Byrce/Zion
 

Hello, I am in the process of planning a trip out west. We will be coming from the Grand Canyon and trying to judge how much time we need for Byrce and Zion including driving as when we are done we will travel to Yellowstone for a few days. Any advice would be appreciate. Don't know which one to do first. We will head to Salt Lake City before moving on to Yellowstone.

Which rim of the Grand Canyon? Do you plan to fly in and out of SLC or perhaps Las Vegas? Try not to have a drop fee by leaving the car somewhere you didn't rent it.
How many days for this trip in total and what month?
How many people?

I have spent a full week at Zion and wish I had more. Others will tell you 1 or 2 days is plenty. You don't tell us what your interests, fitness / activity level, time constraints, etc.

J62's advice is good. Your best bet is to research the hikes you want to do at Zion. Two days is a perfectly reasonable amount of time, though.

I'd say a day is fine for Bryce Canyon.

Are you going to Arches? It would be #1 on my list.

This is a map of the area with chart of times and distances that was posted a while ago by another Fodorite. I've found it helpful:

http://ohiohickstraveltips.weebly.co...-utah-map.html

You can click my name and scroll down for TRs in the area or put "Trip Reports about the Southwest US" in the search box at the top of this page to find others.

How long to stay in any park depends on your travel style, how much hiking, participation in Ranger led activities, time spent in VC etc. you like to do as well as if you can find lodging for the dates you want to stay in an area.

You might find it most cost effective to do a kind of figure eight from Salt Lake City to avoid drop fees for a rental car. Or it might work better to fly into Vegas, do a southern loop then fly into a place in the north like Jackson Hole and do a northern loop.

The time of year you plan this trip will determine which to do first as snows can close some roads from October till May.

That's a great map!

Bryce and Zion are both stunning and some of my favorite places to visit. Of course, you could spend much, MUCH more time there than the suggestions but a good estimate is 3 nights in Springdale, and 2 in Bryce.

For your Zion visit, lodging in Springdale may be your best bet as the town is nice and has quite a few lodging and dining choices. Others prefer the lodge in the park. For Bryce, we strongly prefer the lodge in the park but Ruby's is just outside the entrance gate and is also just fine.

starrs, I found that map here years ago and it has been my go to since.