Originally Posted by
Drew Wiley
Harrumphh, Mr. New Hampshire!! The SW has absolutely incredible fall color. But the timing varies between mid Oct through Nov depending on the location and altitude. There are quite a few areas where the mountains in the Four Corners area are like islands, where you can see stunning rock desert and lower altitudes and fall aspen up high within a short distance. But be prepared for snow anytime. Always travel with plenty of supplies, warm gear, and good sleeping bags. Tourists facilities can be far between in the Fall. And just about the worst thing you could do is try to cover a whole bunch of states on a single trip. That's why I suggested Four Corners - where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. If you go from LA through Las Vegas to Zion Natl Prk, then to the upper part of that, it's easy to get to Bryce NP and from there onto Hwy 12 down into the Escalante River area, and from there up into the aspen, and back down again into Capitol Reef NP, and from there over toward Canyonlands and Arches, from there back down into the tip of Arizona and Monument Valley, Can de Chelly, then potentially backtrack northern Ariz through Petrified Forest NP, Grand Can S rim, etc, back to LA, with at least driving through Death Valley being perfectly feasible. That would be reasonable in two or three weeks and still allow some day hiking and quality photography time, plus lots of sheer sightseeing opportunities. Bring good boots, lots of water. In that part of the world, logistics can be survival. Much of the canyon area can be downright hot during the day and bitter cold at night. Many tourist facilities close at the end of October, so you have to plan for the option of camping. One more word of warning - beware of deer hunters in the woods in Autumn. You want to know where they are. They often hunt drunken and will shoot at mere noises. Drive around a bit on the road if hunting season is open before you camp or start hiking around. But in the National Parks, hunting is forbidden, so they're safer. Capitol Reef is magnificent in Oct and has few of the crowds of the better known National Parks. Taking Utah Hwy 12 there is highly recommended, but it does go up high. But before that, you should set aside a day to hike to Calf Creek Falls down on the Escalante. An easy lovely walk, maybe 6 miles round trip. Have good maps. Cell phone coverage is quite limited, and absolutely do not trust auto GPS to get you around - people die every year following phantom GPS shortcuts in the American West. When in doubt about road conditions, ask locally. Slickrock clay can be as hard as asphalt but turn into sheer soap after a rain; and you can easily get stuck in even a Jeep. Best to stick to paved roads. Flash flooding tends to subside late in October, with November being a generally safe month, but always beware of the risk, whether driving or hiking. Gas up fully when and where you can.
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We did no hiking and the time was full up. We started in Santa Fe, New Mexico and ended in Sedona,Arizona. We covered all the major National Parks. Here's the Google Map link. 
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