Hey there, i am planning a trip sometime in October from Pensacola FL out to Moab/ canyon lands national parks area this ocotber and was wondering if anyone free wanted to drive along or maybe even ride along as strange as that sounds lol. Im driving a 2005 4runner sport 4wd and really dont want to drive out there by myself. any tips or places to go as its my first time out west are greatly appreciated too!

Canyonlands and Moab are awesome in October; that and March-April are the best times to go. If your 4runner is more or less stock I'd suggest some of the following:
- Schafer switchbacks in Canyonlands. Easy road (with some exposure), but jaw-dropping scenery.
- Part of the White Rim trail. Too long to do it all unless you camp out, but the first 10-15 miles off the Schafer trail will give you a good taste of the backcountry experience.
- Long Canyon, Hurrah Pass, Chicken Corners, Gemini Bridges. Fairly short trips, not too tough, did I mention great scenery.
- Arches Nat'l Park. A couple of good backcountry roads in the Salt Valley area, and some great hiking trails on the north end at the Devils Garden. Largest collection of rock arches in the world.

Moab's a nice town to stay in - plenty of lodging and good food.

As far as getting out there, keep your eye on the weather. I-70 through Colorado is a great route, but in October it can snow and if so, it gets nasty, especially if you're not accustomed to it. If the weather is bad, consider staying south through New Mexico and coming up from there.

Weather in Moab should be good, maybe a day or so of rain, but snow and cold not likely yet, although it could be nippy in the mornings, possibly below freezing. The days warm up nicely, though.

Spend some time on the Canyonlands website (www.nps.gov/cany), and TrailDamage.com, the Utah section. Traildamage is the best online source of offroad trail data in the Colo/Utah/New Mexico area.

Be aware that down in the canyons cell phone coverage is pretty much non-existent, so don't plan to call for help. The routes I've listed will be fairly well traveled, so you won't get stranded for days or anything. Verizon has the best coverage out there - the rest are pretty worthless except close to town.

What are your plans so far? What/where do you want to see? Trails? Parks? Monuments?
The temps will probably be the the upper 30's in October which may, or may not, matter.

I dont really have any solid plans, My 4runner is on 285's with 3" of lift, relentless fab front bumper. Its been regeared to 4.56 with a rear locker. The route i had planned to take took me through the south west corner of Colorado. I really want to see canyon lands, arches and a few light trails in moab if possible. I kind of just want to see as much as i can without spending too much time in one place.