I'm in the process of planning a trip to Arches/Canyonlands and Bryce/Zion and as much in between as we can fit in in eight or nine days.

The current itinerary has us in Bryce on October 18. A friend tells me that that is too late -- roads/trails may be closed because of snow, or require chains on the roads. Is that a real concern? Or do they rent cars out of Salt Lake City with chains? Would it make much of a difference if I reversed the itinerary and visited Bryce at the beginning of the trip, or October 12?

I was taken with the idea of the full moon walk at Bryce (October 17 and 18) and the fact that I could stay in the park by then (earlier dates are booked already). But, have to weigh those against snowstorms!

Thanks! And I issue a blanket apology for being so uninformed about the weather.

October 18 is not too late. The real problem for you will be that that is fall break weekend in Utah. Zion, Bryce, Arches will be jam packed with people from the Wasatch Front. If you book now, you can certainly get rooms. Just know that you will be sharing the parks with lots of families.

We've been to Zion twice during that time and hiked The Narrows (this is in water waist deep pretty much the entire trip-so cold wasn't to much of a concern). I guess snow could be possible at Bryce(anything is possible), but I wouldn't think it would give you any problems. Frankly, this is good time for fall colors. I think its an awesome time to go!!

The lodge is still open and they are still doing the Moon Walks during that time, so that is a super good indication that the park is still pretty much in full swing.

As a point of reference, the North Rim if the Grand Canyon is at a similar elevation and is relatively close by (couple hundred miles away). The lodging at the North Rim closes after October 15th and the road is subject to closure any time after that. However, most years that road stays open well into November, some times as last as Thanksgiving.

So its possible there may be a big storm as early as your trip, but not likely. I don't think there's really much difference between the 12th and 18th in terms of likelihood of road/trail closures. In fact, its probably equal chance of snow both days, so just plan your trip based on the full moon and don't worry about it.

There is a chance you could have some snow in Bryce (at 8,000-9.000 ft) in mid Oct but it will more likely be beautiful weather. As Spiro said, it is an awesome time to go! I wouldn't change the date - take advantage of the full moon walk. We had a full moon during our trip last year and hiked out to Delicate Arch that night - what fun!

All right! Thanks everyone. I'm going for it. As for crowds, well, we like company, to some extent. It's great to have knowledgeable experts to ask!