Help with Bryce/Zion trip
 

We would very much like to visit Bryce and Zion NPs. However, we can only vacation in Aug. I need some honest advice as to the heat at that time of year. Will we be able to hike or will we melt?

From a very heat tolerant person: It's not all that bad. Zion will likely be 100 during the day so morning hikes are a good idea, although you have the lovely Virgin River close by to cool off in and huge cottonwood trees along the river. Many of the hikes have some shade depending on the time of day, and the Narrows is all in the water and has lots of shade. Nights are wonderful, not too hot. Bryce, at 8500 feet or so, will be probably 85 during the day, and chilly at night. Some of its trails have some shady pine areas along the bottom. And of course, it is a dry heat! It's not nearly as hot as, say, Las Vegas. There could be some summertime monsoonal thunderstorms.

zaksgrandma,

DH and I keep saying we won't go back to Uath in the summer BUT guess were these two grandparents have ended up on the first week of August! Yep, Bryce and Zion...LOL!

DH and I are in our mid 50's and we did some hiking in both parks both years. Byrce isn't to bad because it's cooler at the higher elevation. Zion gets up to the 100 degrees but because it's a dry heat I don't notice it as much. I can take the high temps, but can't take high humidty!

Hike early in the morning or late evenings in Zion. Spend some time in the Virgin River during the heat of the day.

Utahtea

The only thing I'd add to the above advice is to carry lots of water. It is easy to dehydrate in our heat even if it does feel comfortable. I for certain would not drink water from the streams and would get knowledgeable local advice about drinking from cascades or small waterfalls because of the possibility of serious water borne bacteria that can wreak havoc with our digestive and other systems.

I agree with dwooddon that you need to carry plenty of water and I also forgot to mention that I don't go on any hikes without and my Misty Mate to keep me coooool!

http://www.exit15.com/product_info.php?products_id=484

Utahtea

We were at Zion, Bryce and Grand Canyon 2 years ago in August. We were lucky in that days we were there were a little cooler than normal. We did some mild hiking at Bryce and were fortunate enough to get cooled off by a mid-afternoon rain shower (and then terrified by the thunder that followed!)

Agree with those above - Bryce will be more tolerable than Zion.

We also visited Zion and Bryce last summer and are not lovers of the heat. We probably did not go on quite as many hikes as we normally would have, but still loved our time there. We would definitely return even if it had to be in August.

gail,

We were hiking the Navajo - Queens Garden trail on August 11, 2003 and had the same experience with a thunderstorm! Got to the rim just as it started to pour!

Utahtea

To Utahtea - I don't remember which day we were at Bryce - we also got a great thunderstorm at Grand Canyon a few days later - the most magnificent display of nature I have ever seen. (Since your posts helped us so much planning that vacation, I just assumed you arranged the thunderstorms as well)

It sounds like this is a doable trip since you all seemed to survive the experience. Is there anyone out there who feels this is an absolute no in Aug? By the way, how often does it rain?

Rain in Salt Lake City averages 3.7 days totalling 1 inch in August. In Las Vegas it's 2.0 days and 1/2 inch. Sorry that I couldn't find a locality that is closer.

The only reason hiking in August would be a definite "no" is if there are certain health conditions, including obesity, to be considered.

Important common-sense precautions that will make your hiking much more enjoyable: sun screen, light hat, light-colored clothing, shoes designed for the kind of hiking you will be doing. Though it's generally considered an option, my wife and I would never go hiking on a trail we've never been to without a hiking stick. The stick makes the downhill segments immeasurably more enjoyable.

August is getting into the rainy season BUT these kinds of storms usually come and pass though very quickly and they will cool you off!

To Gail: I WISH I could make those storms happen on Q. There's nothing better than a fast moving thunderstorm that comes rolling in a canyon!

Utahtea