Vacations Dogs Can Go On – We’re getting closer to warmer weather and you know what that means…road trips! If you’re like us, you like to take your dog for a walk. Last August, we took one of the most amazing road trips in beautiful Utah with our two pups, Newton + Maya. I thought I’d do a little blog series (this is Part I of Part II) about our adventure and hopefully give you some helpful tips if you’re going there with your dog.
Well, there are two main things to consider about Utah: (1) the weather + (2) the crowds. As a major tourist destination, it gets crowded in the warmer months, so be aware. Also, Utah gets HAWT in the summer. It may not be good for you and your children. We decided to go in the middle of September and it was fine for us. The crowds were still there, but not as much as in June, July or August. It’s still warm and hot sometimes, it wasn’t the dead heat of summer. Shall we do October? Maybe. But we also didn’t want it to be too cold, so maybe doing this trip at the end of September, beginning of October is a good compromise.
Vacations Dogs Can Go On
So are you ready for a trip with your dog?! Maybe you’ve done this before (KUDOS to you!) But maybe this is your first long road trip and you’re a little worried. Here is some information to help you prepare. First, make a list of what your dog needs each day…
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And anything else they can use on a daily basis OR that helps them feel more comfortable away from home.
Next, divide the meals your child receives each day, add the number of days away, and put everything in containers or plastic bags for easy transportation. Calculate the number of pills/supplements you need per day and multiply by the number of days and put it in a bag/container for easy visibility. Then just pack the water bowl, toys, dog bed or blanket, and anything else you might need and park the car!
Now on to the good stuff… where to go in Utah? Well, it was very difficult for us to choose a place. If you’ve ever explored Utah, you know that it has amazing parks and attractions throughout the state. You want to see the arches and canyonlands of Moab on the east side, but you also want to see Zion National Park and see the amazing canyons of the Utah desert southwest/south of center. Utah has a lot to offer, and if you’re traveling from around the world, it’s a long way to go, so you might as well rub it in and take it all in at once! [PS: We didn’t even manage to fit in Arizona’s Monument Valley season, which isn’t far at all, and it would be easy to add an extra day or two, but oh well…see you next time!]
We decided to travel for a week (5 nights and 6 days to be exact) in order to see as much as possible. Planning such a big trip can be exhausting, but with a little (actually, a lot) of research, planning, excitement, and motivation, you can do it! And I hope this blog helps you with your planning. So let’s break it down as follows.
The Coordinates Of The Royal Cafe. The Dog Can Go. 🦮🍃
Being home in Denver, CO was our first stop. We decided to include Moab and Zion in our trip even though they are 4+ hours apart and in different parts of the world. Doing Zion started to make sense because it’s farther (9.5 + hours from DEN) and there are some amazing slot canyons on the way back to Moab from Zion that we wanted to see, so that was the plan. We started our seven-week trip in Hurricane, UT, 35 minutes from Zion. We spent 2 nights there and then headed to Moab. On our way to Moab, we stopped in Kanab, Utah for some amazing dog-friendly canyons. The drive also took us through parts of Arizona, including Lake Powell (which looks amazing and is definitely on our list for our next adventure). Finally we arrived in Moab where we spent three nights. It was an easy + pleasant 5-hour drive home at the end of the vacation. Overall, I think the way we designed it made the most sense for what we were doing. You may want to edit, add, delete, and organize it depending on where it’s from, how much time you have, and what you want to see most. (If you have some time, I highly recommend spending Moab during your entire stay). Here’s a little bit about the first two legs of our trip: Zion and the Canyons are located in the Utah desert. [We will do a separate blog about Moab, soon!]
After a 9.5 hour drive from Denver to Hurricane (with plenty of food and potty breaks), we arrived at a unique A-frame house in Hurricane, UT, about an hour from Zion National Park. Just look at the view from this place! The first day was a shower because we were tired and just wanted to cool down and enjoy the amazing view from our Airbnb. Hurricane is a small town, but check out Main Street Café for some great digs.
Hurricane is also only 50 minutes away from the most unexpected and (to us) incredibly disorganized… Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park! We didn’t know about this park in Hurricane and since it was so close we ended up driving there. Boy was it worth it… I had never seen pink sand before and this place was amazing! Also, as a national park, it is dog-friendly, which was obviously the best for us! Moreover, since he is not famous, he does not have to fight the whole crowd. The Coral Pink Sand Dunes are located between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab in the southern and western United States. Highway 89 in Kane County.
On day 2 we drove about 35 minutes and headed to Zion National Park. Zion, like all national parks, does not allow dogs in the park. But unlike other national parks, there is 1 dog-friendly trail in the park, the Pa’rus Trail. Pa’rus is a relatively flat 3.4 mile (in and out) paved trail with beautiful scenery around it and dogs allowed on leashes. This is the only way to entertain the animals in the entire park. In addition to the Pa-rus Trail, you can also enjoy the park by driving along Route 9 (Syon-Mt. Carmel Hwy) with your backpack in the car and stopping at various tow points for amazing views. Unfortunately, during the tourist season, private vehicles are not allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which is reserved for parking only. You can also do Bryce Canyon on the same day, just an hour from Zion. We stopped for lunch in the cute little town of Springdale, right outside of Zion, where apparently many hikers stay when they visit Zion and then take the ferry to the park. We ate at Cafe Soleil, which has dog-friendly outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches. In hindsight, Springdale would have been a good choice for us as we are traveling with a dog because you can leave your kids at your hotel/airbnb on the days you don’t want to walk the dog in Zion. , like the famous angel! Springdale is minutes from the park and many great restaurants.
Owner Makes Unconventional Vacation Choice So She Can Take Dogs—’worth It’
On Day 3 we said goodbye to Hurricane and headed to Kanab Canyon, UT and Moab. The specific canyon hike we chose (after much research) was the Wire Pass Trail in Buckskin Gulch. This hike was perfect for us because (1) it was dog friendly and (2) it was less crowded than other popular trails like Arizona’s popular trail (must be entered into a lottery to have a chance at the trip). Fair warning, driving the Wire Pass trail is not easy. It’s from the middle of the area, has a lot of rough terrain, and requires four-wheel drive. Also make sure there is no water in the forecast. This is no joke – this area is prone to dangerous flooding and you don’t want to be stuck in this area if it floods. So be sure to plan a hard day. But the prize is worth it! The first method
