How many nights for Zion and Bryce?
 

We are trying to decide on how many nights to give to Zion and Bryce.
If we stay 2 nights in each, it would mean that we would be in Bryce in time for the sunrise the next morning and have 1 full day in Bryce.
If we stay 3 nights in Zion and 1 night in Bryce, we would drive to Bryce in the early AM, hike, then stay the night. No sunrise.
My biggest concern is weather...if weather is not on our side for Bryce, then we would regret not staying longer in Zion. Also, I always hear that Zion is just amazing and needs the extra time, even if it is just an extra night. What's your opinion?

Perhaps I should point out that it would be possible to get up for the Bryce sunrise on the day you leave Bryce.

What weather concerns you? At this time it is hot and summery in both places.

How much time you need depends on how much you want to hike.

Zion is a spectacularly beautiful place and my favorite national park.

I have been to Bryce three or four times, but I've never hiked there. A friend of mine, however, tells me every chance he gets that hiking in Bryce is a great experience.

If you book a room at the Best Western at Bryce Canyon, you can cancel by 4:00 pm on the day of arrival without penalty.

HTtY

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Yes hiking in Bryce is a must do! Being down among the hoodoos is an entirely different experience.

You could easily occupy yourself for two days in Zion.

Bryce is a lot smaller and really a sunrise at Bryce Point and Navajo Loop going down and Queen's Garden back up will give you a good taste.

If you're concerned about giving yourself a good chance for a sunrise in Bryce and want to give it an extra morning, you can either use the morning you leave as Dayle suggested or give it an extra day and after sunrise drive over to Willis Creek and do the easy hike in a slot canyon.

Willis Creek is about 10 miles below Cannonville that's about 20 minutes east of the Bryce entrance.

Cannonville has a visitos' center where you can get driving instruction to Willis Creek.

>>we would drive to Bryce in the early AM, hike, then stay the night. No sunrise.<<

That doesn't make sense to me -- maybe I'm missing something?

If you stay one night at Bryce . . . won't you be there the next morning, thus at sunrise?

Seeing the sunrise the next day is an option. I should add that the next day will be a long one. We plan to drive from Bryce to Antelope Canyon (aiming for 12pm Navajo tour), then see Horseshoe Bend if time allows, and then continue onto Grand Canton South Rim. I was under the impression that to accomplish all this, we would need to leave Bryce super early, before sunrise. What do you think?

>>What do you think?<<

Leaving at 0 dark 30 isn't at all necessary - Bryce to Antelope Canyon is about a 2.5 hour or a skosh more drive from Bryce. So leaving super early would have you there LONG before the noon tour.

Sleep in, see the sunrise, and leave Bryce about 8AM

>> I always hear that Zion is just amazing and needs the extra time, even if it is just an extra night.<<

Zion needs extra time during the day. There's really no point in allotting extra time when it's dark because....what are you going to do or see in the dark? I mean, your plan is to get up and leave first thing in the morning so staying an extra night in Zion doesn't give you extra time to do anything there.

On one of your other topics I floated the idea of doing the Canyon Overlook trail in late afternoon, and timing it so you are done and leaving the trailhead around 4:30. That gets you to Bryce before 6 and you would mostly be driving in daylight. Do that, and you will have 2 opportunities to see the sunrise at Bryce. If the weather is bad the first morning, you have a 2nd chance the next day.

I would also go into Bryce at night and look at the stars if it's a clear night. Use reasonable caution on the roads as there is wildlife out there, but still make that trip into the park. The stars are amazing.

Thanks so much for the info, everyone! We are so looking forward to this trip. We have decided to stay the extra night in zion because cable mountain lodge looks so amazing. We will make up the time in the am.