Help me plan a family trip to southern Utah / Grand Canyon in June '13
 

I am hoping to plan a trip to southern Utah and the Grand Canyon in early June '13. I am worried that I may be too late to get the best accommodations so I'm looking for some quick advice on planning our itinerary. Travelers: two grandparents (early 70s), me and my DH, and our 5-year-old and 17-month-old daughters.

This trip is inspired by my older daughter's obsession with the Grand Canyon. (She currently wants to be a geologist or an archaeologist.) Our current targets are the Grand Canyon (definitely North Rim, but preferably both rims), Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands/Capitol Reef. We will have approximately 10 days including travel, so 8 on the ground. We plan to rent a seven-passenger vehicle of some sort, either a minivan or large SUV. We would like to avoid long days in the car, but we do enjoy driving and don't mind a few hours of travel broken up by sightseeing or a short hike. Since we are traveling with my in-laws and young children (one walking and one carried in a backpack), we will be looking for short (<2 miles), relatively flat hikes that still let us take in the fabulous scenery. All of the adults have been to this area many times before, but this will be our first time with the little ones, so it will be a new adventure for us.

It looks like we could fly into Phoenix or Salt Lake City. Las Vegas seems too far away since we aren't planning to visit Zion on this trip. Which city makes the most sense? I'm struggling to develop a loop that allows us to return to the arrival city to avoid drop-off fees but also minimizes long driving days. Any suggestions on the order we should see the parks? We'd like to do two-night stays if possible, but will do one-nighters if it makes sense. Any suggestions for family-friendly lodgings that might be slightly less popular (and more likely to still have openings in June)? We are all experienced travelers and enjoy a little luxury (we understand that we won't get that from park lodging) but nothing ridiculously expensive (<$200 per night per room). Any ideas for short scenic hikes or sights that would interest our 5-year-old are also welcome. She enjoys the outdoors, wildlife, rocks, rivers, dinosaurs.

Thanks!

First of all - check out the other posts in here under Arizona and Utah, which have a lot of info. Just scroll down and down until you find something you like. I did a trip report back in June? 2012, and Spirobulldog (sp) has some great trip reports - including pics. :)

And as for accommodations - think the Grand Canyon may be the most booked - but just keep trying as they have cancellations. If you could stay on the South Rim - say at Bright Angel Lodge - that would be great - and North Rim fills up faster?

If you could fly into Phoenix - that would be the closest to the Grand Canyon of the airports you mentioned (4 hours) but Vegas isn't that much further - 5 hours. Note - I think coming south from Salt Lake - you can also get to the Capitol Reef area in 4 or 5 areas - or start over at Arches - so it's really up to you.

From Phoenix - I would break it up - with a night or two in beautiful Sedona (2 hours from Phoenix) - where your daughter would love the Red Rock formations) and then perhaps on the way to the South Rim - check out the Meteor Crater a half hour or so east of Flagstaff. If you could fly into Phoenix - that would be the closest to the Grand Canyon of the airports you mentioned (4 hours) but Vegas isn't that much further - 5 hours. Note - I think coming south from Salt Lake - you can also get to the Capitol Reef area in 4 or 5 areas - or start over at Arches - so it's really up to you.

From Phoenix - I would break it up - with a night or two in beautiful Sedona (2 hours from Phoenix) - where your daughter would love the Red Rock formations) and then perhaps on the way to the South Rim - check out the Meteor Crater a half hour or so east of Flagstaff. If you could fly into Phoenix - that would be the closest to the Grand Canyon of the airports you mentioned (4 hours) but Vegas isn't that much further - 5 hours. Note - I think coming south from Salt Lake - you can also get to the Capitol Reef area in 4 or 5 areas - or start over at Arches - so it's really up to you.

From Phoenix - I would break it up - with a night or two in beautiful Sedona (2 hours from Phoenix) - where your daughter would love the Red Rock formations) and then perhaps on the way to the South Rim - check out the Meteor Crater a half hour or so east of Flagstaff.

