Please suggest a 4-7 day backpack

[nonot]

Hello,

I am wondering if someone could suggest a 4-7 day big looping backpack in Utah, along with the time of year. I am not from Utah but have visited several times. I have experienced a good portion of Zion, Arches NP, and the Paria river into Arizona.

I am looking for a place that I could lose myself in for most of a week that has the following items:

-weather/temperature: pleasant days <85> 40, low chances of rain
-bugs/insects: minimal problems, no sending me into Mosquito valley please
-water: hopefully some nice streams/waterfalls along the way, good water sources near campsites
-accessibility: average sedan, no chance of getting stuck in mud even if it rains
-distance: 13-18 miles/day, derating milage for difficulty of terrain/elevation gain

I was considering some of the following:

-Canyonlands, lots of options here, some trailheads accessible by car
-I have heard there are some great spots in the Escalante and Green River canyon complexes that can be backpacked at certain times of the year...Dark Canyon (?)
-High country - Uintas (?) - have shown up here from time to time. I haven't found much info about these yet
-Grand Gulch, although vehiclular access and looping possibilities may be problems here?

[denaliguide]

canyonlands: lots of loop possibilities. plenty with car access lots of people in the needles district. fewer in the maze. will see others.

escalante: one of the more remote locations in the state. can get lost for days and see no one if you avoid the main canyyons (coyote and harris wash, main escalante river) you will not run in to many people at all. i have done several trips and the only time i saw anyone was at the trailhead coming and going. steve allen has a book called "loop hikes in the escalante". great resource.

grand gulch: you can do loops with strategic car placements. just have to be creative. i can give you more exact locations if you chose here. lots of people go into here. won't get that lost feeling.

dark canyon area: i know of at least one good loop there which will take you at least 5 days. beautiful area and remote. probably won't see anyone once you leave dark canyon itself.

average sedan, if roads are wet avoid the lower escalante area, maze area, dark canyon, and some of the more remote trailheads in grand gulch. needles district will be no problem and kane and bullit in grand gulch you will still be able to access

season, mid march to mid may, or sept. and oct. should give you the temps you are looking for.

[Scott P]

I also like Dark Canyon, so I would also recommend that one as well. The best loop option is down Youngs Canyon and up Lean to Canyons. It's a bit rugged

The book Canyoneering 2 starting at the Sundance Trail and combining Bowdie and Dark, but don't do this one. It skips the best part of Bowdie (which is below the confluence of the two forks) and the part of Bowdie it covers is now a terrible bushwhack (SA once told me it didn't used to be like that) unless the floods of '06 reamed it out. Gypsum Canyon isn't that far away and is one of the best non-slot canyons on the Colorado Plateau. It is at least equal to Dark (maybe even better) and has much higher waterfalls, but is harder to form a loop and I wouldn't take a passenger car out there with the possible exception of Fable Valley.

The Book Canyoneering 3 has many loops in the Escalante region.

Egypt/Fence Canyon/25 Mile makes a good loop and you can visit Neon and Ringtail along the way, which are two of the best highlights in the Escalante. I have heard good things about the 25 Mile/Scorpion Loop as well, but I haven't done that one. Silver Falls/Choprock is another really good loop and passes some great highlights. Little Death Hollow/Silver Falls makes another fine loop as well. Forty Mile/Willow is one of the best loops, but it may not be long enough for you. Same with lower Death Hollow and the Boulder Mail Trail.

In Canyonlands, Salt Creek main fork and West Fork would make a good loop, but I haven't done West Fork. It looks interesting.

In the Robbers Roost, Sams Mesa Box/Twin Corral Box makes a fine loop.

Aztec Creek/Rainbow Bridge makes one of the best loop hikes on the Colorado Plateau. You would have to walk a few extra miles with a passenger car, but not that much.

You mention Grand Gulch, but there aren't things like waterfalls there, at least not normally. You can make a long loop hike going down Bullet, Grand Gulch, up the San Juan and up Slickhorn Canyon.