Can We Do It?
 

My wife and I are going to Utah/Nevada for 7 days and this is our plan:

~Saturday: From Vegas, sleeping in Springdale
Valley Of Fire State Park
Zion National Park

~Sunday: Spingdale to Torrey
Zion Nationl Park
Bryce Canyon (maybe horseback ride)
Capitol Reef

~Monday: Torrey to Monticello
Capitol Reef (maybe horseback ride)
Natural Bridges National Monument

~Tuesday & Wednesday: Monticello to Moab
Possible Canyoning tour
Arches National Park

~Thursday: Moab to Cedar City
Cedar Breaks

~Friday: Cedar City to Las Vegas
Cathedral Gorge State Park
E.T. Highway

Leaving Saturday morning.

Keep in mind that we plan on doing some trails in each park and stopping on and off during our drives if needed.

Right now it seems like we are going to be pressed for time, especially between Zion-Bryce-Capitol Reef.

Jedi - this is a very bad plan. With only 7 days, you should limit it to Zion/Bryce/Capitol Reef AT THE VERY MOST.

You really need to check a map and look at the mileage, then add lots of time for narrow, twisty roads, slow motorhomes and photo ops......

No, you cannot do this.

I agree. You won't even be able to see any of Zion. Zion has such great hikes.

Zion to Bryce is about 90 mins.

I started to write a reply and then decided to let Dayle go first.

If the goal is to check places off a list or tell people you've been there, fine.

If you want to think back at all the great things you saw, no.

For instance, Bryce Canyon is 90 minutes from Zion. The horseback ride is something you sign up for and takes place at a specific time. Probably not just when you get there.

You have Bryce squeezed into one day between two other parks.

Don't treat this trip as if the sights are historic buildings in one area of a city. They are far apart and it's surpirising how long it could take to drive 85 mile from Zion to Bryce.

Myer's right - you cant' just drive 90 minutes and hop on a horse. Just driving a bit on the main road through Bryce and stopping at the look-outs takes time.

I'm a big believer that you need to really get out of the car to "see" our national parks. The hikes in Zion and Bryce are some of the best and most memorable we've ever done. You really don't want to miss them.

I know what it's like to see want to see a lot, but I truly don't think your itinerary is doable.

Mapquest your route and see what we mean.

I have used mapquest to estimate time from place to place and figured we could do it even though we would be using every minute of the day.

The part I was worried about the most was losing time in Bryce Canyon since we would be squeezing it between Zion and getting to Capitol Reef (Torrey) for the night.

Maybe we'll have to re-think things.

I was planning on booking a horseback tour, not just showing up looking for a horse :}. we haven't decided if we want to try and do it in Bryce or Reef.

Do yourself and your wife a favor and do NOT do this plan.

If you want to do some hiking, then keep it down to Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef. There are plenty of other activities and places to explore on Hwy 12 between Bryce and Torrey. You can also hit the Kolob section of Zion on your way back to Las Vegas and also add Snow Canyon State Park just outside of St. George (which is a much nicer state park than Catherdral Gorge...IMHO. The Moab area has so much to offer and one night just won't cut it...not if you want to do other activities too.

If you must, then forget about Catherdral Gorge State Park it's nothing compared to the National Parks of Utah. The sign on the ET highway is neat, but not worth the extra 3 1/2 hours in the car!!

Utahtea

got to agree with other posters. a Moab trip doesn't fit into the bryce/zion/capital reef trip. not in 7 days at least. IMO you should pick the moab area for your trip or the BZCR. the horseback ride at bryce, i believe is at 9 am and 1 pm they are trail rides only, no on your own horseback riding (that i recall) . byw the trail ride is wonderful. and best in the cool morning...

At Moab there are so many things to do, a week would be well, gone in a minute.

If you like to hike there are many places in zion you'll want to hike to,

please rethink and enjoy your trip. When you are out west it's always the same, there are so many things to see and do, and in relative terms they are "close" but travel chews up a lot of time. Also once you get to some of these places, you don't want to leave! have a great trip.

Man, everyone seems to be giving me the same advice. First I've ever encountered that, usually get mixed opinions.

I just don't ever see us getting out that way again just to do Moab area if we only do Zion area this time. This sucks!!

Well, I thought I was making a one-time trip in June.

I went to Bryce canyon, Zion, made a pit stop in GC and then spent 2 days in Sedona hiking.

Now I'm planning on returning next May/June to go to the Moab area.

Things change.

Would we be missing anything if we took a left and went north on 24 to 70 and did Moab and skipped going further south along 95 and then up 163/191 (Naural Bridges NM, Blanding, etc.)?

This would allow us to stay overnight at Bryce and cut 2.5 hours off drive time when making our way to Moab.