From the South Rim (which offers the best view of the Canyon) you can get to the North Rim - if that is a must - and/or also get to the various other places you mention. And if you want to see some more amazing red rock formations/Cathedrals really - check out Monument Valley - about 2 and a half hours from the South Rim. http://monumentvalley.org/

A bonus is to stop at the Navajo National Monument (half an hour before you get to Kayenta, AZ - the gateway to Monument Valley) - and see the Cliff Dwellings. http://www.nps.gov/nava/index.htm

Coming from Vegas - you could also head to say Bryce - and from there - do the Capitol Reef route and Arches, whatever - and then down to the GC and then back to Vegas.

Sorry - somehow the post got duplicated/partially triplicated in parts - so please just ignore that.

And I had a page cite for the Meteor Crater - where they also have a good IMAX type film theater - and various other exhibits that future geogolists would love. http://www.meteorcrater.com/

Thanks Tomsd! I'm actually a little overwhelmed with the amount of info available so that's why I'm asking for some help. It sounds like I could really go either way, flying into SLC or Phoenix. Thanks for the suggestion of Sedona and the Navajo monument. I'm sure our daughter would love both. I've heard to keep trying for cancellations at the GC, so I will do that if I can't get our desired dates.

See Arches first and Bryce last, because Arches is Hot and Bryce is cooler. The longer into the summer you get the hotter Arches will be.

DO NOT miss Goblin Valley State Park. Likely will be your daughters favorite spot. Also right near is a super easy slot very amazing slot canyon called Little Wildhorse Canyon(don't confuse with Wildhorse, you want Little WH). Ask the visitor center in Goblin Valley for directions to Little WH. It is about a 5 minute drive from the Goblins.

I know that skipping the Grand Canyon would be huge, but you are going to see things similar to it. Deadhorse Point, near Moab looks down on the Colorado River cutting thru Canyonlands. It isn't the Grand Canyon, but it certainly is a Grand View and looks very similar. I would pick the parks in Utah over the GC any day(and i've even rafted the GC). However, there is nothing like that first look over the GC-it does offer a huge shock and awe. Maybe consider doing it when she is a bit older. See if from both sides, go on a raft trip, hike or ride horse to the bottom. I think you get a lot more out of it, if you go the extra mile.

Consider Flying into Moab or Grand Junction. Moab has 2 or 3 flights a day served by a tiny airplane(it is an adventure in itself). Airport code for Moab is CNY.

Day 1 Fly to SLC or ? and drive to Moab (4hr drive from SLC)
Day 2,3 Moab, Canyonland, Arches
Day 4 Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse, Drive to Torrey
Day 5 Capitol Reef in the morning,Calf Creek falls, Hwy12,
Bryce
Day 6 Bryce
Day 7 North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Day 8 Page Arizona - Best Dam View,Antelope Canyon
Day 9 Monument Valley, Goosenecks of the San Juan, Moki Dugway
Natural Bridges National Monument,
Day 10 Back to SLC, CNY, or GJT.

On day 2 and 3. See Deadhorse Point, hike to Delicate Arch, See Balanced Rock, See The Windows, See Turret Arch, See Double Arch(not to be confused with Double O). Hike at least to Landscape Arch, but consider hiking the entire Devils Garden Trail. My daughter did it when she was about 9 without any problems. It is a fairly easy trail but will take you 4 hours or so. Do realize that there are lots of dropoffs in all the places you are going. The 70 year old GP might have to watch the 17 month old a bit. You could do a Hummer Tour with Moab Adventure Center. You could do a fantastic airplane ride with Slick Rock Air. They have a 4 and 6 passenger plane. Ask for Larry, he is retired former Chief Park Ranger at Canyonlands. I would do the one hour flight over Canyonlands. It's great from the air. He will likely let your daughter sit in front and help him a bit even.

