Bryce and Zion National Park Trip Planning

[WinniWoman]

Great thread, Mary Ann...thanks for starting it! I've been to Bryce and Zion, but it was ages ago and I'd love to take my DW to see these amazing places. So I am an admitted "lurker" on this thread and enjoying, like you are, all of the great comments and ideas generated by your post. Now if I can only figure out how to hire NW Dave to be my tour guide whenever we decide to make this trip...

Dave is great, isn't he?!

 

[klpca]

It was crowded this week because it was a holiday. The crowds affect four things - the entrance to the park because everyone has to pay, parking (ugh), the gift shops because everyone wants a souvenir, and the most popular, easy to see attractions (waterfalls for example). Stay away from those things best as you can and you will be fine.

Here is video of Zion that I have posted before. Based upon the description at the end, this was filmed about the same time that we visited (early Nov 2016). It was beautiful and uncrowded.

 

[DaveNV]

Great thread, Mary Ann...thanks for starting it! I've been to Bryce and Zion, but it was ages ago and I'd love to take my DW to see these amazing places. So I am an admitted "lurker" on this thread and enjoying, like you are, all of the great comments and ideas generated by your post. Now if I can only figure out how to hire NW Dave to be my tour guide whenever we decide to make this trip...

Remember that "Adopt me?" comment in the other thread?

Dave

 

[WalnutBaron]

Remember that "Adopt me?" comment in the other thread?

Dave

I do! I'm pretty sure we could work out a deal here, Dave!

 

[sue1947]

Don't let the overcrowding stop you from going. Just do your homework and work around it. We were there Sunday through Thursday and were in the park by 8-9 am each day. Get to the park early and park your car. Then hop on the shuttle buses and enjoy. The trails that get all the attention will be crowded especially in the afternoon. So go early and avoid the crowds. In the afternoon, head for the lesser known areas like East Zion or Rainbow Pt at Bryce. At Bryce, most of the crowds are at Sunrise and Sunset Points. I know you said you won't do any hiking, but at least walk the rim trail from Inspiration down to Sunset Pt; you'll avoid the crowds until you get to Sunset. I consider at least a short hike down into the formations a must do. Drop down a short ways from Sunrise or Sunset Point and loop back up to the other or do a short in and out; just do it in the morning. The crowds don't really get going until closer to noon so if you get up early and get out you will avoid a lot. Then head to Rainbow Point at the far end in the afternoon.

Sue

 

[WinniWoman]

Don't let the overcrowding stop you from going. Just do your homework and work around it. We were there Sunday through Thursday and were in the park by 8-9 am each day. Get to the park early and park your car. Then hop on the shuttle buses and enjoy. The trails that get all the attention will be crowded especially in the afternoon. So go early and avoid the crowds. In the afternoon, head for the lesser known areas like East Zion or Rainbow Pt at Bryce. At Bryce, most of the crowds are at Sunrise and Sunset Points. I know you said you won't do any hiking, but at least walk the rim trail from Inspiration down to Sunset Pt; you'll avoid the crowds until you get to Sunset. I consider at least a short hike down into the formations a must do. Drop down a short ways from Sunrise or Sunset Point and loop back up to the other or do a short in and out; just do it in the morning. The crowds don't really get going until closer to noon so if you get up early and get out you will avoid a lot. Then head to Rainbow Point at the far end in the afternoon.

Sue

Thanks! We are definitely early birds and that is always our strategy- get to the parks early. Has always worked well for us in the past. And- yes- as long as the walks/short hikes are somewhat easy and not too steep for a long length, we will do them.

 

[Cornell]

I have done this trip twice. The drive from Las Vegas is very easy. Both times I've done this I have spent one night in LV either as we arrived or when we departed to make traveling easier. I hate LV but discovered that there are some really nice non-casino hotels in LV right near the strip. Both of my trips I made my home base Kanab, UT. Kanab is a low-key, cool , laid-back town. If you like animals (domesticated animals like dogs, cats), you should spend a day (or half-day) visiting Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. It is the largest, no-kill animal shelter in the US. Truly life changing. Their property is gorgeous and you can take a tour of their property. It is life-affirming! This is the sanctuary where Michael Vick's dogs were taken after they were rescued. You will be uplifted if you visit. Check out bestfriends.org. You can even volunteer during your visit if you choose to do so.

 

[Cornell]

Also -- I stayed in rentals in Kanab that I got via VRBO. One was so-so. The other was absolutely awesome. An adorable one bedroom cabin that had everything we could possibly need.

 

[WinniWoman]

Well, here is what I did today. I called up Cable Mountain Lodge (thank you, klpc!) because I hadn't yet gotten an email response from them nor a reply to my Facebook message (Yes- I know- I am very neurotic and impatient!).

