Bryce/Zion next week
 

I have really enjoyed reading the messages
on this board for the past few hours - I wish
I had found it sooner. We are leaving this Friday and I have some questions. I'll try
to be as brief as possible.

These are our current plans: arrive Las Vegas late Friday night. Saturday a.m. drive
to Hoover Dam, then onto South Rim GC. Stay
two nights at GC. Not sure how much time we
want to spend on the day Monday at GC so we
booked a room in Page for Monday night. We
could probably drive further on Monday if we
left early, but we don't want to cut ourselves short at GC. Tuesday and Wednesday
are sort of up in the air. The must do's on
our list are Kanab, Bryce including 2 hour
horseback into canyon and Zion. We would like to leave the area early Thursday morning
and head back to Las Vegas and be there by
noon or early afternoon.

My questions are this? How would you organize the two days of Tuesday and Wednesday with the must-do's on my list.
I really hate to stay over in Page on
Monday night, I would like to get closer
to Bryce/Zion but Page
seems like the only logical stopping point
coming from the South Rim GC. Also, the
Bryce Canyon Lodge is unavailable, unless
I get lucky with a cancellation and the
other accomodations don't seem too appealing.

Any help you can give me would be greatly
appreciated.

Since Kanab is on your list why don't you stay there instead of Page. With an early start on Tuesday you would have almost the entire day to view Bryce. If you left Bryce in the evening you could head for Zion, overnighting in Springdale. This would give you a full day at Zion on Wednesday.

There are many scenic overlooks to see as you exit the Grand Canyon going to Desert View.

Lake Powell is right at Page, AZ and it's BEAUTIFUL! But, if you don't want to spend the night in Page, then go on to Kanab. It's only another 75 miles (1 1/2 hours driving). I wouldn't plan to much time in Kanab. It's a nice little town but since you have limited time, I would concentrate my time in the parks. Spend Tuesday in Bryce and Wednesday in Zion.

Utahtea

I agree with utahtea on the recommendation to pass on Kanab and focus on Bryce and Zion.

BTW, near Page i would recommend visiting Antelope Canyon. It would take
an extra couple of hours to do the whole tour, but i think it is well worth it. Expecially if you can be at Antelope canyon around noon when the sunlight enters the canyon - ideal for photography.

I can't wait to go to Antelope Canyon so I can recommmed it to!

;)

Utahtea

Thank you all for your advice and suggestions. I think we will skip Page and stay in Kanab Monday night. I was
fortunate enough to get a room at the Bryce Canyon Lodge for Tuesday night,
and made a reservation for the 2:00 Canyon Ride on Tuesday. We will leave
first thing Wednesday morning and head to Zion and have the whole day and night. Is Springdale the best choice for a room Wednesday night?

Also, when travelling from South Rim to
Kanab would we take 89A - is that road
as fast as Rte. 89.

Thanks !!

further question...we originally had plans to stay 3 nights in vegas (with 2 teens), but am reconsidering eliminating 1 night and heading to Zion early. We were lucky enough to get 1 night Zion reservation, but it's booked otherwise. should we blow off vegas, but where could we stay near Zion?

To pag731,

Take Hwy 89 it's more scenic and MUCH faster! Alt 89 is windy and goes thought the mountains and is VERY slow driving!

Springdale is right at the entrance to Zion and would be the place to stay unless you wanted to stay in Zion at the Zion Lodge.

You can even pick up the free Zion Shuttle systen in Springdale to get to the park. You have to transfer shuttles to ride in the park, but it's very easy.

Utahtea

ddee,

I'm not a city type person so I would take Zion over Vegas any day. We've gone to Vegas for work and a reunion and it is neat but one night was enough for me.

I'm sure you could find lodging in Springdale. As I just mentioned above, it's right next to the entrance to Zion. Scenery in Springdale is fantastic!