Day 4 Goblin Valley and Little WH. Have food and water here. There is absolutely nothing here for miles. Truly the middle of nowhere. Star-gazing is especially good in Utah and this place and Naturaly Bridges is two of the darkest places in the USA, so the best. It is worth staying up and letting your eyes adjust for an hour or so. In Bryce, they do a Night Ranger guided thing that is decent. Drive into Torrey and overnight @ Austin's Chuckwagon

Day 5 Have homemade piebreakfast @ Gifford House. This is in Capitol Reef in the picnic area/orchard. Eat your pie right under the huge tree. You are almost guaranteed to be dining with deer here. Capitol Reef has several nice hikes and drive. There are very little people here, so most of the hikes you will not see many folks. Continue on HWY 12 towards Bryce. You could stop at Calf Creek Falls, but it is a hike that would take you 3 or 4 hours. Also good is Devils Garden(not to be confused with the other Devils Garden in Arches). This is like bigger statues somewhat like Goblin Valley, but just different. Certainly worth a stop. Its about a 10 minute drive down an easy dirt road. Overnight in Bryce at the Lodge or Ruby's would be my second choice

Day 6 See Sunrise. Hike Navajo Loop/Queens Garden. Drive and look at all the overlooks. Maybe do a horseback ride(not sure of age limit). See Sunset. Overnight in Bryce

Day 7 Drive to North Rim. Perhaps hike a mile down into the canyon or do one of the rim hikes. Hopefully you can get a room at the lodge.

Day 8
Antelope Canyon. This is another slot canyon. You will need to get an indian guide to do this one. Overnight in The View @ Monument Valley

Day 9
Drive Through Monuent Valley. Do Not Miss Goosenecks of the San Juan. This will take you about 15 minutes and it is worth the stop. Drive to Natural Bridges National Monument via Moki Dugway. Definately hike to Sipapu Bridge. It is as good as any arch in Arches. You do not get the full appreciation unles you hike down to it. The hike takes about an hour. Very good! Drive back to Moab

Day 10 Return Home


I always mention www.deserthighlights.com This is my all time very favorite thing in any National Park that I have ever done. They do take young kids and it is very safe. Totally amazing experience. You do need to be adventurous.

We've done the loop from Las Vegas a couple of times and found that when we booked airfare and car rental were both significantly less expensive from there. If you get into Vegas before noon, you could be at Bryce before dark and many people here use Ruby's for lodging there.

It is a haul to Arches/Canyonlands from Bryce, but if you head north to I - 70 from there, you could spend a night in Green River before going to Moab. We stayed at the River Terrace Inn there which was pretty nice for a motel, had a pool and a very nice, made to order breakfast included in the room cost. It is about an hour from Arches and we used it as a base for exploring Arches and Canyonlands once. The VC at Arches will give you information on dinosaur tracks in the area.

From there you could head south through Monument Valley and then head east to Page before heading for Grand Canyon. There is a variety of lodging choices in Page and a couple in Monument Valley, but look in Kayenta or Mexican Hat if you can't find a place in MV.

You can go to the south rim from there and if you don't get lodging in the park, the Cameron Trading Post on rt. 89 just before rt. 64 into the park is fine, not fancy but reasonable rates, clean.

Hoover Dam makes a nice stop on the way back to Vegas from GC.

Of course the loop could be done in the other direction too, if lodging choices make that a better direction.

Do call for park lodging frequently as cancellations come up all the time.

There are lots of TRs that people have posted here, If you put any of your destinations into the search box you will get tons of threads. You also can click my name for some TRs in the area.

Have a wonderful trip.

When I spent a week at my most recent PIT project I stayed at the Spring Valley cabin in the Kaibab NF about 40 miles south of the South Rim. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaiba...1662&actid=101
$100/night for the cabin and bunkhouse if you need it is a bargain. You do have to bring your own bedding but you can use the kitchen.
For the trip to Arches, Canyonlands, Goblin Valley and Capitol Reef, we stayed at the Robbers Roost motel in Green River. To get to Green River, we took the train to SLC and rented a car. The amateur archeologist should see the prehistoric museum in Price UT.

Since spiro has responded I will only add to it.