The gentleman who answered the phone told me they did not yet have their 2019 rates yet- probably wouldn't until September 2018. But- he said he could still make a reservation for me. Then he put me on hold to ask his manager if he could give me the 2018 rates because he needed to take a deposit from me. She said he could. Also, you have up to 3 days before check- in to cancel and get a full refund on the first night deposit. So- I booked a Sunday to Saturday- the Sunday after Labor Day check-in. I took the more expensive Parkside View suite because it has a view compared to a slightly cheaper suite without one. It was twice what we would have paid if we had the Worldmark owner book us in St. George and even lot more expensive then just renting a place from Home Away. I was really hoping for less expensive lodging. But the more I thought about it, not having to do the drives from St. George to Zion and Bryce will be worth it. (I paid the same when I booked directly at Rams Horn this past June.)

On our other most recent national park trips- like Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain- we stayed right outside the gates and it was great. And we were still able to make a few day trips elsewhere from those locations. Yes, we now have a further drive to the airport (though I think it is probably just like an 1/2 hour more- not sure), but hopefully I can get decent flight times to help with that.

Also, the man I spoke with at the resort said Bryce is a 2 hour drive from there. So that will be ok. I figure 2 days in Zion tops and 1 day in Bryce. Another day exploring around as per some suggestions received here and another left for spontaneity.

Even though I love the idea of staying over night in Bryce I did not want to start with checking out of the resort and then checking in at Bryce and then having to go back to the resort and check in again. Taking our clothes and all that. So we will just do a day trip there and be happy without the sunrise and sunset I guess. I am sure it will be great nonetheless.

One thing, the man told me the temperatures average around 100 degrees that time of year, so I am concerned about that as my husband and I both hate extreme heat. He said I could change the dates anytime as long as they have the availability, so I don't know if I should make it later in Sept. or not.

I love having my lodging squared away for vacations, even if they are well over a year away! LOL! I am a real timeshare owner I guess! Never got the pre-planning bug out of me! But it's just so much fun! Made my first day back to work bearable! (does anyone else get excited about something that is so far away?)

 

[DaveNV]

I love having my lodging squared away for vacations, even if they are well over a year away! LOL! I am a real timeshare owner I guess! Never got the pre-planning bug out of me! But it's just so much fun! Made my first day back to work bearable! (does anyone else get excited about something that is so far away?)

Those are good options. I'm sure the location is awesome. Springdale is a fun little town, (all three blocks of the one street), great galleries, interesting restaurants, lots of souvenir shopping. (I'm sitting here looking at a beautiful native-inspired pot we got from a nice gallery there. Very Navajo-like piece, but I'm sure it's not made by native artists.) Yes, it'll be a drive back to the freeway to get down to St. George or up to Bryce, but that drive is kind of nice, and the roads are good. Scenery is pretty awesome all over the area. Someone mentioned Kanab - it's a town south on Highway 89 from the east entrance to Zion. Lots of old western movies were filmed there, (think John Wayne era.) If you find yourself on the east side of Zion and you head north on 89, a stop in Panguitch is always fun - very rustic, authentic country town. (If it's still there, Buffalo Java had excellent coffee and pastries.) Your timing in September is about all you can control, if you need that time of year. It'll get cooler as you get later in the month, but too late could get you into early Fall storms. When we did the big trip I mentioned above, it was the last week in September, windy but warm. So not too bad. Bryce is a lot higher than Zion, and the weather will probably be a bit different. Dress in layers, and peel off or on as needed.

Now that you've got your lodging settled, you can look into the things you'll want to do in the area. Planning is a big part of the fun, and there is plenty to do in the area.

Dave

 

[Cornell]

Adding on to ^^. Springdale is an awesome town. Forgot about that place. It's got a great vibe to it. Recommend stopping in!!!! All my memories are coming back of my trips there. You will have a great time. I have a few pieces of Native-American jewelry that I purchased in Kanab that I love to wear. So much to see and do in that entire area of Southern Utah.

 

[WinniWoman]

Those are good options. I'm sure the location is awesome. Springdale is a fun little town, (all three blocks of the one street), great galleries, interesting restaurants, lots of souvenir shopping. (I'm sitting here looking at a beautiful native-inspired pot we got from a nice gallery there. Very Navajo-like piece, but I'm sure it's not made by native artists.) Yes, it'll be a drive back to the freeway to get down to St. George or up to Bryce, but that drive is kind of nice, and the roads are good. Scenery is pretty awesome all over the area. Someone mentioned Kanab - it's a town south on Highway 89 from the east entrance to Zion. Lots of old western movies were filmed there, (think John Wayne era.) If you find yourself on the east side of Zion and you head north on 89, a stop in Panguitch is always fun - very rustic, authentic country town. (If it's still there, Buffalo Java had excellent coffee and pastries.) Your timing in September is about all you can control, if you need that time of year. It'll get cooler as you get later in the month, but too late could get you into early Fall storms. When we did the big trip I mentioned above, it was the last week in September, windy but warm. So not too bad. Bryce is a lot higher than Zion, and thew eater will probably be a bit different. Dress in layers, and peel off or on as needed.

