Hi all,
I have read posts here at Fodor for over a year, and have always read some great tips for planning our adventures. I have been watching the posts about Southern Utah, Northern AZ but haven't seen quite the right help for me, and I know that the area is huge. So, hopefully, one of you can help me plan our June trip. We have 8 nights available. Flying from Maine to Las Vegas (at least I think that is our best bet) on June 25, plan to arrive noon-ish. We would leave sometime (hopefully end of the day) on July 3rd. We have done a recent trip to Arizona including several days at the South Rim of GC, Flagstaff, Sedona, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Phoenix, Apache Trail, etc. Our 'must see' places this time are Bryce, Zion, and North Rim and definitely the drive on Rt 12 from Bryce to Torrey as that has long been a 'must do' drive for me. I would also like to include 4 corners (I know 'hokey' but the family wants to stand on the marker) and perhaps also Hoover Dam. What suggestions do you have for a sensible route? I do like to do things in a circular route when at all possible. Thanks for any help you can provide!

You are asking a lot for 7 days and 8 nights. I would choose either between the N. Rim and Four Corners. Since you have been to the S. Rim, I would suggest skipping the N. Rim and spending the time at one of the other parks.

Two nights in Zion, two nights in Bryce and two nights in Torrey, Utah will give you time to see each park, drive Hwy 12 and also see Capitol Reef National Park just a few miles from Torrey. If you decide to go to four corners take Hwy 24 to Hanksville and then Hwy 95 to Hwy 191. Along the way you will pass by Natural Bridges National Monument which is worth an hour or so of your time. Go south on Hwy 191 to Hwy 262 and it changes to Hwy 41 in Colorado. Then take Hwy 160. There will be signs to 4 Corners. It is off the Hwy a little ways. From there keep going west on Hwy 160 to Kayenta. This will be a good place to spend the night after traveling 325 miles. The next morning if you have time I would make time to drive the 25 miles north on Hwy 163 to Monument Valley.

From Kayenta to the N. Rim is 224 miles but it will take about 6 hours to drive.

From the N. Rim to Las Vegas is 265 miles but plan on 7 or 8 hours driving time.

I would suggest spending that last night either at Page, AZ (Lake Powell) or back in Zion instead of the N. Rim

Utahtea

ttt

You can certainly do a circular route that covers all those points of interest, but adding Four Corners (which, as you note, is incredibly hokey) really increases the mileage; you will have to cover over 1100 miles in a week. I would suggest something like this:
Las Vegas airport to Zion (@160 miles); 2 nights in Zion.
Zion to North Rim (@120 miles); 1 night.
North Rim to Monument Valley (@240 miles); 1 night.
Monument Valley/Four Corners/ Capitol Reef N.P. (@250 miles); 1 night.
Capitol Reef to Bryce via Rt. 12 (@125 miles); 2 nights in Bryce.
Bryce to Las Vegas (@250 miles); 1 night in Vegas.

That's a lot of time in the car. A more relaxing loop might be Vegas/Zion/North Rim/Bryce with 2 nights in each location.

We did a 16 day trip through this area, then on to Mesa Verde, Durango, and Santa Fe in 2002. It was a great vacation.

Hope this helps.

You have gotten really good sugestions - I just have one other possiblility. If Four Corners is that important to you -- consider flying open jaw, into LV and out of Albuquerque. The one-way car rental might cost a bit more, but it would save you having to backtrack all the way to Las Vegas.

We were uninspired by the Painted Desert - unless you are into paintings in shades of grey and brown. I think it is nicer in the spring, but not on the must-see list, in my opinion.