Utah camping/hiking in June--suggestions?

Georgia Yankee

Georgia Yankee

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My son just graduated high school and he and a couple of friends want to take a road trip to Utah in late June. They are overwhelmed by the possibilities and don't know where to start. They are looking at camping/hiking but might try a short, non-technical backpacking trip, if it works out. They'll be in Utah for about a week and a half and will be driving a regular car, so no off-road driving. I'm thinking they should pick a region to explore rather than a "greatest hits" tour of everything, but that's up to them. Any suggestions? By the way, my son is experienced in back country camping including some desert travel. The other two are new to the game.

Thanks!
 
He should check the weather and determine what they can tolerate in terms of heat. If it's too hot they may want to consider Bryce Canyon, which is in the mountains, or something else at higher elevation. I would always recommend the spectacular Canyonlands, but it may be too hot at that time of the year.
 
Everything near Moab is a good introduction to southern Utah, with classics like Arches and Canyonlands. It is a very busy place though.

They'll want to be near reliable water if they'll be backpacking since June can get so hot. The Escalante area is good for that, and the scenery is excellent. Plenty of car camping and exploring to do as well. If they'll be in the canyons, they'll want to check nearby forecasts for rain since canyons can flash flood unexpectedly. Monsoon season won't be underway in late June, but it's good to be prepared.
 
Thanks for the replies MVS, Jackson and SKLund. Sounds like they will be getting into some summer heat so they need some options at higher elevation and need to watch their water. They like the idea of the Escalante area. Might stop around Canyonlands on the way out and decide from there based on heat factor. I'll remind them about flash flood potential.
 
The upper reaches of Dark Canyon are nice in the summer.
 
Stay out of the heat. Lots of people have misjudged it and lost their lives. Point them up into the Wasatch or Uintas. I used to be on SAR for Grand County (Moab) and death by heat is a particularly bad way to go.
 
June is a wierd month. Too hot for the desert, at least for me, and the high elevation mountains are still locked up in snow.

Have you considered Great Basin NP? I bet it's perfect mid June. Or even the Ruby Mountain in Nevada are probably pretty nice this time of year.
 
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