Best time to travel Arizona Utah Nevada

[popi]

Hi all,

I expect to travel 4 weeks by bike in Arizona, Utah, Nevada next year to visit national parks (Las Vegas city, Grand Canyon, Monument valley, Brice canyon, Death valley ...) and i'm worried about high temperatures and strong climate events and forest fires.
On your opinion what is the best time to do this trip ?

Thanks

 

[lee]

We used to go early spring or late fall.
Where will you fly into?

 

[PGlaves]

April or October

 

[bigjohnsd]

I've done March and April. In March we ran into snow in the high country - Alpine etc.
April a bit better - warmer near the Mexican border. The wind starts blowing too.

 

[smswy]

I lived in SW Wyoming 2021-2023 and have now lived in central Arizona since early 2023. So I have do a lot of truck/rooftop tent camping in Utah and have done a LOT of motorcycle travel there. Moto-camping and motels. As others have said late April into May. And September/October. Bryce Canyon area can start getting down to freezing temps overnight. I just did 2,300 miles in Utah last 7 days of September. Moto-camping and 1 night hotel. Still got some rain two different times, but it was not the heavy monsoon stuff. Morning temps mid 30’s to mid 40’s depending on location and elevation. Mornings I was using mid layer under my jacket and afternoons taking it off. When winter hits I drop down to lower elevations south of Prescott. Go all the way down to southern border. Later November - early March is best. Unlike places up north that say “closed for the winter”, down in Quartzite, AZ (where all the snowbirds take their RV/Trailers to in winter) they say “closed for the summer”.

 

[popi]

We used to go early spring or late fall.
Where will you fly into?

This is our planned trip : flight arrival/departure Los Angeles or San Francisco

Reading first answers it seems may could be the best time ?

 

[52184]

For decades our local BMW club, the Beehive Beemers, has held its Spring Breakout Campout in southern Utah in late April. That has almost always resulted in pleasant temps and conditions, tho those of us living in northern Utah sometimes encountered snow or rain on the way to or from the event, typically at altitude. The only Utah spots on your route where altitude might be a weather issue are Bryce and crossing SR14 to get to Cedar City. From 3rd week of April through Memorial Day you should be just fine. Enjoy the ride!

Best,
DeVern

 

[lee]

This is our planned trip : flight arrival/departure Los Angeles or San Francisco
View attachment 99371
Reading first answers it seems may could be the best time ?

May would be a good month.
Be flexible with your plans on going over Tioga Pass in Yosemite Park.

Tioga and Glacier Point Roads Opening & Closing Dates - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[lee]

i'm worried about high temperatures and strong climate events and forest fires

I've used this site a couple times when there were fires in the area we planned to visit.

Home | InciWeb

Homepage for Inciweb

inciweb.wildfire.gov

 

[PGlaves]

i'm worried about high temperatures and strong climate events and forest fires.

For more than twenty years Voni and I traveled to the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest every summer. Then I wound up in an emergency room in Montana due to forest fire smoke. And sadly, as wildfires have become almost commonplace we have not gone west for several years. And unless things change we probably wont go riding west any time soon.

 

[kbasa]

This is our planned trip : flight arrival/departure Los Angeles or San Francisco
View attachment 99371
Reading first answers it seems may could be the best time ?

Check to make sure 1 is going to be open all the way to LA. Right now, it's not and you can't get much further south than Big Sur, by Monterey.

If you're staying in Palm Springs, I highly recommend taking the tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto. When was the last time you stop atop an 11,000 foot peak?

As a NorCal resident, I'd go north on 1 from SF, not south, cross the Central Valley up by Red Bluff on 36, then over to the Sierras and on down via 49. The ride down 1 isn't all that technical and it's completely full of tourists clogging the road.

You'll get more scenic ocean vistas, less traffic, NorCal wine country and emptier roads. You can be back to SFO from Vegas in one fairly large day (600ish miles) or two shorter days with sightseeing up the east side of the Sierras on 395.

Just some thoughts from a Californian. Feel free to reach out with questions. I'm happy to share.

 

[motorhead1977]

All I can say is what my rider friends who live near Phoenix tell me and that's to avoid the area during late June through early September. It's their equivalent of our winter layover months.

 

[Motor32]

This may help you out, it's a post I made a few months ago. I never let the heat stop me, and I ride almost every day here in Arizona.

Good luck.

Steve

Hydration on my 2023 R1250RT W/Video

Hey Guys, This is what I do to stay hydrated on my RT. Living out in Arizona in the summer, is definitely a challenge for riding, and staying ahead of your hydration is the only way. The downside is, you have to pull over to pee more often, but it's so important. Steve

forums.bmwmoa.org

 

[oldschool]

Hi all,

I expect to travel 4 weeks by bike in Arizona, Utah, Nevada next year to visit national parks (Las Vegas city, Grand Canyon, Monument valley, Brice canyon, Death valley ...) and i'm worried about high temperatures and strong climate events and forest fires.
On your opinion what is the best time to do this trip ?

Thanks

Check to make sure 1 is going to be open all the way to LA. Right now, it's not and you can't get much further south than Big Sur, by Monterey.

If you're staying in Palm Springs, I highly recommend taking the tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto. When was the last time you stop atop an 11,000 foot peak?

As a NorCal resident, I'd go north on 1 from SF, not south, cross the Central Valley up by Red Bluff on 36, then over to the Sierras and on down via 49. The ride down 1 isn't all that technical and it's completely full of tourists clogging the road.

You'll get more scenic ocean vistas, less traffic, NorCal wine country and emptier roads. You can be back to SFO from Vegas in one fairly large day (600ish miles) or two shorter days with sightseeing up the east side of the Sierras on 395.

Just some thoughts from a Californian. Feel free to reach out with questions. I'm happy to share.

This is our planned trip : flight arrival/departure Los Angeles or San Francisco
View attachment 99371
Reading first answers it seems may could be the best time ?

Hi popi, it sounds like a fun trip. I have lived in Arizona my entire life, and ride year-round. If you're looking for optimum weather, I would suggest the month of May. However, that may not be best for your entire route. You will be going through significant elevation changes ie: below sea level in Death Valley, to 7000+ feet in the mountains of Arizona. Where I live, here in Payson, we are over 5000 feet. Temps here tend to average 15 - 20 degrees less than the Valley (Phoenix area). As far as wildfires, those tend to begin in late May / June when it is hot and dry.
I guess the bottom line is pack both cold and warm weather gear and be prepared to be flexible with your routing.

 

[075038]

Rode and camped on both sides of the Grand Canyon for 3 weeks around September 5, 2022 after my wife flew into (and out of) Salt Lake City. It was a good time but did get hot when we rode north from Flagstaff in the afternoon through an old lava "park" to the South Rim. I don't think we were ever cold in those 3 weeks. Remember wanting to travel most of the miles for the day before 1:00 pm. The North Rim park closes tight for the winter on a scheduled day in October due to snow and high elevation.

 

[grabcon]

The weather is one consideration and many have mentioned good months to travel. But what is just important is the crowd. My wife and I did a 35 day trip on the bikes starting June 7, 2024. We planned all of our lodging and camping 6 months in advance of the trip. The crowds in the NP's are awful. We did survive 5 days of triple digits. We do all of our riding during the day and typically limit ourselves to about 300 miles.

Best of luck on your trip. Enjoy.