5 day Colorado Plateau backpacking trip in October

I'm looking for suggestions for a 35-45 mile backpacking trip somewhere on the Plateau in October (lower elevation). Dark Canyon? Escalante? The Maze?

I don't have a 4WD vehicle but would probably be able to borrow or rent one if needed. Could probably set up a shuttle if that is best. People will be coming from Moab, Albuquerque, and Alaska. We all have Plateau experience and have done a number of longer backpacking trips in Grand Canyon, although I'm open to route suggestions there, too. We are good at map reading and route finding but aren't interested in technical canyons or really exposed scrambling (like say, the Chocolate Drops route in the Maze).

Thoughts? Thanks.

These are trips we have already done:
Grand Canyon - Escalante Route
Grand Canyon - Thunder River/Surprise Valley/Deer Creek
Buckskin Gulch - Wire Pass to Lee's Ferry
Coyote Gulch
Canyonlands - Needles - Salt Creek
Ashdown Gorge

Examples of "really exposed scrambling" to avoid - the route up from Jacob Hamblin Arch in Coyote Gulch. Chocolate Drops route in the Maze.

Scrambling that is totally fine - Crack in the Rock in Coyote Gulch. Sundance Trail in Dark Canyon.

Not too many examples, I know, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head.

Sounds like you already have some good ideas brewing.

Whenever I get asked for suggestions, I always ask them first to list their priorities for the trip from high to low. So, how would you rank the following for your group?

- awesome scenery
- great camping
- lack of crowds
- rugged adventure
- daily water availability
- archealogy interests
- dog friendly
- campfire friendly
- loop route

Knowing this will help us come up with some suggestions.

- Jamal

How about the south end of Capitol Reef NP? Start at Lower Muley Twist Canyon on the Burr Trail and hike it all the way thru the Halls Cr Narrows. Lot's of side canyons to explore on the way including the Hamburger Rocks and Brimhall Bridge. You'd need to leave a car somewhere near the bottom end of Hall's.

Hmmm.. Priorities. Can I pick most of them?
Top three would probably be scenery, water availability, and lack of crowds.
A loop would be nice, but we can probably figure out a shuttle if it's not too long. Great camping is always a bonus.
Not necessary - rugged, dog friendly, campfire friendly.

I think my vote would be for either The Maze or a route around Escalante.

The Maze you could jetboat into and out of via Moab for a little extra fun. Or, drive to Hans Flat and then hike in via North Canyon. You could then do a nice loop w/o getting too technical like down Horse up Pictograph Canyon and then back down South Fork or Pete's Mesa and return via Maze Overlook (or some crazy combination like that.) Extra time would let you explore Shot/Water Canyon or the Fins -- but that could be pushing it.

Several Loops are possible in mid-Escalante linking Harris to Choprock and back Silver Falls up the Escalante and back to via a overland route near Red Break. An alternate might be to connect up to Big Horn and Phipps as well.

- JG

Thanks! I'm getting my maps out. :-)