Billy_Parham

I'm from Ireland and can't wait to see Southwest USA! I'm on a tight schedule, driving L.A. via Vegas to Utah, then on to San Francisco before returning to L.A. My current schedule allows one night at Bryce and one at Canyonlands - should I see both or spend more time at one (my personal preference hints at Canyonlands)? Any advice is greatly appreciated. David.

bob_brown

That is a tough call. My own personal favorite is Bryce because of the intricate nature of the spires of soft, weathered limestone.

You can see more of Bryce in a short period of time because the best views are confined to a relatively small area on the eastern side of the plateau.

Canyonlands is a bit more spreadout and you actually have two sections of the park that are reachable from Moab.

The mitigating factor here is that the entrance to Arches NP is very close to the road leading to the northern part of Canyonlands. In a day's time you could take in the highlights of two parks.

When you get down to preferences in the Moab area, I prefer Arches to Canyonlands.

Were I asked to choose between Arches and Bryce, my difficulties would escalate.

Myer

I haven't been to Moab yet. Planning for next May.

However, I was just in Bryce and Zion. They are both beautiful. Bryce is one of a kind.

Driving begins to wear on you. It's a 4 1/5 hour drive from Las Vegas to Bryce. Then it's another 4 1/2 hours to Moab.

You're not going to wee everything in the country. Why not try to put together what gives you the most bang for your time?

Zion is in a direct line between Las Vegas and Bryce Canyon. Why not visit these two?

make sure in bryce that you don't just visit to lookouts. You'll be missing a lot.

You can hike Navajo Loop and Queens Garden in a few hours and that takes you down into the Hoodoos.

In Zion you can walk Riverside Walk and the Emerald Pools or Canyon Overlook in half a day.

That would be a slow rush and not a fast rush.

sharondi

See them both. They are very different and with just a day, a quick peek at both is worth it.

RuthMc

Boy, that's a tough question. Bryce is so unusual. But Canyonlands and Arches near Moab are also great. If the driving time from Bryce to Moab is almost 5 hours and you have to leave Moab the next day, that doesn't give you much time even to do the driving tours of Canyonland (Island in the Sky) and Arches if you want. But if you're willing to do the driving...If you're looking for wide-open scenery, Bryce has some but Canyonlands is probably the better bet. The views from Dead Horse Point State Park, right next to Canyonlands, are unbelievable.

justme22

my personal favorite is canyonlands thats based on the hiking selections. for the "driveby" bryce and arches you can see a lot. I like hiking at zion too but its very different from bryce and arches and canyonlands. of course if you just hit moab, then canyonlands and arches is the most logical.

mahoneycutt

We did this in June 07 and I'd recommend Bryce for two days. As previously mentioned, Canyonlands is spreadout and we didn't do it justice with the day we spent there.

Mike Honeycutt

tovarich

Do only Bryce.You wont regret it and do the combination hike Navajo trail-Queens garden trail.Moab and the canyonlands will take at least 3 days to see.Paul

peterboy

I agree...do Zion and Bryce
for a day each at least so you
can do more than a driveby. Do
a hike (Angel's Landing in Zion)
and pick one in Bryce. Both these parks (all of them really)are best appreciated from the trails not the car.

To go to Moab and see Canyonlands but not Arches would be a travesty. Best to save them for your next trip.

StantonHyde

If you are just doing a drive in/out then I can see doing Bryce. Compared to Canyonlands, though, Bryce was a big dissapointment to me. I live in Utah and have seen lots of the southern part. I have NEVER seen anything like some of the hikes I have done in Cayonlands. If you really want to see it and you only have half a day or so, then it is worth it to do a guided Jeep trip. I only hike/backpack so I can't recommend a service. But I would take a half day at Canyonlands and a half day at Arches with a hike to see Delicate Arch. The other suggestions may better fit your driving schedule. The Europeans I have met tell me they just had no concept as to how big this part of the world is and how really long it takes to drive places. So accounting for driving time is key. You could absolutely do another separate trip to Canyonlands, Moab, the Colorado Plateau. You will be amazed--have fun!

utahtea

I'm wondering if by Canyonlands, Bill_Parham is talking about the Grand Canyon. With only one night at each, I really don't think they are talking about driving all the way to Canyonlands National Park near Moab.

It will be hard enough seeing Bryce and the Grand Canyon with one night at each. I'd recommend one night at each Zion National Park and Bryce or two nights at the Grand Canyon.

Utahtea