Road trip this summer from Phoenix to Yellowstone
May 21st, 2016, 11:08 PM
#1
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Road trip this summer from Phoenix to Yellowstone
This may be a bit ambitious, but my wife and I are thinking of driving from Phoenix to Yellowstone, and taking in the following parks on the way:
Antelope Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Zion
Grand Teton
And finally Yellowstone, of course. Any tips about how long we should spend at each? Also, should we take in all on the way up or leave some for on the way back to Phoenix. We thought we would halt at Flagstaff, somewhere near Zion or Bryce, near Teton, and finally in Yellowstone. Any tips re hotels at each of these?
Thanks,
Joe
Antelope Canyon
Bryce Canyon
Zion
Grand Teton
And finally Yellowstone, of course. Any tips about how long we should spend at each? Also, should we take in all on the way up or leave some for on the way back to Phoenix. We thought we would halt at Flagstaff, somewhere near Zion or Bryce, near Teton, and finally in Yellowstone. Any tips re hotels at each of these?
Thanks,
Joe
May 22nd, 2016, 06:15 AM
#2
Interested in a tour from Flagstaff? http://grandcanyon.com/tours/south-r...ff-and-sedona/
Try to end your Arizona - Utah adventure in Cedar City UT.
Next day drive to Pocatello Idaho.
It's less than 200 miles from Pocatello to Old Faithful.
Come back by way of Rock Springs WY (through Tetons) and Moab to see Arches and a section of Canyonlands.
Try to end your Arizona - Utah adventure in Cedar City UT.
Next day drive to Pocatello Idaho.
It's less than 200 miles from Pocatello to Old Faithful.
Come back by way of Rock Springs WY (through Tetons) and Moab to see Arches and a section of Canyonlands.
May 22nd, 2016, 11:11 AM
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Thanks, tomfuller. I will certainly look into it. I spent a couple of days in Pocatello a few years ago, but it was a business trip and I may have missed anything worthy of a visit. Never been to Cedar City or any place in UT actually.
May 22nd, 2016, 04:15 PM
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If you have the time, I would make this a grand tour of National and Navajo Parks.
Leave Phoenix, head for Grand Canyon (I know it isn't on your list, but I love it), exit east on 64 and go north on 89 to Page to visit Antelope Canyon. Then go to Zion, then Bryce, then either Grand Teton or Yellowstone. On the way back, also not on your list, but wonderful, go to Moab, UT for Arches and Canyonlands NPs then to Monument Valley then back to Phoenix. Put then into a mapping program and don't believe what they tell you for driving times.
How much time to spend in each park depends on how much hiking etc. you plan to do. If you do not hike and just want to see the highlights from a car or park shuttle, then: 1 full day each for GC, Zion, Bryce, and Grand Teton, 2 or 3 days for Yellowstone, and Moab and a half day each for Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley. That does not include the time it takes to get from one to the next and driving at night is not something I would advise, think elk, deer, antelope, curvy, hilly, very dark roads.
As for lodging, I would try to stay in the parks if possible. If you are planning on this year, they are probably fully booked, but because people do make reservations a year in advanced, there are always cancellations as time gets close, so make a reservation outside the parks that can be cancelled without penalty and keep calling for lodging inside the parks.
Have a fantastic trip.
Leave Phoenix, head for Grand Canyon (I know it isn't on your list, but I love it), exit east on 64 and go north on 89 to Page to visit Antelope Canyon. Then go to Zion, then Bryce, then either Grand Teton or Yellowstone. On the way back, also not on your list, but wonderful, go to Moab, UT for Arches and Canyonlands NPs then to Monument Valley then back to Phoenix. Put then into a mapping program and don't believe what they tell you for driving times.
How much time to spend in each park depends on how much hiking etc. you plan to do. If you do not hike and just want to see the highlights from a car or park shuttle, then: 1 full day each for GC, Zion, Bryce, and Grand Teton, 2 or 3 days for Yellowstone, and Moab and a half day each for Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley. That does not include the time it takes to get from one to the next and driving at night is not something I would advise, think elk, deer, antelope, curvy, hilly, very dark roads.
As for lodging, I would try to stay in the parks if possible. If you are planning on this year, they are probably fully booked, but because people do make reservations a year in advanced, there are always cancellations as time gets close, so make a reservation outside the parks that can be cancelled without penalty and keep calling for lodging inside the parks.
Have a fantastic trip.
May 23rd, 2016, 08:26 PM
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Thanks, emalloy, for all those tips. Thanks (to chapla as well) for the tip about not driving at night. I agree about GC being an amazing place; the reason it's not on our list is that we've been there multiple times. I've hiked it 3 times. Haven't seen the other places (except Monument Valley more than a decade ago - stunning!). The itinerary you suggested is essentially what I had in mind, but thanks for giving me some perspective with the amount of time needed at each place. I'm excited about the return journey you and tomfuller suggested. The only thing I'm wondering about is if we'll miss a lot if we drive through the parks ourselves. In other words, should we do guided tours? Any thoughts? Useful? Expensive?
May 24th, 2016, 04:48 AM
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Antelope Canyon can only be seen with a Navajo guide.
We did the basic tour of Monument Valley with a guide, but if the road has been fairly recently graded, you can drive it yourself and spend as much or as little time at a spot along the way as you want. The tour we took only did a little that we couldn't have done on our own. Some rental companies don't let you drive on unpaved roads.
In most of the other parks, if you see a ranger led hike to an area you might want to visit, sign up for it. Otherwise, you can do the trip on your own and pick and choose what to see, how long to stay etc.
In Zion, you have to take the park shuttle beyond the VC unless you are staying in the park.
If you ask here about favorite hikes etc. you will get a variety of answers because we all find something more or less wonderful. But feel free to ask or click the names of responders to look for Trip Reports where they talk about the hikes they loved and why. Perhaps you will find folks who seem to find the same kinds of things interesting that you do.
We did the basic tour of Monument Valley with a guide, but if the road has been fairly recently graded, you can drive it yourself and spend as much or as little time at a spot along the way as you want. The tour we took only did a little that we couldn't have done on our own. Some rental companies don't let you drive on unpaved roads.
In most of the other parks, if you see a ranger led hike to an area you might want to visit, sign up for it. Otherwise, you can do the trip on your own and pick and choose what to see, how long to stay etc.
In Zion, you have to take the park shuttle beyond the VC unless you are staying in the park.
If you ask here about favorite hikes etc. you will get a variety of answers because we all find something more or less wonderful. But feel free to ask or click the names of responders to look for Trip Reports where they talk about the hikes they loved and why. Perhaps you will find folks who seem to find the same kinds of things interesting that you do.
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