Bryce or Zion
 

We are taking a trip to Vegas, Grand Canyon and then down to Phoenix in June. We would like to take our grandkids 11 and 9 to either Bryce or Zion for a night/day. Unfortunately there isn't time to do both! I know they're both beautiful, which would be better for kids? Hoping to stay in the park of which ever one we decide to visit
Thanks,
Arlene

Hi Arlene, I haven't been to Bryce, but have been to many national parks, and Zion was heads up my favorite - even more amazing than the Grand Canyon IMHO. In any case, this is a lovely part of the world - enjoy whatever you decide.

I too love Zion and would spend a full week there (again) in a heart beat. But for a one day only trip you can't beat Bryce for the amazing other-wordly landscape.


If travel distance is not an issue then I'd say it's a toss up. At Zion I actually recommend staying outside the park in the town of Springdale. Kids of all ages will enjoy having a pool in the 90+ heat of June. You can't beat the location of Cable Mtn Lodge - just a few min walk from the entrance to Zion where you would pick up the shuttle bus that everyone needs to ride.

J62 has given excellent advice. Zion is my favorite national park -- but it's better appreciated with a long stay, while Bryce has an instant "wow" factor. I think this would be especially true for your grandchildren.

I also agree with J62 about lodging if you choose Zion; it's one of the few parks where there's an town just outside the park boundary, with good lodging and food choices. If you choose Bryce, in-park lodging is better, but don't fret if it's full; the motels near the entrance (e.g., Ruby's Best Western) are still very close to the park.

At Zion, you will enter at the ground level of the canyon. At Bryce, you start at the top and hike down. My kids loved both ,and were younger than your grandkids when we went,but Bryce looks like a fantasy world and they remember that. At Zion they had a great hike with a Ranger. You can't go wrong. If you could add just one day to your trip, you could visit both of them.

The first thing I would do is call and see if I could get lodging in either park or at least very nearby. If you can get lodging in Bryce, then take the route from Vegas that goes through Zion so you could have a bit of a look at it before heading to Bryce. That won't add too much time to the trip.

If you get going early, you would have time to stop in Zion and do the bus tour up the valley and maybe Riverside walk before heading through the tunnel and on to Bryce. You have more hours of daylight in June so wouldn't be driving after dark.

Both parks are beautiful and if you just do one, my choice for one day would be Bryce. It will not be as hot and as has been mentioned can be explored more easily in a short time.

If your plan is to do a day trip from Vegas, then just do Zion so you won't be spending more time in the car than in the park.

Have you considered going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?

I love them both, but for a short visit...Bryce.

((H))

I agree with Bryce and the WOW factor.

Been to both as a kid and an adult, and as a kid I was much more impressed with Bryce, and as an adult, Zion. I think you can see a lot more of Bryce with driving/minimal hiking, where with Zion you need to do a bit more hiking to get the full experience.

Both are great and so different. Surely good places for hiking. Yes, more hiking in Zion. Last time there we stayed at Red Rock Inn (cottages) in Springdale and Comfort Inn in Beaver and Redstone Inn in Moab, all modestly priced.

After having done both parks, I would say that I preferred Bryce. Red and white hoodoos were nothing like we had seen before, and there is a 3-4mile trail that takes you inside the amphitheatre of hoodoos. Pretty amazing. Of course if you're up for it, there are other hikes as well that takes you right by the hoodoos. Night time is amazing, try to look up at the night sky at least once if you go there. The stars were bright and plentiful.

I prefer Zion (though I love both), but agree that for a short trip, Bryce does offer an immediate visual impact with the hoodoos. It's quite fantastic and magical seeing them for the first time.

I really like Zion better than Bryce and went when there was still some snow on the hoodoos. If I ever get back there, I would only go to Bryce as a day trip from Zion but I'm not a big hiker. If you don't think you'll ever get back to this area again, than maybe Bryce would be best. It's enough for a short trip and not feel like you've left anything out. I think going to Zion you'll feel like you didn't get to see as much as you would have liked.

Inform the kids the lure of each park and let them make the decision.

Vaga

I would definitely go to Zion. I've stayed many times at Zion Mountain Ranch. Beautiful cabins. There's horseback riding, buffalo, etc. Right outside of Zion. Great for kids