As you can see GC is not one of his favorites. Me neither. The other Utah sights make GC look ordinary. Having said that, I would never tell somebody not to see GC once in their lives.

Sprio mentioned Antelope Canyon as a slot canyon. I would not group it in that category as it's more of an attraction. Even so, not to be missed if you're in the vicinity. It's really just an easy walk in the park. One of a kind. Amazing!!!!

If you plan on driving Rte 24 & 12 between Arches and Bryce, definitely consider Goblin Valley, Devil's Garden Escalente (as opposed to Devil's Garden in Arches) and either one or both of Little Wild Horse (I haven't been but spiro has) and/or Willis Creek slot canyon (a very easy walk but an adventure driving to short road there).

In the Moab area there's more than Arches: Canyonlans, Dead Horse Point, Fisher Towers, etc. For Dead Horse Point and Fisher Towers go to Youtube and search "Citi Accessories". It was a commercial Citibank ran a year ago and starts in Dead Horse Point and ends at the top of Fisher Towers).

Spiro you are awesome. Thanks so much! This is just what I needed as a busy mom trying to figure out this trip quickly. I know the Grand Canyon is a little out of the way, but this trip hinges on it. It's going to be many years before our younger daughter is old enough to make the hike down into the canyon, so we will obviously be back someday. But for my 5-year-old to see the GC with her Granny - well, that's just gotta happen someway somehow, if you get what I mean.

We will definitely do something like Desert Highlights when the kids are a little older and we aren't traveling with the grandparents. Thanks for the link.

emalloy I will compare prices flying into Las Vegas. I've stayed at Ruby's and Cameron Trading Post, so I'm familiar with those. Obviously I'd prefer to stay at the rim so we could watch the sunset and not have to worry about getting back to our hotel, but we'll adjust if necessary!

tomfuller thanks for the suggestions! Cabins would be great for our family.

Myer, thank you for the additional suggestions. I have always wanted to see Antelope Canyon and I'm glad to hear it's an easy walk.

Thanks all, you've given me lots to work with. Keep 'em coming. I can always count on Fodorites to come through!

You said the North Rim is a definite, the South Rim is just an option. Las Vegas is 1.5 hours closer to the North Rim than Phoenix and typically has cheaper flights and car rentals. You might as well just eliminate Phoenix from the equation and narrow it down to either Vegas or SLC for your flight.

Personally, I would eliminate Moab from your itinerary. There's plenty of interesting things in south Utah/north Arizona without adding in the drive to Moab.

I meant to add - what is involved in getting a guide for Antelope Canyon? I assume it's on a reservation and that is why a guide is needed.

Just for kicks I checked flight prices from my base-Tulsa OK
from June 6 and return June 17--prices based on round trip. Not for sure where you are flying in from.
I've been to all of the places I mentioned multiple times. But--Haven't been to Page at all.

Salt Lake--$462
Las Vegas--$410
Grand Junc--$476
Moab--$500

St. George might be worth checking flights there too. I've flown there twice. It would save you a little driving time. Grand Junction and Moab would save you a lot of driving time.

From Flagstaff visit Walnut Canyon (short but somewhat steep hike), Meteor Crater, Petrified forest/Painted Desert. Sunset Crater - short hike at the crater, Wupatki - at the main ruins go all the way down to the blow hole and ball court. Visit some of the other ruins along the road also.

Near Bryce is Kodacrome Canyon with different geologic features.

To get a guide for Antelope canyon, just go to the parking lot, pay the lady, Then wait for them to take you in. I have some photos of it at www.flickr.com/photos/emalloy2009 in the 2008 set I think.

You don't need a guide for Antelope Canyon.

A "guide" in many cases is just the person driving the truck/van or whatever you go in.

Some people book a van in Page. I drove into the parking lot and bought a ticket.

Our "guide" was a Navajo student who told us stories about his grandmother. We drove in an open backed truck (I took a plastic bag with to keep the dust off my camera). The drive was 10-15 minutes.

He actually knew many of the good spots for photos.

It takes about 15 minutes (non-stop) to walk from one end to the other and it's almost perfectly level.