Now that you've got your lodging settled, you can look into the things you'll want to do in the area. Planning is a big part of the fun, and there is plenty to do in the area.

Dave

Thanks, Dave! Good info on that town of Kanab. My husband would love that- he loves all the old western movies!

At this point, I do not even know which end of Zion the resort is at and I have no sense of direction because I have yet to pull out my map!

I think we will have enough to do for a week for sure. I will be printing out this entire thread at some point to take all the ideas with us! LOL! I even wonder if we will even have time to go to St George now! Ha! Ha!

I will leave my Sept. dates I have booked for now. We could do June (someone said it is very hot then also and monsoons; someone else said when they were there in June it was dry and beautiful) and we could do later in Sept or even Oct. The National Park Service said monsoon season is mid July to mid Sept. The guy on the phone at the resort said it is very hot in Sept. but the week right after a holiday is usually less people. He also said December is great because no one is there and it is cool and doesn't necessarily snow a lot. But then he said he could tell me this and it could snow a lot. It is all so unpredictable. But like you said there could be early Fall storms if we went later. My head spins with this so I am leaving well enough alone for now. Hey- there is a nice pool at the resort and I love to be in water- especially if it is hot.

Do you know where the closest supermarket is to where we will be staying? Just for breakfast stuff, lunch meat and simple dinner items- like frozen meals, or pasta, salad, etc.?

 

[sue1947]

Springdale is on the south side of Zion and on the west side of the main part of the park. The park continues west in 2 sections that are less visited. The furthest west is the Kolob Canyon with access off of I-15. The middle section is Kolob Terrace.
From the Cable Mtn lodge, you will be able to walk out to catch the shuttle bus through town to the Visitor Center and then shift to the Valley shuttle system. Easy peasy.
The shortest and more scenic route to Bryce is not out to I-15, but drive through Zion and the tunnel along Highway 9 and then north on 89.
If you don't like hot temps, then don't go to the desert that early. All that rock radiates the heat out so hot days are really hot. October will be much much better. We were there Oct 15-20 and the temps were in the 80's.

Sue

 

[klpca]

Springdale is on the south side of Zion and on the west side of the main part of the park. The park continues west in 2 sections that are less visited. The furthest west is the Kolob Canyon with access off of I-15. The middle section is Kolob Terrace.
From the Cable Mtn lodge, you will be able to walk out to catch the shuttle bus through town to the Visitor Center and then shift to the Valley shuttle system. Easy peasy.
The shortest and more scenic route to Bryce is not out to I-15, but drive through Zion and the tunnel along Highway 9 and then north on 89.
If you don't like hot temps, then don't go to the desert that early. All that rock radiates the heat out so hot days are really hot. October will be much much better. We were there Oct 15-20 and the temps were in the 80's.

Sue

I agree - Sept is too hot for me. I'd look at Oct-Nov personally. We went through Zion to get to Bryce. It was a spectacular drive.

 

[klpca]

Do you know where the closest supermarket is to where we will be staying? Just for breakfast stuff, lunch meat and simple dinner items- like frozen meals, or pasta, salad, etc.?

There's a little local market right in Springdale. Everything in Springdale is on one street. You will drive right by it on your way the lodge.

 

[WinniWoman]

Springdale is on the south side of Zion and on the west side of the main part of the park. The park continues west in 2 sections that are less visited. The furthest west is the Kolob Canyon with access off of I-15. The middle section is Kolob Terrace.
From the Cable Mtn lodge, you will be able to walk out to catch the shuttle bus through town to the Visitor Center and then shift to the Valley shuttle system. Easy peasy.
The shortest and more scenic route to Bryce is not out to I-15, but drive through Zion and the tunnel along Highway 9 and then north on 89.
If you don't like hot temps, then don't go to the desert that early. All that rock radiates the heat out so hot days are really hot. October will be much much better. We were there Oct 15-20 and the temps were in the 80's.

Sue

Thanks. I will think about the dates more.

As for Bryce, I thought you can't drive through Zion? That is why you have to take shuttles I thought.

 

[DaveNV]

On your way to Springdale you'll drive through both Hurricane and Virgin. There are grocery stores in both towns. In Springdale itself, you're staying about a mile from a grocery store. Everything is right along Highway 9 through town. Google maps will show you this:

Dave

 

[Karen G]

As for Bryce, I thought you can't drive through Zion? That is why you have to take shuttles I thought.