Utahtea

Just saw some pictures of my daughter and family's stay at Desert Pearl Inn at the entrance to Zion two weeks ago. It was a wonderful place to stay, and they loved it. Refrigerator, microwave, huge pool, along the river, a very enjoyable place. Also, they mentioned the "sorry" sign when up about 2 p.m., so possibly there may be a vacancyat the time of your visit to Zion.
www.desertpearl.com

We stayed at Desert Pearl last month and really enjoyed it. We also had one night at the Zion Lodge. I liked the lodge for its setting but the rooms at Desert Pearl were beautiful (as were the grounds) and we used the very convenient shuttle system that day.

The lodge in Bryce was great. Actually we were in one of the cabins--a two minute walk to the rim. You should try to take in the sunrise on the day you leave, it is quite nice.

For Deedee-- we had 3 nights in LV at the end of our trip. It was nice to sit by the pool after all of the hiking we did in Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef (along with 2 short hikes in Natural Bridges and one in Escalante State Park). Depending on your teenagers... LV is really over the top. I would put the extra time in at Zion. My 11 year old daughter thought Zion was the best part of the trip. Personally, I preferred Bryce.

Whatever you all decide, enjoy your trips!

Thanks again for all your advice. Two more days and we leave! We are also ending up in Las Vegas for 2 nights, with 2 teenage girls. They can't wait for the roller coasters and thrill rides, but I think 2 nights will be enough. I've heard it's quite a "shock" to the system to go from Zion/Bryce to Vegas.

We will definitely plan to take 89 instead of 89A, is it worth a stop to
Lee's Ferry? What about Marble Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs that I had heard about, is that on the way.?

pag731,

I've never stopped at Lee's Ferry before but next month we will be taking the float trip from Page to Lee's Ferry. Then I will know ;) I think from Hwy 89 to Lee's Ferry is about 20 miles one way and this part of Alt. 89 is a pretty straight drive. You won't climb into the mountains yet.

I do know that you will see the Vermillion Cliffs as you drive north from the Grand Canyon to Page.

Utahtea

Utahtea, don't you also see the vermillion when driving the 89 from Page to Kanab? That's what I understood from various readings : Vvermillion to the left and Grand Staircase to the right!

Barthox,

I really don't know the answer to that questions and when I went looking for an answer I found that Vermillion Cliffs is now one of our newest National Monument!

http://arizona.sierraclub.org/monume...ilion-rec.html

Utahtea

Utahtea, I know I've asked you that already, but do you ever sleep, or spend some time away from Fodor's? ;-)

I'll try to find where I've read about the sights on Hwy 89.

Went faster than I thought!

Here's what I found on a site about the Grand Staircase (http://www.ut.blm.gov/monument/Visit..._and_maps.html) :

"Highway 89: Highway 89 is a paved two-lane highway along the southern boundary of the Monument, 72 miles between Kanab and Page, AZ. The section between Kanab and Big Water offers outstanding views of the Vermilion Cliffs and Kaiparowits Plateau. The road provides access to Grand Staircase, Pahreah town site and Paria movie set, and Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness."

So one should indeed have one on the right and the other on the left, shouldn't?

We're going next week. I'll report back! :)

Utahtea

Hello pag731,

I've followed this thread with interest, we are doing a similar trip from the UK in 3 weeks.

Can you let me know which horse riding trip you are taking please - does it go into the canyon itself.

Please post a thread when you get back - up to date info is really useful, all the details please!

Enjoy your trip
Andy

The following information I received from my daughter who was at Bryce two weeks ago. There were two horseback rides from Ruby's Inn. The Scenic Rim Trail (2 Hrs) did not go into the canyon, and they saw the hoodoos for only about 10-15 minutes. $25. It was good, but thought perhaps the other option may have been better.

Ruby's Red Canyon Horseback Ride was $28 for 1 1/2 hours, and they had 1/2 day and all day rides. Depends how much riding you can take without suffering the next day! She suggested you ask where the trail goes when making your reservation. She thought it was possible to make reservations the day before, but you may not get the time you would like.

They rode early in the morning (7 a.m.) because it does get very warm during the day. Also, they were in a group of 25, and some groups are larger. Fortunately, they were in the front of the group. Bryce has not had rain since April, and it is very dusty. Bring a bandana, or scarf to cover your mouth if you think you may have a breathing problem.

She recommended the helicopter ride which was $75 per person for 25 minutes over Bryce. The family loved it!