Best time to visit Utah National Parks?

Old Jun 28th, 2012, 08:00 AM
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Best time to visit Utah National Parks?

The bad news is that my last minute trip to Zion and Bryce was cancelled due to work, but the good news is that since I'm now rescheduling a year in advance, I have more flexibility. My plan was to avoid the main "hot" season and go either early June or early September, but if you've visited the Parks recently, I'd love to hear when you went and whether you'd recommend that time period.

I'm disappointed that this year's trip was cancelled, but excited to have more time to plan next year's!
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 08:31 AM
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It was hot when we went to Zion over Memorial Day weekend this year - hot enough that hiking in the late afternoon was not enjoyable for me. I'd go as early as possible.

Lee Ann
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 08:44 AM
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To get monthly averages for ANY place in the U.S.

1) Go to Weather.com
2) Type out the place of interest (can be a national park) at screen top
3) Click on the [Search] Button
This will give you today's weather for that place
4) Click on [Monthly] on the left side
5) Click on [Averages] below the calendar
6) Click on [Table Display] above the graph or the info

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...nthly/USUT0030
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxcli...ly/UTNPZION:13

For June and September, respectively, at Bryce Canyon
Average high is 75 F, 70 F
Overall average temp is 70 F, 56 F

Similarly at Zion NP
Average high is 83 F, 79 F
Overall average is 67 F, 64 F

Bryce looks good either month, Zion may be warm but not stifling.
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 10:26 AM
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Zion, Cap Reef, Arches,Canyonlands.
I would vote for April or early May.
I would also vote for 3rd week in October. I've been twice on the 3rd weekend in Oct. Cap Reef and Zion both had great fall folliage then. I also visited Timpanogos Cave(unbelievable colors there).

For Bryce, I think May or September is a good option.

You could also time a visit to coincide with what fruit you like at Cap Reef. The orchards there are really amazing and large. I think cherries are first(like June). Apple are last(early October, I think). They grow many varieties of fruit. Even almonds.
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 11:15 AM
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Early October was ideal for us when hiking, cool in morning, warm in afternoon .. we stayed in the park's lodging .. this worked well since it sleeted during the nite at the higher elevations of Bryce
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 12:09 PM
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We haven't gone in June or September, but of the other months, we enjoyed April at Zion and Bryce. It's generally warm in the day and cool early and late. The temperature for hiking is really good. The downside is that you are not as likely to be able to walk the Narrows in Zion due to high water levels and swift current, but the other hikes are fantastic.

April in Bryce can be muddy on the trails. It all depends on the weather. There could be a little snow as it is at a higher elevation.
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 01:00 PM
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DW and I visited several southern Utah National Parks in early November 2010. The weather was beautiful. There were quite a few yellow leaves on the Aspens.
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 05:07 PM
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Travelkitty,

I echo spiro's advice on the very best months. I live in Utah and go to all the parks (including Tetons and Yellowstone) almost every year.

When going to southern Utah, I always go in either April, May or October. Bryce is much higher altitude so will always be cooler than Zion.

This last year I went to some of the parks outside my normal visiting times. This was due to our very mild, dry winter and hot, dry spring.

Capitol Reef at the very end of Oct was pleasant, but extremely cold at night (horse's water trough frozen solid).

Zion and St. George in mid-Feb was pleasant, rather windy, and even snowed 4 very wet, soggy inches in the canyon. Melted by 10am.

Tetons on Mother's Day weekend was prefect. Tee shirt weather. I've never gone up that early before, but then, it's been a very dry, warm year in the west.

Fall colors in Zion are fabulous! Due to the lower altitude they start turning about the end of October. Aspens up around Bryce will turn at the end of Sept, first week of Oct.

Hope this helps and have fun planning!
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 06:02 PM
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Several years ago DH and I were at Zion in either mid or late April (don't remember) and the weather was beautiful, perfect. A little cooler at Bryce on our day trip from Zion but still very nice.