You can drive on the main road that goes through the park, but they have the shuttles to take you around once you're inside the park. Also there wouldn't be room for all the cars to park at each stop if everyone was driving around inside the park. There are entrances to the park on both the west and east sides. You definitely want to go through the park and then north on highway 89 to get to Bryce Canyon. Here's a website describing the route between parks: https://www.visitutah.com/plan-your-trip/recommended-itineraries/mighty5/rivers-redrock/

 

[sue1947]

As for Bryce, I thought you can't drive through Zion? That is why you have to take shuttles I thought.

The main part of Zion is a valley that dead ends at the Zion Narrows. The shuttle bus runs through this valley. The Visitor Center is at the mouth of the Valley. The road (highway 9) goes from the Visitor Center for a few miles and then hangs a right at an intersection. A left turn here continues down the Valley and at that point, the road is closed to all traffic unless you are staying at the lodge. Most of the well known sites are further down that road. Taking the right turn (which is essentially straight on the main road) switchbacks up and then through a narrow tunnel to the east side of the park and then out to Highway 89. The tunnel is a bottleneck. It was built when cars were smaller. Now any wide car/trailer/boat etc requires traffic be stopped in the opposite direction. A Ranger is stationed at each end of the tunnel and stops traffic whenever a larger vehicle comes along. You may get through without stopping, but most of the time there will be a short wait here.
Look at the map of the valley here: https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/upload/Shuttle-map_7_7_17.pdf. stop #3 is where the road is closed. Look closely to see the black line indicating the road to the right that heads up to the Mt Carmel tunnel.

Sue

 

[DaveNV]

The drive up through the tunnel is kind of cool, at least for the passenger.

Dave

 

[WinniWoman]

The drive up through the tunnel is kind of cool, at least for the passenger.

Dave

Uh, oh...is hubby going to like this drive? LOL!

 

[DaveNV]

Uh, oh...is hubby going to like this drive? LOL!

It depends on how comfortable he is behind the wheel. The tunnel itself is not bad, if the driver pays attention. Any experienced driver will be fine with it. The tunnel is cut through the mountain as it winds its way up and out of the canyon to the mesa on the east side of the park. It's long enough that they have large "windows" every so often that give a view out over the canyon below. It's an unusual tunnel, and a remarkable piece of engineering, but it's not what I would consider dangerous. The comments above about having to wait for one-way traffic is due to the overhead clearance. Tall vehicles, like RVs or big trucks, need to straddle the center line to get the highest part of the tunnel. Passenger cars have no trouble. Since the road through the tunnel is Highway 9, the Rangers need to keep traffic moving. It's a very well-managed process, and your husband won't have any trouble. Bonus: You get to see those peek-a-boo views out the "windows."

Watch this video:

Dave

 

[WinniWoman]

It depends on how comfortable he is behind the wheel. The tunnel itself is not bad, if the driver pays attention. Any experienced driver will be fine with it. The tunnel is cut through the mountain as it winds its way up and out of the canyon to the mesa on the east side of the park. It's long enough that they have large "windows" every so often that give a view out over the canyon below. It's an unusual tunnel, and a remarkable piece of engineering, but it's not what I would consider dangerous. The comments above about having to wait for one-way traffic is due to the overhead clearance. Tall vehicles, like RVs or big trucks, need to straddle the center line to get the highest part of the tunnel. Passenger cars have no trouble. Since the road through the tunnel is Highway 9, the Rangers need to keep traffic moving. It's a very well-managed process, and your husband won't have any trouble. Bonus: You get to see those peek-a-boo views out the "windows."

Watch this video:

Dave

Thanks. Well, he drives yearly through Smugglers Notch around the big boulders in the narrow, windy roadway. And he does it at night as well when we go into Stowe for dinner and the theater. So he should be ok.

In Rocky Mountain National Park, I ended up sitting behind him for some of the ride on Trailridge Road because of my fear of heights! LOL!

 

[Erin Bates]

This doesn't have anything to do with planning the vacation but when we were in Moab a year ago the thing that blew us away is how empty the state was and then you get to Moab and it was very well trafficked and we only heard English spoken by 3 groups we passed. Maybe it was unusual but maybe out of 100 groups we passed. It has a huge international pull, so I guess that means if they came from oceans away to see it then it's worth it.

 

[DaveNV]

This doesn't have anything to do with planning the vacation but when we were in Moab a year ago the thing that blew us away is how empty the state was and then you get to Moab and it was very well trafficked and we only heard English spoken by 3 groups we passed. Maybe it was unusual but maybe out of 100 groups we passed. It has a huge international pull, so I guess that means if they came from oceans away to see it then it's worth it.

Moab, Utah, is a HUGE destination for German tourists. I know other nations come too, but I'm told at Travel Agencies in Germany they have "Visit Moab" posters on the walls. Because of the outdoor, natural environment, hiking and bicycling opportunities, and a chance to see some amazing outdoor scenery, Moab draws a lot of foreign visitors. I know it keeps drawing me back, and I've been there several times.

Dave