supermarket
Oscar’s Cafe
Camp Outpost
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Stay at Watchman Campground
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Watchman Trail & Pa’rus Trail
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Dinner: Spaghetti sauce, Spaghetti noodles, Salad, Garlic bread
Day 9 - June 11
Stay at Watchman Campground, Zion National Park
Breakfast: Cereal, coffee, eggs, bell pepper, onion, milk
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Walk to visitor center - first shuttle leaves at 6:00 a.m.
Shuttle to narrows and hike the narrows
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Snack: Apples & snack mix
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Lunch: Sandwich meat, bread, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, grapes
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Dinner: Hot dogs, bratwurst, hot dog buns, ketchup, mustard, pickles, chips, mac & cheese, canned carrots
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Day 10 - June 12
Stay at Watchman Campground, Zion National Park
Breakfast: Cereal, coffee, eggs, bell pepper, onion, milk
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Walk to visitor center
Shuttle to lodge, hike to Emerald Pools
Day 11 - June 13
Stay at Watchman Campground, Zion National Park
Breakfast: Cereal, coffee, eggs, bell pepper, onion, milk
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Walk to visitor center
Shuttle to hike to Scouts Lookout
Lunch at lodge
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Pack up camp
Day 12 - June 14
Leave Zion National Park, drive to Cottonwood Heights, UT
307 miles - 4 hrs 30 min (add 1 hr for stops) = 5 hrs 30 min
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I-15 N to UT-190
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Lunt Park NB, Paragonah, UT 84760 - 100 miles (2 hours)
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I-15 N to UT-190 E/6200 S/Big Cottonwood Rd in Salt Lake County. Take exit 6 from I-215 E/Belt Route
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Use the right 3 lanes to take exit 294 A-C for Utah 48/7200 S/I-215/Belt Rte
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Keep left at the fork to continue toward I-215 E/Belt Route
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Keep right at the fork, follow signs for I-215 E/Belt Route and merge onto I-215 E/Belt Route
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Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 6 for UT-190 E
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Stay in Airbnb
Check-in at 4:00 p.m.
Day 13 - June 15
8:00 a.m. - Leave Cottonwood Heights, UT, drive to Rapid City, SD
671 miles - 10 hrs (add 1 hr and 30 min for stops) = 11 hrs 30 min
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I-215 N to I-80 E
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10:00-10:15 a.m. - Lyman I-80 Westbound Rest Area, Lyman, WY 82937 - 133 miles (2 hours)
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11:30-12:00 p.m. - Lunch & gas
Exit 130 I-80, 130 Point of Rocks I- 80 Srv Rd, Point of Rocks, WY 82942 - 83.5 miles (1 hour 15 minutes)
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Turn from I-80 E to 287 N
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287 N to 220 N
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2:00-2:15 p.m. - Wyoming State Rest Area, Alcova, WY 82620 - 145 miles (2 hours)
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220 N to I-25 N - in Casper To US-259
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3:15-3:30 p.m. - Gas
Exxon, 627 N Poplar St, Casper, WY 82601 - 56 miles (1 hour)
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US-259 to US-387 to US-50 N to I-90 in Gillette
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5:30-5:45 p.m. - No Stops between - Get Gas
1810 S Douglas Hwy, Gillette, WY 82718 - 182 miles (2 hours)
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AmericInn by Wyndham Rapid City - 140 miles (2 hours)
1632 Rapp St, Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
4:00 p.m. Check-In
Day 14 - June 16
8:00 a.m. - Leave Rapid City, ND - head home
584 miles - 8 hrs 30 min (add 1 hr and 30 min for stops) = 10 hrs
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9:15-9:45 a.m. - 510 Main St, Wall, SD 57790 - 66 miles (1 hour 9 minutes)
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11:00-11:15 p.m. - Pilot Travel Center, 601 E 5th St, Murdo, SD 57559 - 85 miles (1 hour 15 minutes)
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1:15-2:00 p.m. - Lunch & Gas
I 90 Travel Center, 1821 S Burr St, Mitchell, SD 57301 - 140 (2 hours)
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3:30-3:45 p.m. - Adrian East Rest Area, I-90, Adrian, MN 56110 - 104 miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
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5:45-6:30 p.m. - Dinner?
Mankato ~ 109 miles (1 hour 45 minutes)
54497 Gadwall Rd, Mankato, MN 56001
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In Mankato - US-169 N to 494
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8:00 p.m. - Home
91 miles - 1 hour 35 minutes
