We are making our first trip out west. Does anyone have any suggestions where would be good to stay at Bryce Canyon? We will be visiting Grand Canyon, and Zion. Any must sees around these areas? Thanks Terry

At Bryce, stay at the lodge within the park if it is available. If not, stay at Ruby's Inn just outside. People talk about lots of tourist buses there, but it was virtually no problem for us, the rooms are nice and very reasonably priced. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again. (We couldn't get into the park lodge).

What do you mean "must sees"?! Those sights ARE the whole show. Do you mean specific trails or what?

Hi Terry,
I agree with staying at the Lodge at Bryce. We stayed at Ruby's this past July. It was nice, but I was wishing I had made reservations for the Bryce lodge. There are not many loding options for the Bryce area. Matter of fact, there's not much of anything, other than Ruby's, immeidately before the entrance to Bryce. Bryce is deservedly the main attraction!
In addition to Bryce, check out Red Canyon. We arranged a horseback ride through Ruby's that went through the Red Canyon area. It was great!! Really fun and just spectacular scenery.
All of Bryce is awesome. The Bristlecone Trail at Bryce will take you to the oldest living tree in the park. Views here are outstanding. Tricia

We always camp but there looks like there are some nice places to stay in Tropic and Cannonville just past Bryce Canyon turn off on Hwy 12 if other places are booked up.

If you are going to the south rim of the Grand Canyon from Bryce you will pass Glen Canyon National Recreational Area (Lake Powell) at Page, AZ which is beautiful. If you have the time take the day boat tour out to Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

Also a beautiful drive from Bryce is on scenic Hwy 12 from Bryce through the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument to Boulder, Utah.

http://www.so-utah.com/hwy12/homepage.html

Utahtea

We loved staying in a rustic log cabin within Bryce. It was surrounded by pine trees, had a gas fireplace and was close to the rim. Definitely stay inside the park so you can easily experience sunrise and sunset. Make reservations as soon as possible. The park is spectacular.

You didn't say which rim of the Grand Canyon you will visit. At the South Rim we stayed in a cabin for the same reasons.

When we visited Zion, we stayed just outside the park at Desert Pearl Inn, which we loved. It's close to a park shuttle bus stop. Here, sunsets and sunrises can be appreciated outside the park because the red rock cliffs are everywhere.

The highway between Zion and Bruce goes through Red Rock Canyon, a spectacle in itself.

I'd recommend Park Ranger-led walks or talks in any of the parks to gain special insights. At the Grand Canyon, we did a Geology walk and a Fossil walk (the Ranger for both was a former college geology teacher who made learning fun) and a Biology walk (animal life and human history) and all were excellent.

Have a wonderful trip.

Thanks, great advice and will be very helpful. Terry

Consider doing the hike down the Virgin River at Zion. It's called "The Narrows." You are walking down a river (more of a stream, when it'n not raining) that's smack dab in the middle of two towering mesas. It is simply awesome. You can do an overnight camping trip down the Narrows, or just walk a few hours and double back. It can get crowded in there, though.

On your way to the Grand Canyon, check out the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park just outside of Kanab, Utah. Not many people go there, but it's really a neat place.

Ruby's looked like a big tourist center to me. We stayed in nearby Tropic at the Bryce Canyon Inn cabins - about $80 per night. Pleasant drive to the park. There is a hike to Mossy Cave that you can take off the tropic road that is very interesting.

Nearby Kodachrome State Park in interesting with a geological structure seen nowhere else in the world called sandpipes.

I also liked Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Cedar Breaks Nat'l monument is a worthwhile side trip between zion & Bryce.

Altho I stayed at the Zion Lodge (and really liked it), the hotels in Springdale are just outside the park entrance and you have to use a shuttle to see the park, so I would consider one of those is you want to save some money.

In Zion, I wouild do all tghe short hikes and any longer ones if you have the energy. Visit the Emerald Pools (middle pool - #2) in the envening to hear the croaking frogs. Hear the Ranger talk in the lodge at night.

See if you can see the wild turkeys neat the Court of the Patriarchs at sunset.

Be sure to drive thru the tunnel

Hi Terry,

Agree with all the above posters recommendations. They are right on!

Some of the many reasons I moved back to Utah & love living here....