When looking at the map after Cap Reef, you see Hanksville. There is when we could go north instead of south. I wanted to wind my way through that southern part of the state but if I wouldn't be missing that much, I don't need to do it.

Myer: My wife and I most likely will never be in these parts of Utah again. We hardly ever do things twice, especially if they are out of the way places. We like to go all over the place and already have a trip planned for Ireland later this year, she is going on a cruise next year and we have started planning a trip to Japan.

I think once you get there and see the wealth of things that must be experienced just in Zion and Bryce alone, you will understand what we are trying to tell you. If you attempt to make the trip as planned, you'll have been there, but have experienced so very, very, little of it, it'd be a real shame. We've been to Zion twice and still want to go back for more!

Of the places you have mentioned, I have only been to VOF, Bryce and Zion.

If I were doing it again, I would

*see VOF on way from Vegas to Zion area
*Overnight near Zion (St George?)
*One day in Zion (that was enough for me...enjoyed every minute of it!)
*Overnight near Bryce
*One day in Bryce.
*Overnight?????
*Continue trip

I think we are going to cut out Natural Bridges and head north after Cap Reef to cut on driving time to Moab. Out intention is to hit VOF on way to Zion. Do what we can in Zion until they kick us out that night. Go back to Zion in the morning and spend time there. Now, if are indeed changing our plans, we can spend more time in Zion and then head to Bryce where we will then stay overnight and do what we can in Bryce that evening. Wake up the next day and do more of Bryce then head to Cap Reef when we are done there and stay overnight in Cap Reef, doing the same thing. In Cap Reef that night and again the next day. Then we head to Moab via 24 and 70.

Off the topic: Does anyoe know a good bar/pub in Cedar City, Tropic/Ruby's Inn, Torrey areas?

We are micro/craft brew drinkers. Any place that has a good atmosphere and serves good beer would be great. If they serve cheap $$ beer, that is even better.

My husband and I were also in this area 3 weeks ago. We are not ones to let the grass grow under our feet and keep moving a lot--we hike/walk upwards of 10 miles per day--we could not attempt your plan. This trip sounds more like a driving tour. I know you have added some changes, but I still think you need to pick a "top 3 or 4" and keep it to that. If all you want to do is a drive-by, then you might want to go for it, but as with as many places as you have chosen, you certainly won't be able to get out and 'really' xplore the areas for what they have to offer.
If it were me:
3 nights minimum for Zion
1 night for Bryce
Add on according to your priorities. We actually had 9 days but spent 1 1/3 in Las Vegas. We didn't have time to go to Torrey as planned. We made it as far as Boulder.

If you keep on Cedar Breaks National Monument, that could be done in 1/2 day "if" you hike there. However, we went in this direction and missed hiking due to possible storms, but the scenic drive from Panguitch takes a little time (if that is the way you are going??) due to the mountainous road.

We stayed also stayed in Cedar City our last night before flying out of Vegas, but sorry I can't help on the pubs.

We plan on heading from Zion to Bryce to Reef, then up to Rt. 70 to Moab. The Moab back to Rt. 70 al the way to Cedar City. Cedar City to Vegas. We have been to Vegas before so we aren't worried about sight-seeing there.

This past year we were able to:

Hike at Grand Canyon and then drive towards Monument Valley. Stayed outside the Valley and toured the Valley the next day. In that same day we visited the Painted desert and Petrified Forest. Just an example (2 days). I know the roads are different.

You mentioned "until they throw us out in the evening".

Well, Zion and Bryce don't close so they won't throw you out. On the other hand, when it's dark you can't see anything. These aren't "party towns".

If you can plan for almost a complete day in both Zion and Bryce you can get a good feel for those places.

In Zion you start in the Canyon. Unless you hike up, stopping at the shuttle stops will do nothing for you.

I would select from Riverside Walk, Canyon Overlook, Emerald Pools and the start of Angel's Landing. If you are really efficient you can do most of that. If you leave Canyon Overlook for the next morning on the way to Bryce you can do that. Just make sure you start early so that you cna plan on being in Bryce around noon time to hike down.

In Bryce you start at the top. Unfortunately, you can see quite a bit from the overlooks locations. I say unfortunately because you are doing yourself a great disservice if you don't at leat hike down Navajo Loop and up Queens Garden. You've got to get down among the rock formations.

Get up the next morning in time for sunrise at Bryce Point and you can then move on.

Not expecting or looking for a "party town". We always get up very early on vacation and get going to fit as much into one day as possible.

In case it got lost a few posts back:

Are we missing anything if we skip Natural Bridges NM?

You mentioned canyoneering in your original thread. We did some canyoneering in Arches with www.deserthighlights.com and really enjoyed it. We took 3 days to do Arches. There is canyoneering at and near other parks in Utah also.

Spiro,

On your conyon tour, was there a lot of water involved?