What activities exist in Utah around December/ January ?

[maarten.1975]

Hello everybody,

I have visited Utah and surrounding states a couple of times in October and once in May. I am currently thinking about visiting Utah, Zion and/ or surrounding states at the end of December/ beginning of January. October again is to early for me financially seen, and waiting till next May is unbearable...

Now the question for me still is: what activities are possible in this time of the year. Of course it is depending on how serious the winter will be, however I mean in general.... Canyoneering will be very hard I think, or not for all canyons? What about the more dry canyons in the desert? And will there be a Freeze Fest again? And what about hiking in general? I've never visited Zion in wintertime, and I am wondering how accessible are the better (less touristic) trails in general? What about the Narrows? Or other nearby parks and area's? I know the question is very 'open', therefor let me ask it this way: 'what are your experiences with outdoor activities during wintertime in the Utah area?' For me personally I

[Byron]

Come on out, it's great. The worst thing that could happen is a serious cold front with precip and low, low temps. Bad luck if you hit that, but actually the odds are in your favor.

The Grand Canyon is good, even in winter. Some of the high altitude dirt roads might have too much snow, generally driving in the boondocks above 7000 ft. MIGHT be sketchy.

Just come prepared with warm clothes and have fun. Probably the only bummer is the short days...so if you're going to camp out, plan for a fire. The places you mentioned should all be accessible. It seems like you're expecting everything to be covered in snow...not the case. You'll be fine, considering where you're coming from. We're all sun baked desert rats, so when it "gets cold" we wimp out and hibernate. Well, some do.

[Sandstone Addiction]

I agree with Byron--great time to visit!

Moab, Blanding, Page, Kanab, Escalante, etc. are virtually deserted during the winter (except for locals, of course) and that means cheap hotels and no waiting at the resaurants. Most are open in the towns listed. Very relaxed atmosphere.

Goblin Valley along with most of the low desert valleys on the Colorado Plateau receive very little, if any, snow. Now there are rare times when snow might be a problem, but most likely, it won't. Mud, on the other hand, could be a concern in some areas--check with locals or visitor centers before venturing out. Sand is better to drive on when wet.

Another nice thing about winter is that the State and National Parks are open and most of the roads inside the parks are open too. Bryce Canyon is gorgeous in winter with snow on the hoodoos. Arches and Canyonlands have very few people which make for a very relaxing and pleasant visit. Plenty of parking in Zion.

Temps can be cold, especially overnight and before noon, but if the sun is shining it warms up nicely and can seem warmer than it really is. Hiking in winter is very nice.

One thing I would suggest--since you may not see many people off the main highways is to tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back. If you don't know anyone here, I'm sure many on Bogley including myself would be happy to make sure you make it back safe.