I'm planning another back country exploration trip to Utah's canyon country. We made our first one last year and based it out of Moab which worked out actually quite well for a firstie. This year's trip will be in late April and, while we sure could do the camping gig, we are looking for a more southerly motel to base our flying. I've been looking at possibly Mexican Hat and would like your opinions on other lodgings close to strips that we could either walk to or bum a ride. We'll be down there for a week to 10 days and would like to try a couple of different places.
Also on this trip we are thinking of stopping for a day or two at both Zion and Bryce and would like an idea of what "base" might work for them as well, hopefully the same strip for them both. A rental car source for the Zion and Bryce portion of the trip would be a real help.
I'd sure appreciate any and all commentary!!!
Thanks,
Phil

Page, AZ at Lake Powell (KPGA) might be OK for a few nights. Plenty of hotels and airport shuttles. Big, paved rwy. Close to G. Canyon, Bryce & Zion Park.

drifter wrote:I'm planning another back country exploration trip to Utah's canyon country. We made our first one last year and based it out of Moab which worked out actually quite well for a firstie. This year's trip will be in late April and, while we sure could do the camping gig, we are looking for a more southerly motel to base our flying. I've been looking at possibly Mexican Hat and would like your opinions on other lodgings close to strips that we could either walk to or bum a ride. We'll be down there for a week to 10 days and would like to try a couple of different places.
Also on this trip we are thinking of stopping for a day or two at both Zion and Bryce and would like an idea of what "base" might work for them as well, hopefully the same strip for them both. A rental car source for the Zion and Bryce portion of the trip would be a real help.
I'd sure appreciate any and all commentary!!!
Thanks,
Phil

Mexican Hat is rough and a little ways out of town. Apparently there have been some vandalism issues in the past for airplanes tied down there as the strips sits 75 yards from the highway, borders Navajo land and has no fence/supervision. Bluff is a great launching point, cool town and you can always get someone at the Recapture Lodge to give you a ride. I stayed there last fall. Nice people and you may even get to meet Gene Foushee who will talk your eyes crossed about flying, history, geology and anything else you want to know. His 172 is hangared there. One problem.....no avgas at Bluff. You will have to use Blanding or Cal Black for go-juice. Kanab is cool too but a ways from a lot of these strips.
Zion you can use Hurricane if you want to be close. Bryce has its own Airport near the park entrance. These two parks are not too close together for rental cars. Kanab would have cheaper fuel, lodging and cars and is somewhat located between the two. You need to check out Fly Utah....it helps paint a picture of the area.

Another to look into is Monument valley. Paved now but no fuel, walk to restaurant and hotel.

KPGA if you want pseudo-city amenities. Nice airport, free shuttles to hotels or walking distance to short term condo or house rentals, Walmart and Safeway available. Centrally located.

You might also look at Kanab. Very laid back for LDS-land, walking distance (a little long but definitely doable) to the center of town.

My apologies to my former neighbors but I would rather have my eyelids stapled than spend nights in Blanding or Monticello as a base, but both airports have fuel and a way into town.

This info may be dated a bit but when I lived there you could get free shuttles from Cal Black airport to Halls Crossing, if you were staying in the housing units or campground. You can definitely do so from Bullfrog - U07 but you will have to hop to Cal Black for fuel.

Bryce Canyon Lodge or Ruby's Inn will pick you up from the Bryce Airport if you are staying with them.

Bluff and Mexican Hat are cool places to hang for a day or three if you bring your own fun - but not ideal for flying in IMO...but SixTwoLeemer has more current info than me. Been six or seven years since I flew into Bluff. BYOB, preferably Tecate in cans

Drifter:

Sounds like a fun trip. You might want to consider the flyin discussed under the "Flyins and Events" section that will be at Caveman in late April / early May. Whether you can join in or not, it would be fun spot for you to consider and is close to a lot of great spots.

You also might think about Fry Canyon. I believe that there used to be a motel within easy walking distance. I haven't been there for a long time, so I'm not sure of its status and I can't attest to the Motel, but I have heard some good reports in the long past.

