kove

My husband and I want to see Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands (including Needles), 4 Corners, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, North Rim Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. I've tried to route it out and from Zion to Vegas is about 1500 miles. Does anyone out there have a more efficient route they would like to share? Thanks!

howard

YOu've sest yourself a challenging itinerary. The key questions is: How many days are you planning for this trip?

kove

We will be traveling from Florida to Badlands, Tetons, Yellowstone, (possibly Glacier), Utah, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas and are planning on 4-6 weeks. Probably two weeks for Utah, GC, and LV.

Tina

wow, what a great trip you have planned. last year, we did an 11 day trip toall the areas you mentioned except that we drove from salt lake city. we logged a total of 2,000 miles. it was a really ambitious trip, but glad we did it. there are really not shortcuts in driving. look at your map and go in a circle from vegas. plus the drive is just beautiful. definitely take the scenic routes. two weeks is probably good enough time to see all these. while you're in the area, go to arches too! we even managed to squeeze in a 1 day rafting trip in cataract canyon, which was really spectacular (only navtec runs a 1 day trip there. pricey, but worth it!). if you want to see my itinerary or have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Carolynne

Hi, We are planning to explore Utah and the parks after the St. George Marathon. We will be starting out in St. George on October 3rd - trying to get to see Zion,Bryce,Capital Reef, Arches and Canyonland. We are hoping to make it to Moab. We are planing to fly out of Salt Lake City on October 11th. Any suggestions, comments recommendations regarding routes, sites to see or NOT to miss, lodgings and vegetarian restaurants will be greatly appreciated. Carolynne & Bob from Brooklyn, New York

Anne

One of the most spectacular drives I did last September in Utah was through Zion from the east entrance at Sunset. It was like driving into heaven, few cars, no RVs. Wonderful!

Also suggest Snow Canyon State Park outside of St. George, Utah. Not crowded, great scenery and small hikes.

Have fun.

rebecca

Site not to miss: ZION. Unbelievably beautiful.Lots of stunning but easy to moderate hikes. Parts reminded me of Kauai:lush, waterfalls--a complete surprise. Lodging: try for Zion Lodge. it is beautiful, convenient (trails and horseback riding are right across the road) and has a wonderful "feel." Phone AMFAC directly; the web site often lists incorrectly that there are no rooms available at their properties. The village of Springdale just outside Zion Park is lovely; don't miss the awesome fresh garlic hamburger/burrito cafe--up driveway next to Shell Station. The folks at the Lodge will know the name.

karen

If you make it to Arches, and if you are in reasonable enough shape to do some minor scrambling over redrock, try the Fiery Furnace walk -- but go on the morning hike (there is a reason it is called "fiery furnace"). It was the highlight of our trip to Arches and we would do it again in a heartbeat. A great way to see Canyonlands is via one of the all-day combo jeep/boat tours. They are alot of fun and you get to see more of the park than you would by just driving yourself. Can't help much with lodging at the parks unless you are planning to camp out like we did. If you are, we were very pleased with Moab KOA -- lots of amenities and a great view. Not as spectacular as the Arches campground, but you can make a reservation instead of having to show up hoping a campsite is available. We also liked our campground in Springdale. Can't locate our Utah trip envelope just now to get the exact name of it, but it's a private one and it fronts the Virgin River. Our campsite was only about 10 or 20 feet from the river by the way and it was quite pretty. Also had lots of amenities and drop-dead gorgeous views. If you need lodging in Salt Lake City, we found The Inn at Temple Square to be very reasonably priced with pleasant, comfortable rooms and you get a nice breakfast in the morning included. It's right across the street from Temple Square, which is very handy if you want to pop in and see the Morman Temple or the Tabernacle Choir, or do some research at the Family History Library. Can't recommend any restaurants though (once again because I can't locate our Utah Trip envelope. We have alot of stuff boxed up right now while we're working on our house). Hope all you Utah-bound folks have a great time -- I am so jealous, I am just itching to go back (and I will someday).