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I need to nix one stop on trip: Sedona, Bryce or Zion. Which One??

I need to nix one stop on trip: Sedona, Bryce or Zion. Which One??

Old Jan 13th, 2012, 01:05 PM
  #21  
 
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Been to all and would never go back to Sedona or Page but we have been back to Bryce and Zion, many times.
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Old Jan 13th, 2012, 05:57 PM
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I think most people who wouldn't go back to Sedona stopped in for a short, couple of hours visit.

They walked down the main street, looked at a few art galleries and t-shirt stores, spent a couple of hours shopping at the Tlaq and think they saw Sedona.

Sedona the town is nothing more than I described above.

However, go a mile or so in any direction and you've got the most amazing red rock sights. Many of the hikes are relatively short and easy.

I may not go back because my list keeps getting longer. But I would recommend that anybody in the area spend a day or two there.

And this isn't my first post.

Yes, it is strange that several people made a defense of Sedona their first post.
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Old Jan 13th, 2012, 07:41 PM
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I've been though Sedona several times and NEVER stopped to shop in town...not even when I had the time. We always go for the scenery and I guess we picked the wrong hike the last time we were there. We hiked to get away from people and then ended up hiking to a view of a private resort.

Utahtea
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 04:02 AM
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utahtea,
I'll bet you were hiking (in my opinion the boring) the Boynton Canyon trail. Along the way you pass the famous Enchantment Resort with its "do not enter" sign.

You were very close, and in fact passed the cutoff, to the Boynton Canyon Vista. It's very short, a vortex sight (although I don't know what that does to it) and extremely scenic.

In the same area (Sedona west) is Devil's Bridge. Nice hike but I was afraid to climb the vertical rock stairs to the top of the natural bridge. I climbed a few stairs and my camera was bouncing off the stairs. Not what I wanted.

Then there's Broken Arrow that many people take the Pink Jeep tour. This trail is maintained by both the NPS and Pink Jeep so it's shared. I think the hike is probably easier (though longer) than the Jeep ride. It's easier on the back and the heart.

In the area of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte there are several more extremely scenic trails.

Then two sunset sights that require no hiking. I think the best is the view of Cathedral Rock with Oak Creek in the foreground in the Crescent Moon Picnic Area.

Then there's the popular sunset view from the airport above the town.

There are many more but I'd have to check my notes and old trip report.

You can check out a web site:
www.greatsedonahikes.com
for photos, ratings and descriptions of many hikes in the area.

You can see my photos of that trip at:
www.travelwalks.com

Select Bryce, Zion, GC & Sedona 2007
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 05:46 AM
  #25  
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I actually enjoyed the Boynton Canyon hike more than some of the red rock hikes we did! We passed the resort and there were a fair number of people on the trail at that point, but whatever part of the trail we stayed on, we were well past the resort, out of view of it, and had left the people behind. It was quite pretty. There was a vortex, but we went well beyond that too. Stopped and ate our lunch on a small plateau, and enjoyed watching a tarantula, whose territory we had obviously intruded upon. S/he was totally non-threatening, and fun to watch. Bell Rock and some of the others were far more populated, and although the views are pretty, I enjoyed the forest more.

I just don't "get" the pink jeep tours!! I love hiking and the quiet beauty and envision pink jeep tours as a carnival thrill ride. I'm a big chicken when it comes to cars and odd angles and think I'd just be scared to death and totally not enjoying it the entire time. My own two feet can get me most anyplace I want to go. We were sitting enjoying a pretty overlook when one of the tours came bouncing up, totally breaking the mood of the moment. Ugh. Thanks but no thanks!
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 06:10 AM
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OO,
I agree with you. But some people would rather take the jeep tour than the hike. Broken Arrow is a special train. It's maintained jointly by Pink Jeep and the NPS. There's a road that parallels the trail.

I think the jeep ride is much harder on the body than the hike.

Yes, there are more people in the Bell Rock area. But there's a reason. It's very scenic. However, there are several trails there so you can usually escape the people.

Still, I'm a believer in trying to work with what you have. If the OP has 9 nights, I'm sure a plan can be developed to include all of the sights she has on her list.
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 12:51 PM
  #27  
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As of right now, we won't do a stop in Sedona. I know it must be beautiful, but it will just have to wait. However, I cannot find any available rooms in Bryce. NP full, Ruby's full, Days Inn full. Thinking maybe I should skip Bryce for the north rim where I have a cabin already booked? I will keep checking for cancellations. Or just make a day trip to Bryce from Zion. Advice?
I have booked a room within the park at Zion. However, it is the motel and only has two queen beds and they bring in an air mattress/aero bed for the 5th person?? Never heard of such. I am little worried we're going to be all crammed in there. Should I move us to the Desert Pearl Inn? I've read great reviews on it. But then, I'm thinking I really love the feel of staying within the park.
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 02:03 PM
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I loved staying within the park at Zion. My recollection is that the rooms are a decent size. 5 people in any room is a lot, and a single aerobed surely won't take up that much space. The park is so beautiful in the moonlight with the canyon walls rising above you! We've also stayed outside the park once, at Rosecliff. It was nice but having now stayed in the park, that would definitely be my preferred stay another trip. It'd have been nice to be able to get one of the cabins, but we had no luck either. Didn't matter.

Rubys is huge. Amazing that they'd have no rooms. Definitely keep trying. A day trip from Zion really isn't feasible...not if you want to see anything and then have the energy to drive back to Zion. Plus, there are so many terrific hikes in Zion, I'd hate to lose a day there.
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 07:08 PM
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I think Sedona is a good idea to drop. You'd want two or more days there anyway, so if you are short on time it makes good sense being somewhat out of the way.

I like the Zion lodge, for the peace and quiet. Do your children want the pool after a hot day? Will they want TV? I be you'll be happier at Desert Pearl if you can get a bed for everyone, and I've never stayed there. The Zion lodge motel rooms will be okay but there wasn't much room in the room I stayed in this fall, I don't know where you'd put an airbed.

Keep calling at Bryce, cancellations do happen. You could try Tropic or Panguitch hotels. None of them are super but they should be servicable and better than driving all the way back to Springdale for the night.
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Old Jan 14th, 2012, 07:13 PM
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When are you going? Keep checking the park web site for cancellations as they will pop up often. Check every day. We got ours in Bryce about a month out. For N. Rim, I got them a few days ahead, but this was in late May.

Keep checking! Being out of the park at say, Desert Pearl, is still great as you get great views of the canyon.
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Old Jan 15th, 2012, 02:44 AM
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A year ago September I took my adult daughter to Utah for a few days.

Bryce and Rubys were both full.

I kept calling and eventually rooms opened up inpark.

Call, call, call.

In the last month or two there will be cancellationa.
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