im in southeast texas (at the Louisiana border close to houston) and would like to start planning a long run trip west this summer. I am building an F-Toy right now and hope to have it done in a few months. Would like to try Moab, but it may be a little out of my driving range (20 hrs 1 way). But I am not ruling it out. What "cant miss" parks are out there in NM, AZ, UT, CO? Any events coming up in the next few months at these parks?

CO - Rangely is a small park in the NW corner. Some good stuff there.
Grand Junction area has a few good trails too (21 Road, Billings Canyon)
and is just south of Rangley.
Penrose has the Independence trail system. Been a few years since
I've been there, but it was tough.

UT - Moab for sure. If you have never been there, it's worth the trip. We are
planning a trip there the last weekend of Sept (not sure if I will be
taking the FTOY)

AZ - Wheeled around Phoenix (Table Mesa) a couple years back. Different
terrain than Co and Ut.

Rangely and GJ are kinda close to me, and I frequent Moab a lot, so keep me posted on your direction and timeframe.

Don't forget the Montrose trails. Also there are supposed to be some great trails in the Buena Vista area. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that with the exception of Penrose and the Buena Vista areas, the best rockcrawling is on the Western side of Colorado. If you get that far you are so close to Moab that you might as well hit that too!

The time of year you get out here is pretty important. Since you are building an F-toy I would assume you are into rock crawling. If that is the case, Moab can be TOO hot in the middle of summer. So can the other areas if we are hit with a heat wave. I don't go to Moab from June through August. If you get here in the middle of summer some of the mountain passes are cool but not rockcrawling.

Most of the events are in the spring and fall. Easter Jeep, and "Cruise Moab"(a toyota event) are in the spring. You might not have your rig done by then.

I forgot to mention Farmington NM. Too hot there in the summer for me as well.

Good luck. and happy motoring.

Damn Vince I was searching colorado and found this post... yeah I was talking with my uncle who lived out in CO about 5 years and he's going back up in july and said he would be willing to haul my buggy behind his truck :D

So I really may be game for a run up there

Oh and heat doesnt really bother us... we are always around 95+ deg and 100% humidity where were at so dry heat is welcomed

we bake up here not boil totaly different heat keep water close

Unless you want to night wheel, avoid AZ from May-Oct. It is still 100*+ at 3AM around Phx. 90% of wheeling starts at 8PM(when it is only 110*), and ends around sun up(when it is only 100*+). Bugs are bad, snakes, scorpions, meth heads shooting, insurance fraud experts burning cars in the dark, etc. Good times. Try back from Nov-April. Seriously.

unless you want to night wheel, avoid az from may-oct. It is still 100*+ at 3am around phx. 90% of wheeling starts at 8pm(when it is only 110*), and ends around sun up(when it is only 100*+). Bugs are bad, snakes, scorpions, meth heads shooting, insurance fraud experts burning cars in the dark, etc. Good times. Try back from nov-april. Seriously.

x2 !!

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=872650

Lance and Kyron nailed it. Great wheeling all around the state, but not the best time of year to wheel here....

Lance and Kyron nailed it. Great wheeling all around the state, but not the best time of year to wheel here....

It isn't that bad. In the City it is effing suffocating, but out away from it is fine. Yes I did live in Phoenix and did wheel Table Mesa and FJ in the summer. The wheeling in AZ is worth braving the heat. I have wheeled Moab in August and it was only about 106*. Just don't run exposed to the sun and you are fine.

It isn't that bad. In the City it is effing suffocating, but out away from it is fine. Yes I did live in Phoenix and did wheel Table Mesa and FJ in the summer. The wheeling in AZ is worth braving the heat. I have wheeled Moab in August and it was only about 106*. Just don't run exposed to the sun and you are fine.

This ^ from the man who moved BACK to CO!:D

Unless you want to night wheel, avoid AZ from May-Oct. It is still 100*+ at 3AM around Phx. 90% of wheeling starts at 8PM(when it is only 110*), and ends around sun up(when it is only 100*+). Bugs are bad, snakes, scorpions, meth heads shooting, insurance fraud experts burning cars in the dark, etc. Good times. Try back from Nov-April. Seriously.

After 3-5 months at below zero weather (sometimes as low as -30 this year), this doesn't seem so bad:p