mermart13

We have 4 full days with a travel day on each end. Fly into Vegas, rent car and head to Zion Day 1,
Bryce Day 2, Page Day 3, South Rim GC Day 4. Back to Vegas to fly to Chicago. . Can we do it all???!!! Help please!!

emalloy

If you just want to see those places and not do much other than look and go then, you can do that if you get good weather, have no traffic problems, etc.

When do you plan to go?

mermart13

Guessing no time to hike a couple hours? Fall. Do you suggest we skip GC? Thanks for your reply!

MichelleY

If you have not seen the GC, then do not skip it.

schlegal1

You can do a very short hike at each I suppose; for many people a short walk and driving through a park is a great way to experience it.

For me, personally, no, it wouldn't be enjoyable. I would skip GC, and I haven't seen it, though I want to. On the other hand, it is probably the one that is most amenable to a simple look-and-see level of enjoyment.

I would pick either Zion or GC and enjoy it for the full four days. At most I would do three days Zion, one day Bryce Canyon. Hiking is a big part of a NP visit for me, though.

But travel styles vary--yes, you CAN do what you have proposed but only you know whether you will enjoy it.

peterboy

Zion and Bryce...keep it to that. What's the attraction Page? Bummer to miss Grand Canyon but it is the most "missable" IMO.
Arrive Vegas, Drive to Zion and spend the night. If you arrive early enough, do a quick hike...maybe a portion od the River Walk or Emerald Pools

Day 2 Drive to Bryce...view the overlooks from the road while you acclimate to the altitude. Spend the night at Bryce

Day 3 view sunrise then hike in and out of the canyon. Drive back to Zion stopping for the short Canyon Overlook hike just before the tunnel.

Day 4 Hike in Zion to Scout's Overlook and on to Angels Landing if you dare. Then a quick shot back to Vegas to fly home.

AustinTraveler

The attraction in Page is Lake Powell.

lgott

Page has several attractions. In addition to Lake Powell (and Glen Canyon Dam), mentioned above, there are Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. However, if I were pressed for time, I'd skip Page in favor of Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon.

peterboy

Been there...Antelope Canyon is neat but I wasn't up for the crowds or being hauled around in the dust in the back of a flatbed truck (OK they have seats). Lake Powell is there so you'll drive by that. Grand Canyon is awesome but hard to get much more than a look over a few viewpoints at your pace. Your original plan would be sitting on a plane then sitting in a car then sitting on a plane again. It can be done but, at the end, I think you'll wish you'd done more with less. Chicago isn't that far...you can come back. Here's a link to an out-and-back trip we did from Vegas to Torrey...when we finally realized how big the place is. You're going to love your trip...but get a fast car! http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_tr

mermart13

Thank you all for your responses! Decided on Zion and Bryce! Peterboy etc.....wouldn't we spend more time in Bryce than Zion due to size? Sorry if that sounds stupid it just looks so much bigger and figure there is more to see than Zion?

lgott

Zion is many times the size of Bryce, and has much more to see. I'm guessing that you're looking at a map that shows other contiguous federal lands (such as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument) -- much of which has no roads.

Unless you plan on a day-long hike, Bryce can be covered in one long day: see sunrise from one of the lookouts; hike for a few hours; see sunset from another lookout.

Zion has enough to keep you busy for weeks. The Narrows was my favorite hike, and fall is one of the better times to do it. Angels Landing is another deservedly famous hike. However, if the knife edge ridge bothers you, you could substitute a (more difficult) hike to Observation Point, which is higher and has even better views (you're looking down on Angels Landing).

peterboy

lgott gave you the answer. Sunrise is a "must see" at Bryce and a hike down into the hoodoos is a "must do" so being there in the morning and early afternoon until you finish your hike will give you the feel for the place. The Navajo-Queens Garden loop is about right. Getting there the day before gives you a chance to do the scenic drive while you acclimate to the 9000' elevation before the hike. This scan be a BIG deal to some folks. Drink way more water than you think you need...it helps with the altitude...a mistake many people make.