If you want to wander farther down river, I have always liked Marble Canyon lodge, which is directly below Lake Powell on the Colorado River (just into Arizona). The flying around Lake Powell is really incredible. The motel serves ok food and rooms were passable (also been a long time, so someone might have more recent info). If you are interested in fishing, you can have a guide pick you up and put in just up the road and fish the Colorado just under the Glen Canyon Dam. Beautiful spot and if you hit it right, fishing can be incredible.

You can research both Utah strips on the UBCP website (utahbackcountrypilot.org). Also see Hansleman's books which you get at Sporty's or from his website directly. You could probably find Marble Canyon Lodge in the yellow pages.

Finally, if you want to cross over into western Colorado (just across Utah border a ways), consider Gateway, Colorado. There is a landing strip close to a beautiful resort they have built (Gateway Canyons I believe). Incredible rooms, great food and they even have car museum next to the resort. If your like me concerning old cars, will leaving you drooling for weeks. The Gateway strip is called Hubbard I believe. They had a real good article on it a few years back in the Pilot Getaways.

All are great spots and would support a few days exploring.

Enjoy!! Larry

Thanks to all that offered information, I appreciate it. I do have Galen's Fly Utah book, have talked to him several times prior to our trip last year. I spoke with the proprietor of Mexican Hat who informs me that the strip above them on the hill is closed for both it's current condition as well as the owner's desire. I had thought about Fry Canyon however it is closed, from what I hear, as well. Last year we made quick stops at both Goulding's and the Hubbard strip.
On this year's trip we plan to spend more time to explore the areas rather than to just see how many different places I could land. Last year we hit some of the usual's like Hidden Splendor, Happy Canyon, Mineral Canyon, Angel Point, Hite, Dark Canyon, Simplot, Piute Canyon, Wee-Hope (Uranium King), Dirty Devil, Poison Spring, Mexican Mountain, Cedar Mountain, Dolores Point, Keg Knoll, Horseshoe Canyon and others. Each of these places have some incredibly interesting things to see and do. The "Ground Section" in Galen's, Fly Utah, with all it's wealth of information, will be put to good use.
Larry, thanks for your "Caveman" reminder.
If you see a fat tired, red & white Super Cub in the area in late April and very early May...., throw a red rock at me and say "Howdy".
Phil

Phil,

Wow you have hit many of the good ones already. I forgot to mention earlier that Hanksville (HVE) isn't a bad spot for jumping around that area. Its about 2 miles into town but easy to get a ride both coming and going. We stay at Whispering Sands Hotel "The Tuff-Sheds" which are nice. [b]Blondies[/b] is across the street for killer breakfasts too. There is a fuel truck at the Airport but I believe its empty. Like O&F said above, bring you own entertainment. If you stay there look up Lavar Wells.

On the ground subject, I've heard about a natural hot spring down-canyon from Hidden Splendor. It is in the Muddy Creek River Gorge in a shady alcove somewhere above the river and supposedly makes afor a great soak if you can find it. I was told about it from a motorcycle group and they are now forbidden from using the gorge so it should be empty. Just an FYI...and if anyone else knows where it is...PM por favor. Trent?

Keep us posted.

Regarding Fry Canyon, we were in there last year around the March/April time frame. Can't remember exactly when it was and don't have anything with me that would date it for me while on the road. Anyway, it was in great shape and, as far as I know, open for business. There was even a new looking windsock tied to the base of the windsock pole. If we would have had a crescent wrench with us, we would have put it up for the next person. We have been thinking of heading down there again this spring. Does anyone know if it is closed?

Rob spent some time at Cliffdwellers Lodge. He had a good trip report with pics of the strip. You might want to check that out.

GSP

I haven't heard anything about Fry being closed. I would think it is probably open. I haven't heard anything about the store down the road being reopened, so I would imagine it is still closed. Probably available if someone were looking for a business opportunity near a backcountry strip.