Of course, stopping for photos will bring you up to the hour you spend there.

If you are into photography you can bring a tripod as I did.

Plan on going when the sun is high in the sky to maximize the effect of the canyon.

Once you're in the area you may want to consider Horseshoe Bend. It's about 10-15 minutes from Antelope Canyon. It's free to park in the lot and a 3/4 mile hike/walk of sand. At the end the water is 1000 feet down and no fence or barrier. So watch your daughter. But an amazing view of the Colorado River bending in the shape of a horseshoe.

You can see my photos of the areas you are planning on at:

www.travelwalks.com

Select the trips of interest.

Spiro, we're flying from Detroit. We'll want to make it one non-stop flight since we'll have the two little ones, car seats, etc. and we want to keep the air travel as simple as possible. So that eliminates the smaller airports. I think it's going to be Las Vegas.

bigtyke thanks for the hike suggestions!

emalloy and Myer, thanks for the Antelope Canyon info. I will definitely put this high on the priority list. It's unusual for midday sun to be ideal for photography conditions, so that's a big plus, especially when I know this group is going to have trouble getting going early!

You will want to do your hikes in the morning or evenings in Moab. Mid-day can be hot. Now, if you are in a slot canyon, like those mentioned, then you have plenty of shade.

On a laptop so all thumbs and pleez 'cuse.

There is nothing - repeat - NOTHING
ordinary about the Grand Canyon, especially your FIRST time.

There is a reason it is called Grand. It may not have the great slot canyon hiking opportunities, etc but it is still KING.

And even after one's first visit - on return trips - you realize it has everything all the other places have - except perhaps the Hoodoos at Bryce. Do not miss it!!

Don't worry Tomsd, we won't miss the Grand Canyon. We've all been there (both rims, and some of us have hiked down) and we would all go back in a heartbeat. I've just reserved one night at the North Rim lodge, even though our dates aren't set in stone yet. Now to see if I can plan a trip around that one night!

If you want to visit National Parks and monuments in Southern Utah then visit Capitol Reef National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. If you go for a drive westward then you can go to Monument Valley near Mexican Hat

I've taken your feedback, we've added a day to the trip, and I've come up with the following proposed itinerary:

Day 1: Fly into Las Vegas, drive to St. George
Day 2: St. George to North Rim (We will skip Zion on this trip. I already have a reservation at the North Rim - Western Cabins)
Day 3: North Rim to Bryce via Antelope Canyon (This is probably the longest day of the trip. Is it feasible?)
Day 4: Bryce to Torrey (UT-12, Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse)
Day 5: Torrey to Moab (UT-24, Capitol Reef, Calf Creek Falls)
Day 6: Moab (Arches)
Day 7: Moab to Monument Valley (stay in Kayenta or ?)
Day 8: Monument Valley to South Rim
Day 9: South Rim
Day 10: South Rim to Las Vegas, stop at Hoover Dam
Day 11: Fly home

We will not have a day in Bryce so I'm hoping we can see the sunset there on Day 3 and do a short hike the morning of Day 4 before heading north.

Comments and suggestions welcome!

You really aren't going to be spending any time at Bryce.

Day 6 and Day 5 you need to reverse. Bryce to Torrey is where Calf Creek Falls are located. Do you really want to do that long of a hike? Torrey to Moab is where Little WH and GV is at.

Day 7 stay at The View(which is in MV) or Valley of the Gods B&B

What time is your plane scheduled to arrive in Vegas on Day 1?

Might be thinking the same thing Spirob is: If you arrive early enough in Vegas - St. George is what - about two plus hours - so you might consider pushing on a bit more toward the North Rim? http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisi...ions_n_rim.htm

Perhaps to Kanab or Jacob Lake, and while I/we never stayed there - there are a number of possibilities in Kanab: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g5...ah-Hotels.html

And from Kayenta (which has the most reasonably priced lodging but Mexican Hat on the north side of MV might have some) - you could take an hour and a half "diversion" on the way to the South Rim to visit the Navajo National Monument/Cliff Dwellers (it's a 10 mile drive - north - from the main road - 160 - see pics: http://tinyurl.com/b5whmuu, )
, and once back on the main road/160 - it's about two hours on to the South Rim.

