Hello Everyone! You've all been such a wonderful source of help for previous trips.

We are finally planning our Grand Canyon loop. I've been dreaming about this trip for a very long time. My first posts on this forum are back from 2010 - and now we're finally, finally going to go! I know that reservations at GC open up 13 months in advance (is that still true? - it was true for Yellowstone two years ago), so I want to be ready on May 1st.

Who we are: Two parents, 40s. Three kids, they will be 14, 13, & 13 at time of travel. We will fly into Las Vegas and rent a truck or minivan. We are okay hikers - not extreme, but did just fine in Yellowstone - hiking 5-8 miles per day, even with the elevation (not going to lie, Tom's Trail nearly killed my husband and I).

We have two weeks - hoping to fly out on a Saturday (June 3) and home two weeks later (June 17).

My basic must do list:
Fly into LV (1 night - to leave early for Hoover Dam in am?)
Hoover Dam
GC South Rim (1 night or 2? Would like to rent bikes one morning and see all the different look outs)
Page - Antelope Canyon (spend the night?)
Monument Valley (spend the night at Gouldings?)
Moab - Arches and Canyonlands (At least 2 nights - perhaps 3?)
Goblin Valley State Park
Capitol Reef/Torrey/Escalante (Unsure on this whole portion) (Spend the night in Torrey?)
Bryce (1 night)
Kanab/North Rim GC (I just added this - I really think I want to see it - and I think we have time) (1 night)
Zion (2 or 3 nights?) - Definitely want to try the Narrows - Definitely do not want to try Angels Landing (I never realized I had such a tremendous fear of heights until my kids were scampering up the cliffs in the Badlands!).

I need some thoughts on how long we need in each place before moving on. It's really hard to judge that when you've never been to any of it.

For perspective, We spent 5 days in Yellowstone - so we moved from area to area - and really enjoyed our entire stay. It seemed like the right amount of time for us. We did two nights at Tetons - again, a nice amount of time.

We like to do basic hikes, see visitor centers, take pictures. The kids love a good hotel pool

A typical day for us is getting up and out early. Eating breakfast out of the car/cooler. Hiking in the AM before it gets hot. Then relaxing in the afternoon with ice cream, people watching, board games, a nap or a swim (depending on the hotel/lodge). We eat mostly picnic lunches, then usually eat dinner somewhere. Not necessarily fancy. We do in park lodges when it's practical (Yellowstone/Tetons). If a hotel with a pool is right outside a national park gate - I would choose that for the kids.

So, I have 14 nights to fill. I did a preliminary list above - but I'd really love your perspective on where we need more time, and where we need less? Also - Where the brutal drives are, so we can plan around that as well (and by brutal, I want to know if I'm going to be terrified during switchbacks - or if it's just a really long day in the car).

Thanks for any input at all!!!

It sounds like your general plan is a good one. Here is a map with sites and mileage that I've found helpful. It was posted several years ago by another fodorite.

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

I would do 1 night in GC if you got there by noon, 2 nights if you want to hike down into the canyon a way (recommended).

I would do 3 nights in Moab, more if you want to go to both Island in the sky and Needles district.

Do take into consideration the time it takes to get from one park to the next when deciding how many night to spend in one place. If you don't arrive until evening and have to leave by noon the next day, it doesn't leave much time for exploring the park. Some of these parks are very large.

Don't think about the switchbacks, everyone needs to slow down to go around them, and if you are going down hill, do put the car into a lower gear and let the car do some slowing. Pull over when there is a spot to do so and let the tailgaters pass on by.

If the trip is for this summer, you need to get your lodging arranged asap. People do make plans a year in advanced, so make a reservation outside of the park that can be cancelled and call the parks every day, with luck something will come up.

Look at flying into Salt Lake city and doing your loop from there too. I've been researching for a possible trip with the grandkids and it was very much less expensive than Vegas at the times we could go.

Thank you, emalloy! I should have clarified, this trip will be June 2017. I like to book and plan early . Great link, that map really helps show Where things are located.

Depending on what time your flight gets into Las Vegas, just drive out to the Hoover Dam Lodge and check in either before or after seeing the dam. http://hooverdamlodge.com/
The rooms are no more expensive than in Las Vegas and it will give you a good head start in the morning on the way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
There is a paved path from a parking lot up to the walkway on the big new bridge.
The walkway is wide enough with a high enough railing that you should not get scared looking down at Hoover Dam.

tomfuller - Thank you - This is a great idea! I didn't really want to stay in Vegas with the kids - so we can just head right to the dam!