Ending in Zion keeps you closest to Vegas. Remember, you gain an hour on the way back. Zion has varied and great hikes and the gateway town of Springdale has great places to eat... It will be a lot more fun ending your trip in relaxed, and highly scenic place than rushing to get back to Vegas from a distant starting point. It is a vacation after all.

mermart13

Thank you both (all)! I am taking the suggestions and running with them! Bryce is first to catch the sunset then the morning sunrise! Zion will be next with a longer visit. Igott is there a name for the route that is NOT Angels/knife edge ridge (can't handle that)with the great VIEW looking down on Angels? How difficult/long is it? Narrows we will hit up for certain!
Peterboy, thanks for the elevation info on Bryce! I'll be all over the water and policing the others as well!Suggestions on places in Springdale to eat?
ANY other hikes/waterfall (will there be any waterfalls?), pack lunch?, any other suggestions? This is such a last minute trip and I'm overwhelmed by the info out there!! (Dinner near Bryce too??!!)
Thanks again!!! So helpful!

lgott

mermart13, the trail that is NOT Angels Landing is called "Observation Point." The trailhead is at Weeping Rock (one stop past Angels Landing's trailhead at The Grotto). The round trip hiking distance is about eight miles (compared to almost five miles for Angels Landing), with an elevation change of 2,100 feet (compared to 1,500 feet for Angels Landing).

Difficulty is subjective, but I'd describe it as a fairly strenuous hike. The distance may not seem like much, but the elevation change is a big deal. If you're not used to steep hikes, you may be thinking evil thoughts about me by the time you're through! Allow about four to six hours.

peterboy

You can also hike up to Scout's Overlook which is just before the last knife edge up to Angel's Landing. This will take you up the famous Walter's Wiggles section of the trail. From Scout's Overlook you can continue on up instead of going up Angel's Landing and you can look back at the Angel's Landing Trail....I've never had the nerve to do Angels Landing. Here's a look at a section of the trail going up to Scout's Overlook. http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/34706521

and Walter's Wiggles
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/34706134



In Springdale, we find the breakfast at Soleil Café excellent and they have great coffee which is important to us. We like the Bit & Spur for dinner or Oscars which is very popular.

For Bryce, staying in the NP lodging is a good idea but tricky to get. At this point, you can call every day and try to snag a cancellation which happens quite frequently but you have to call....they never show up on the website. Our favorite place to stay is outside the park is the Bryce Canyon Pines Motel on Hwy 12.

http://www.brycecanyonmotel.com/

It is after Red Canyon but before the turn into Bryce. Clean room and the wifi works. The restaurant there is a big reason to stay there. Awesome homemade local food...and great pie. If you like a good breakfast, this is the place. It is often busy for dinner but the will give you a buzzer and you can wait for the buzz in your room. It is very quiet at night there. Bryce is a "dark sky" park with little light pollution...make sure to check out the Milky Way...you've never seen it like it is there.

peterboy

Also, if you're into art, look for the Bingham Gallery on the left side of the road after you take a left onto Rt 89 in Mt Carmel Junction. Great western art...not a tourist trap but a fine art gallery. http://www.binggallery.com/about.html
You'll be passing it twice to and from Bryce and Zion.

mermart13

Peterboy: So the Angel's landing trail is do-able up to Scout's overlook? You mention "knife edges" though?? These are? Our group of 4 is all physically fit but I won't even attempt the drops on that chain part of Angel's landing....just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.

Igott/Peterboy: I think the observation point hike is a bit long. Are we wasting time if we do it 1/2 way and turn around?

Thanks for the dining and lodging suggestions. We didn't not get into the park itself but I will attempt calling in daily to see if there are cancellations!

How about your top 3 fav moderate hikes in both Zion and Bryce?

Thanks again!

lgott

mermart13: yeah, I was afraid the Observation Point hike might be a bit extreme. Rather than hiking it just part way, I'd prefer the Angels Landing hike up to Scout Lookout; this avoids the scary part at the end of the hike, but still provides good views.

lgott

As to favorite moderate hikes:

At Bryce, peterboy provided a good plan. There are fewer trail choices than at Zion, and the Navajo-Queens Garden combination is a top choice.

At Zion, hiking to Scout Lookout would also be one of my choices for a moderate hike. I'd still say that The Narrows is my favorite. It's quite an experience to walk in a river in a narrow slot canyon. You start at the bottom, and hike upstream as far as you like -- so it ranges anywhere from easy to fairly strenuous, from a couple of hours to all day. If you're interested in The Narrows, there are some things to consider, e.g.: proper footwear and equipment (rentals are available); checking with park rangers prior to the hike to make sure there's no danger of flash flooding (a deadly menace when it occurs).

sharondi

A short, fun and very scenic hike in Zion is Canyon Overlook. The trailhead is located just past the end of the tunnel at the east entrance to the park. Easy hike, incredibly scenic.