Here is one map that shows the routes: http://tinyurl.com/bkjb23h

And here is my favorite Burger King (and I am not really a regular at the King) - in Kayenta - http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2901 which has an exhibit dedicated to the very brave Navajo Code Talkers - which was made into a movie with Nicholas Cage: Wind Talkers. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245562/

These Navajos made a huge contribution to the Marines fighting in the Pacific in WWII - and yet they couldn't talk about it for almost 30 years (was "classified" ) - so nobody knew how they heroically served in the war - they couldn't get Govt jobs, etc. Just a shame.

When driving across the Navajo reservation in northern New Mexico/Arizona- (with my teen age niece in the front seat) - we listened to a local radio station - which broadcast in the native/Navajo tongue - and one can appreciate it would be a tough language to "crack". :)

But we "cracked up" when all of a sudden - in the middle of this broadcast - which again - we could not understand - came the term: "Parking Lot". Guess there weren't any words in the traditional Navajo language for the term - Parking Lot - where apparently - they were having some sort of gathering. .

spiro thanks for the corrections - I was typing this up quickly and didn't have my maps handy. That portion of the trip is the part I'm least familiar with. I listed Calf Creek Falls as a possibility but hadn't researched it yet. If it's too long we won't be doing it.

I will definitely try to get reservations at The View. It looks incredible!

We don't have plane tickets yet but we will probably get into Las Vegas in the early afternoon. We will be meeting up with my in-laws (coming from CA) and picking up our car. By that point, after traveling with the kids from Detroit, 2 more hours in the car is probably about as much as we all can handle. We also want to be able to enjoy the drive through the Zion area even though we won't be stopping there.

Tomsd, we are definitely interested in seeing the cliff dwellers, especially since we won't be getting to Mesa Verde on this trip. I know about the Navajo Code Talkers and I'm sure my family would be interested in that exhibit. Thanks for the suggestions!

Goblin Valley is ENE of Torrey off Rt. 24.
The petroglyphs next to Rt. 24 are worth a stop in Capitol Reef.

Thanks tomfuller! Will check out the petroglyphs.

spiro - regarding not having much time in Bryce: I think we will have time to "do" Bryce on Day 4 because the drive to Torrey is not too long and I think that is mostly going to be a scenic drive, stopping for pictures. It seems like most of the hikes I've looked up along Rt. 12 in Grand Staircase-Escalante are too long or strenuous for our group, so we can spend part of the day in Bryce and drive to Torrey in the afternoon. Thoughts?

Or how about driving just to Boulder on Day 4? That would give us more time in Bryce. We would then have to drive Boulder to Moab on Day 4.

We are still interested in stopping at Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon. Regarding Little Wild Horse, we won't be able to make the full 6-mile out-and-back hike. Is it worth it to just walk through part of the canyon and then turn back?

Uh oh. I just read that it is impossible to get a backpack carrier through some of the narrowest parts, so it looks like we will not be able to do Little Wild Horse after all.

Just go in Little Wildhorse for a mile and then turn around or as far as the backpack carrier will allow you. It is pretty narrow in some places. I would think you could take the carrier off your back and just hold it to squeeze it thru. I have never done the entire thing(yet).

Little Wild horse is awesome for little people!! You can take your 17 mo out of the carrier and fold it up to get through narrow parts. And remember--with little people, it is truly the journey, not the destination that counts. They will have fun playing in the sand, looking for animal tracks etc. And there are TONS of tracks--lizards, beetles, mice. It really is fun to see them all.