The Hoover Dam tour is awesome by the way. You can click on my user name for my trip reports to Bryce, Zion, Kanab/Page, Escalante, Goblin Valley, Capitol Reef, Torrey, Moab, Arches--I live in Utah so do these trips as long weekend vs a whole trip at a time. In some trip reports, my kids were not as old as yours--but lots of the lodging recommendations etc still hold. The whole pool thing is one reason I do not stay in park at Zion and Bryce--there is excellent lodging right at the gate of those parks with great pools. Try Desert Pear Inn or Cable Mountain Lodge outs of Zion. And any of the hotels outside of Bryce are good--I like Ruby's Inn, just because it is so big and its fun. We just stayed in the new Marriott in Moab and really liked it--great pool!!

Goblin Valley is fun, but with kids your age I would prioritize Peekaboo and Spooky slot canyons outside of Escalante. really great experience!!

You have a great skeleton--now you need to figure out what hikes you want to do and then pair that with driving times to figure out how much time you actually have in one place--e.g. do you just get to see Capital Reef and skip Escalante or do you have time for both?

Have you checked out the park newspapers for all the national parks? They have great hiking listings with approximate times. very helpful! And you can google the others as "area hikes" e.g. Escalante area hikes and you can get times etc. (i just have tons of hiking guide books but I use them over and over. It's different when you are coming here for a one time shot)

I'll throw in my vote for 2 nights at GC. I've just been through the mental gymnastics myself and I've come to the realization that because GC is such a popular place, it can take more time than one would like to find a parking space, and to get around in general, and to do things like sign out bikes, etc.

I too looked at bikes. My apologies if you already know this, but for anyone else reading: Here's the link.

http://bikegrandcanyon.com/wp-conten...teversion3.pdf

A caveat: Be sure you understand where you can and cannot bike (most of the rim trail is off-limits to cycles but there are 'greenway' sections in the park.) Important: when you are not on a 'greenway' but on a park road, you must pull over, stop, and let shuttle buses pass you.

In addition to basic rentals, they offer a shuttle package, which you can read about here:

http://bikegrandcanyon.com/hermit-package/

My suggestion would be to reserve your bikes or bike/shuttle package for the morning following your arrival in GC, because it will be too hard for you to pin down an arrival time from Hoover Dam the day before.

You don't need a lot of time for Antelope Canyon. If you go early enough in the morning you will beat the crowds. If you are doing Upper and Lower Canyon you will need about 3 hours total (they are located very close to each other). If you only have time for one (I'd suggest the Lower Canyon), you only need about an hour (longer if you arrive later in the day and are waiting in line). No need to spend the night in Page - Antelope Canyon will be a nice stop to stretch the legs in between GC and you next stop.

I've written a post about the top 10 things to know before going to Antelope Canyon - you might find it useful: http://livelifeoutofoffice.com/antelope-canyon/

Wow everyone, thank you for the replies! I appreciate each one!!! Lots of good info. to sort through here. Definitely going to do two nights at GC, so we can bike the next morning.

StantonHyde, I've always loved your posts/reports. I'm off to read them (again!). I especially need to see Escalante/Capitol Reef area, because I feel less familiar with both of those...

I'm checking out the bike and Antelope Canyon links now! Thanks again!

By the time you visit Hoover Dam and continue on to the South Rim, you won't have time to see much of the Grand Canyon. Another night will give you time to enjoy it and relax a bit. Get to Antelope Canyon for an early tour and move on to Monument Valley for a night at Gouldings or The View.

Spend 3 nights in Moab - lots to see and do and plenty of motels with a pool. A sunset hike to Delicate Arch is fun. Be sure to bring flashlights.

Exit Moab early and head to Goblins for a quick romp around or straight to Torrey for a night - Austins Chuckwagon is a great spot for the night. Nice pool, laundry and grocery/deli on site. Be sure to drive through Capitol Reef and check out the Visitors Center.

Drive the incredibly scenic highway 12 up over Boulder Mountain to Escalante - stopping for a hike in the slot canyons (weather permitting), or Devil Garden (outside Escalante) or Calf Creek (nice hike to a waterfall). End the day in Bryce and spend part of the next day hiking in Bryce Canyon. Drive to Zion and stay that night and a few more. Lots of lodging and dining options in Springdale - we usually stay in town. This gives you 2 -3 nights at the end of your trip to relax and enjoy being in one beautiful place.

I suggest skipping the north rim and Kanab for this trip. Take time to research some of the other places along your route, like Calf Creek, Peekaboo slot cyn, Escalante - you may decide to spend an add'l night in Torrey or Bryce. Ask questions - there are a lot of us on this forum who love this region and are happy to help you plan a great trip. Enjoy the planning!

Thank you, Sharondi! This is great! I feel like I have the outline, but knowing how long I need for each place helps so much!

I like the idea of spending the morning at Antelope Canyon, then driving to Monument Valley for a night at Gouldings or the View.

This helps so much!