bromipowjo

Good morning,

My husband and I are planning a trip for late June this summer and would love some feedback on our itinerary. We enjoy hiking and photography and would like to avoid crowds as much as possible. I know there will be a lot of driving and moving around involved in the schedule below, but it is our first time in the area and we likely won't be back for awhile. Is our schedule doable? Any additional recs for places to stay or eat? And if we need to cut something out to make more time somewhere else, what would you suggest? The only mandatory place is Grand Canyon North Rim. Thanks in advance!

Day 1 - Las Vegas to Zion National Park (Travel Interstate 15 north, Scenic Byway 9 east - 3 hours, 4 hours with time change). Dine and overnight, stay Zion Lodge or in Springdale?

Day 2 - Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park. (Travel Scenic Byway 9 east, US 89 north, Scenic Byway 12 east - 1 ½ hours). Explore Zion (Angels Landing and the Narrows. Travel to Bryce and stay at Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon Lodge or Best Western?

Day 3 - Bryce Canyon National Park - Tour of All American Road/Highway 12 National Scenic Byway (Travel Scenic Byway 12 east)
• See sunrise
• Queens Garden-Navajo Loop or Devil's Rock Garden or Lower Calf Creek Falls
• Tour the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
• Dine and overnight in Boulder. Dinner and/or breakfast at Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder. Stay Boulder Mountain Lodge?

Day 4 - Continue Tour of Highway 12 Scenic Byway to Capitol Reef National Park and Torrey (Travel Scenic Byway 12 northeast - 2 hours)
• Tour Capitol Reef National Park, see petroglyphs, historic Gifford House, orchards (in bloom or fruit), eat pie.
• Walk through Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge, see pioneer register, look for bighorn sheep at the tanks
• Dine and overnight in Torrey. Eat at Café Diablo or Slackers Burgers.

Day 5 - Torrey to Arches National Park and Moab (Travel Hwy 24 east to Hanksville, Hwy 24 north to I-70 east then Hwy 191 south to Arches National Park (2 hours)
• Tour Arches National Park and Visitor Center
• Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse
• Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace, Devil’s Garden?
• Dine and overnight in Moab? Stay Cali Cochitta?

Day 6 - Moab to Monument Valley. (142 miles) Stay at Kayenta, or the View, or Valley of the Gods B&B?

Day 7 - Monument Valley to Lake Powell/Page (Glen Canyon National Recreation Area) - Travel Hwy 163 south to Kayenta Arizona, Hwy 160 south to Hwy 98, north to Lake Powell/Page, AZ (2 hours). See Rainbow Bridge

Day 8 - Lake Powell/Page to Grand Canyon North Rim. Stay GCNR.

Day 9 – Grand Canyon North Rim to Las Vegas

spirobulldog

Day 1--Stay at Zion Lodge if you can

Day 2- It can be done, but just be aware that both hikes takes about 1/2 day each. The Narrows aren't that tough on you, but Angels Landing is a kinda strenuous hike-but it isn't super long. The Narrows might have to much water at that time of year, you will just have to check and see. Both Hikes are AMAZING!!

Day 3 I would pick Navajo Garden/Queens Loop of the three that you mention.
Kiva Koffee or Escalatte are good places for coffee/snack

Day 5 There is no way you can possibly get all that done.
Don't miss Double Arch, Balanced Rock, The Windows, and Turret Arch in Arches either.

Personally, I would cut off Monument Valley and probably even Page. Give an extra day at Zion or Bryce as your first 3 days are rushed.

I have been to Utah every year for the past 6 years. I have yet to see the North Rim or Page. Monument Valley(while it is an awesome place), is probably my least favorite.

You could also hike Calf Creek Falls and do Devils Garden in Escalante if you slow down a bit.

spirobulldog

Get your lodging at Zion, Bryce and North Rim ASAP!!!

livetoroam

Boulder Mountain Lodge was booked solid months in advance last year. Make sure to have reservations somewhere every night as last year, people were being sent hours away to find available rooms. People cancel all the time so get on a wait list for a desired place. We got into Boulder and Bryce Canyon Lodge right before we left after months of waiting for an opening. have a great time, fantastic scenery and hiking.

emalloy

Day 5 has too much, you need to stop and see the fantastic views along the way. If you stop at Goblin Valley that will take at least an hour just to get to and look, and I'd hate to be in Moab and miss Canyonlands, so I would spend another day in Moab. You could do a quick drive by with a stop at the VC for Monument Valley and see the iconic views, then head for GC.

In any case, be sure to fill your gas tank before you set out as some of these areas have not much in the way of services between the sites.

Myer

I would add an extra day to day 3.

Bryce sunrise is spectacular. Then snack breakfast or take a short nap.
Hike Navajo Loop and Queens Garden.
Go east on Rte 12 to Cannonvile and find Willis Creek slot canyon. This is an adventurous drive, easy hike and a photographer's paradise.

Drive along Rte 12, etc and sleep over in Escalante.

Next day.

Devil's Garden (Escalante) early.

Hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. Very scenic and beautiful waterfall. several hours.

If you are able to get reservations at Boulder Mtn Lodge then I would add a bit more down Hole-in-the-Rock Road and or drive along Burr Trail Rd.

If you weren't able to get reservations at BML then after Lower Calf Creek Falls continue up to Capitol Reef.