You may not have time to do the Junior Ranger program everywhere you go BUT you can download the booklets from the internet and have your kids do the various activities. Which are lots of fun. Make sure you hit the www.nps.gov site for each park and check out the activities for teachers and kids--lots of neat things to see. Given that your 5 yo is into geology, I would purchase the Roadside Guide to Geology for AZ and UT. You will be driving through awesome rocks and these guidebooks are invaluable in telling you exactly what you are driving through!! YOu can also check out activity backpacks at many parks--go to the visitors station and see if they have them. We had lots of fun with the one in Capitol Reef.

Pack a snack bag so you have food with you at all times. It's not like you can drop in at a store/gas station to grab something quick--it can be a while. And my kids do better with food! Bring more water than you think you will need. They actually sell a 2 gallon container of water with a spigot at gas stations in the area. Get one and you will have a good start on your day. Adults can easily drink 3-4 quarts of water every day in the dry heat. Get your 5 yo a small Camelbak and she can sip as she goes. I recommend Camelbaks for everybody--you drink more if you are sipping vs stopping to reach for a water bottle. If you get a headache--drink more water!

Check out the nps site for easy hikes to do with the kids--great for the grandparents as well. And don't count on making it to the "end" of anything--just go have fun. It is worth it to buy kids hiking shoes that have gripping soles, they slide around a lot on slick rock in just tennis shoes. I get them on sale/cheaper at Sierra Trading Post. Always carry a simple first aid kit--it could be a while till you get to that magical band aid!!

We do books on tape during the car ride. Check them out from your library--the kids really like them and it keeps them going. I made up "bingo" cards of things they would see on the car drive and then they can check them off--works for the 5 yo. And movies galore at younger ages!! These are loooonnngggg drives and while you will think the scenery is amazing, the kids are not so impressed. I vote for reduced whining!

If you have other kid specific questions, feel free to ask. We live in Utah and spend plenty of time in the desert with our kiddos. It is a fun place.

Well, I said this before and I'll say it again: I think you should skip Moab. The premier hike in Arches is Delicate Arch, but it's not flat and it's 3 miles so according to your criteria, that's out of the question. The other great hikes are Fiery Furnace and Devils Garden, but neither is feasible based on your criteria either. It will be hot mid-day with little shade in Arches, and you've already said you won't be getting out on the trails very early due to the kids, so that's another strike against Moab.

Like I said, there's plenty enough to do without making the drive to Arches for what looks like barely more than one full day of time there. I doubt either of the kids will care if you don't make it there, and you'd find yourself with more time to relax instead of trying to squeeze in various stops. There's so much to do in Moab that you really could spend several days there, but with your limitations most of the best things are out of reach on this trip.

I am of two minds on what WhereAreWe is suggesting. Moab is out of the way. But you do have 8 days.

Delicate Arch is amazing for sunset but it is somewhat uphill going and you are in elevation. Coming back is more downhill.

But there are other very short hikes/walks that are very good. Balanced Rock is right beside the road. Double, Turret and Winds Arches all surround the parking area for those.

StantonHyde, thanks for all the kid-focused suggestions. While we are all experienced travelers and hikers and our older daughter went on a trip to Scotland with us when she was 3 and is generally a great traveler, this is our first real road trip with both kids AND the grandparents in tow, so it is going to be quite an adventure. We are trying not to be overly ambitious, knowing that we won't be able to get going very quickly and won't be able to hike as far as we'd like! It's good to hear that we can make it at least part of the way into Little Wild Horse.

Regarding Moab: We are planning to use it as a base to explore both Arches and Canyonlands. We have been to Arches several times and have done the hike to Delicate Arch, so that will not be a goal on this trip because of the little ones and grandparents. The walk around Balanced Rock and the hike to Landscape Arch are probably as much as we will be able to manage on this trip. We are going the 2nd-3rd week of June so I'm hoping we won't get the worst of the summer heat, but we will definitely watch the weather and plan accordingly.

We have not spent much time in Canyonlands, however, and from my research it appears that there are many scenic spots and short hikes that will appeal to our group.

I also don't see any real way to make this trip work without passing through Moab. It completes the grand loop, we like the town, and we do want to go through Monument Valley.

They actually have 9 days now as they just added an extra day, plus the 2 for travel days so a total of 11.