No one has mentioned Sept., so I will. Last year we flew to Vegas on Sept. 10 and made a loop in 2+ wks. - Walnut Canyon/Petrified Forest/Canyon de Chelly/Mesa Verde/Canyonlands/Arches/Capitol Reef/Escalante area (plus several "lesser" sites along the way), with a brief stop at Bryce and the Kolob Canyon section of Bryce. I did what i through was "due diligence" regarding weather and concluded that we couldn't do all of these places on the same trip and expect ideal weather at all of them. But if the weather had conformed to the averages, it would have been fairly decent almost everywhere.

IF. And it's not like I didn't realized that everything that happened weather-wise could happen. I expected it to be a little warmer than I might have liked in AZ but since the rain decided to settle in for a bit, it wasn't too warm until we got to Canyonlands, just wetter than we would have preferred. It was dry (but somewhat overcast at first) and a bit warm during our time at Canyonlands, warmer than we would have liked at Arches, really nice at Capitol Reef, chilly in the afternoon and cold at night at Bryce, and rather hot at Zion the end of Sept. (We didn't visit the main part of Zion that time, but it was pretty hot in St. George, where we spent a night, so we're guessing Zion was probably hot also.)

And while it was raining in AZ and CO, it was also raining in UT and messing up some of the unpaved roads. So we had to change some of our plans due to prior rain even though it was dry by the time we got there. But I honestly think that in that part of the country you can make lemonade out of bad weather - we discovered some lovely state parks we wouldn't have visited if we could have driven on some of the washed-out roads.

Looking at the previous suggestions, it appears to be the usual crapshoot. Dayle said the Tetons were beautiful and warm in mid-May, but we were in Yellowstone the first week of June - it was rainy or snowy and windy at least part of 4 of our 6 days. I would certainly choose late April over late Sept. for Zion, from my limited experience. But I know that it could be unpleasantly cold in either park, especially Bryce, then.

I guess you just need to take a deep breath, pick a time, cross your fingers, and pack those layers and rain gear.
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 06:05 PM
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Just remember--Don't go when it is the Utah school break for spring (usually the week starting with EAster Sunday but not always) or fall break--usually the 3rd week in October. And don't go near Moab over EAster (jeep safari weekend).

I like April, May starts getting hot. End of Sept or first week of October is awesome!!
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Old Jun 28th, 2012, 06:26 PM
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I've been twice on the third weekend in April. Once in Zion(somewhat busy) and once in Cap Reef/Canyonland-detached section/Goblin Valley. I don't think Canyonlands and Cap Reef is ever busy or crowded.
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Old Jun 29th, 2012, 06:25 PM
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Please note that the trips I did this year were out of the norm - we have had a VERY low snow year and very warm early temps. Tetons would not usually be tee shirt weather in May. Not even in June on some days. It can snow there in July.

For southern Utah parks, I go in April, May or October. Fall weather is a LITTLE more predictable than spring. But the weather in the Rocky Mtn state can change in a second. Listen to the weather reports, check with the visitor's/ranger stations and keep you eyes on the sky.
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Old Jun 29th, 2012, 08:00 PM
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We went in early April - spring break when I was teaching. There was a bit of ice still in the shade on the trail to Delicate Arch. Other than that, the weather was glorious. The best part, we had Delicate Arch to ourselves. On the same trip it snowed on us (a lot) at the Grand Canyon and the workers at the ski resort in Colorado were sunning during breaks in bikini tops and shorts. LOVED that time of year in the desert - especially not having to deal with crowds.
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Old Jun 30th, 2012, 04:14 AM
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I've also been to Moab twice on Memorial Day weekend. Suprisingly, not that crowded either time. Hiked Delicate Arch one year in the evening and there was a crowd. Hiked it in 2011 Memorial Day at first light in the morning and it was us and one other couple there.
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Old Jun 30th, 2012, 04:52 AM
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Perfect plan or not - just get there.
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Old Jul 1st, 2012, 03:45 AM
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I've been to the Utah parks in mid-May (snow flurries and 40 degrees in Bryce and 90 degrees and sunny the day before at Lower Calf Creek Falls), late May/early June (beautiful but woke up in Bryce to a bit of a snow blanket) and mid-September (beautiful though somewhat warm).

My guess is the last half of May or very early June or middle two weeks of September.
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