Day 5 is at least 2 days and could be 3 if you don't want to just check things off. Photography tends to slow you down.

I've never been to Little Wild Horse but I don't think you have to choose between Willis Creek and Little Wild Horse. Slot canyons are great for photography.

In Arches, Delicate Arch takes time. You won't just hike there and back. You'll sit around for a while and watch the view change. Some go for sunrise and others for sunset. I prefer sunset. Either way the Arch changes as the sun does.

Fiery Furnace ranger-led hike is about 3-4 hours and well worth it. Especially for photography.

You can see my photos at:

www.travelwalks.com

WhereAreWe

Keep in mind the best light for photography is early and late. That's even more important in this area, because the rocks look pretty washed out in midday lighting.

Day 1-5 make my head spin with all you're cramming in. Then 6-8 you are basically driving from Moab to Monument Valley, then to Page, then to the North Rim. The only thing you have listed in 3 days is Rainbow Bridge. Obviously you'll take in the views and take some time for photography, but its odd you have 5 very busy days and then 3 days where you have only one thing listed that you want to see/do. Actually 4 days considering day 9 is driving back to Vegas.

The day you leave Moab, spend most of the day in Moab. Then late afternoon, drive to Monument Valley and arrive a couple hours before sunset. Next morning, leave a couple hours after sunrise, drive to Rainbow Bridge then continue on to North Rim. That gives you most of 2 days in Moab instead of one, and it frees up an additional day for something else.

ElendilPickle

One fun thing we did in Bryce Canyon was hike partway down the Queen's Garden trail just before sunrise. Mr. Pickle got some nice shots of the hoodoos as the sun hit them.

Lee Ann

Myer

Pickle,

That's interesting about Queens Garden. How did you do that in the dark?

I'd love to see some of those photos.

dshamritsky

Hi, I am also planning a trip with almost the exact same itinerary only a few months earlier. You can always get info from my post as I you probably have done already. Hope that it helps a little.

bromipowjo

Thanks everyone! We had to move our trip to later in the summer to get rooms, but we have booked stays for every night but one, now. We have re-worked our itinerary to spend more time in fewer places Especially since it looks like we will need to focus on early morning hikes for the weather and photography. It hurt to cut stuff out, but your feedback was helpful. We have eliminated Moab/Arches/Monument Valley entirely, and will focus on Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon North Rim. Thank you for recs on specific hikes!

WhereAreWe

That sounds more doable. Weather/hot temps won't be as much of an issue at Bryce and the North Rim due to the higher elevation.

spirobulldog

Narrows is probably done better in the afternoon as it would be warmer. You can always cool off, if you get hot. I would start Angel's Landing, just before sunrise.

ElendilPickle

Myer, there was enough light to see where we were going, so it was pretty easy. The hike out up that really steep trail was hard, though.

I never did put those pictures online, but perhaps I can make time to do that later this week.

Lee Ann

Myer

Pickle,
It't not really the steepness but more the elevation that gets you.

8,000 feet is pretty high.

Still like to see those photos.

gnosis

Thinking about 7-10 days and looking for biggest bang (the most memorably dramatic places) for the buck. Unsure about flying into Vegas or Salt Lake. Unsure if I should do:

Canyonlands/Arches
Monument Valley
Grand Canyon (Z
Zion
Kolob Canyon
Bryce
Coral Reef

I understand while in the parks there is a lot of driving, and i do not want to turn this into a car trip, but more of be outside and experience the place trip. However, maybe some of these places, like Monument Valley, are merely drivebys?

Should I do all these places? Or select a few? Do I do a loop? Starting in Vegas and ending in Vegas or do I start in one and end in the other? For example, start in Salt lake and end in Vegas.

Thanks!

utahtea

gnosis,

This thread is from 2013 so you really should start your own thread. You might add what time of the year you plan to travel because it can make the difference of whether or not the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon is open or not.


Since you plan on Moab and the Grand Canyon if you go to the S. Rim (which I always recommend for first timers) it's really not that much difference in mileage between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas if you do the loop back to the same airport. In this case I'd pick the best air fare. You could save a couple hundred miles by going to either Las Vegas or SLC first and ending at the other airport but airfare and car rentals cost will probably be higher and I'm not sure you would save but maybe 3 or 4 hours of driving time.

You will need 10 or more days to really do this trip justice. I'll give you an idea of how much time to spend at each area.

Moab 3 nights so you can spend one full day at Arches and one full day at Canyonlands.

Yes you can just drive by Monument Valley but you do see more by going into the park. If you're in a rental car you will probably want to do a tour because the roads inside the park are dirt and sandy in spots.

Spend 2 nights at the Grand Canyon so you have one full day to explore.

Spend 2 nights at Zion to spend one full day in the park

Spend 2 nights at Bryce to spend one full day in the park

Kolob Canyon section of Zion will mostly be a drive in and drive out if you are on I-15 but I would not spend extra time going here if it's out of your way.

Coral Reef? Did you mean Capitol Reef National Park or Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah? Skip Coral Pink Sand Dunes but Capitol Reef spend one night in Torrey and drive into Capitol Reef. Two nights is better but since time is short, one night will have to do.

Between Bryce and Capitol Reef take scenic Hwy 12.

Utahtea