I agree that they 'could' do it with 9 days, I'm just questioning why.

From the initial post, I'm reading that all the adults have been t0 this area many times, they would prefer 2 night stays rather than changing locations every night, they can only do short (<2 miles) hikes and the inspiration for the trip is their 5 year old daughters obsession with the Grand Canyon (daughter wants to be a geologist or archaeologist).

The latest itinerary has 8 different hotels in 10 nights. And OP is trying to figure out how to fit in a bit more time at Bryce. It would seem the easiest way to do that is to cut out Moab. Especially since the best hikes there are the longer ones which they aren't all going to do - I doubt someone is going to volunteer to carry the 17 month old up to Delicate Arch, so somebody would have to skip it.

I guess I'm reading this as a sort of family get together with the in laws, and focusing a bit on the 5 year olds interests while also sightseeing. I would just cut back on the total number of hotel changes and take more time to relax and explore in depth in that Grand Canyon/Bryce/Capitol Reef area.

You have plenty of great suggestions, but since I spent over two years planning our much awaited for trip to the Grand Canyon, I will just tell you what we did. Since we live in Florida, and there is five in our family, airfare was a big consideration due to the expense. I also found the cheapest way to fly was into and out of Las Vegas. They also had the cheapest car rentals. We arrived into Vegas around noon, got our rental and immediately left for The Hoover Dam. We stayed there only briefly and headed to the South rim of The Grand Canyon....taking a small detour to Route 66 and eating at the famous diner there. Two nights at the south rim, then headed east to Page, AZ where we did the slot canyons, horseshoe bend and took a smooth water float trip. All of which were awesome. We also took a hummer tour there to a secret canyon....three teens kids all loved it! Spent two nights there in Page. From there it is a short drive to the north rim, but we opted out due to time. We drove from Page to Kanab, UT and did a tour of the animal sanctuary there. Then onto Bryce which was my absolute favorite (one night). Then to Zion ...this drive is beautiful and stayed there for two nights. From there, back to Vegas for two nights because my husband wanted to do that and we needed to be back to airport. I personally hated Vegas, as did my kids, but every other aspect of the trip was wonderful. I would have loved to have made it to Arches, but time wouldn't allow. Let me know, if you'd like any specifics about any area we stayed at. I know there are a lot more experienced people on this site than me.

WhereAreWe, you are right (on many points), and if it was totally up to me, I would probably skip Moab, but I've got two other people with strong opinions about it so we've got to try to make it work. I know that we have more one-night stays than I originally planned on (yes, 8 hotels in 10 days is a little scary) but in part that is to reduce driving distances each day. I'm going to discuss this again with my fellow travelers and see whether we can reach a compromise.

Workingonthebucket, thanks for your feedback! It sounds like you had a well-planned trip and didn't try to do too much. Fortunately none of us wants to go to Vegas! The animal sanctuary sounds interesting and I'm sure my daughters would love it. We might be able to do the Route 66 detour on our way back to Vegas. My daughter also loves the movie Cars so she would appreciate that.

Well, we've talked it over backwards and forwards and everyone wants to go to Moab. I was able to book rooms at the North Rim Lodge, Bryce Lodge, and The View in Monument Valley, which sounds pretty awesome. I think we will drive to Boulder on day 4, which will give us a little more time in Bryce. We may not even hike down into the canyon, since coming back up might be hard on some members of our group, so that should be plenty of time to do the park drive and then Rt. 12 to Boulder. I'm looking into a B&B called Cali Cochitta in Moab, which would be a nice change of pace from the park lodging. All that's really left is to find something at the South Rim.

I will be continuing to research hikes and sights suitable for the little ones, so any additional suggestions are welcome. Thanks again everyone for your help. It's been a long time since I planned a U.S. trip and it's great to get all this feedback.

Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder good for an evening meal or breakfast(Really do think about having pie for breakfast in Cap Reef at Gifford House/picnic area/orchard area of the park). That restaurant has some sort of lodging, but I'm not familiar with it.