geerto

Hoy, we are making a family trip in April (2 adults, 3girls 13,11,10y).

Original plan was to go from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon back to Kingman (direction Los Angeles). However, after browsing the internet we feel like Bryce Canyon is a must (and visiting Zion and Antelope canyon would be nice as well). We re-arranged our planning getting one extra day (e.g. by dropping a pass through and stops in Death Valley earlier in the trip).

This is my planning now:

Day 1
08:00-10:45 - Las Vegas to Zion (02:45)
10:45-12:45 - Zion (02:00)
12:45-14:45 - Zion to Bryce (02:00)
14:45-17:15 - Bryce (02:30)
17:15-20:15 - Bryce to Page (03:00)

Day 2
09:00-09:15 - Page to Antelope (00:15)
09:15-11:15 - Antelope (lower) (02:00)
11:15-13:25 - Antelope (lower) to Desert View (02:10)
13:25-13:45 - Desert View (00:20)
13:45-14:45 - Desert View to GC village (01:00)
14:45-15:45 - GC village (01:00)
15:45-18:30 - GC village to Kingman (02:45)

Questions:

Is there anything recommended we could do with the 2h planned stop in Zion?

Is 2h30 in Bryce sufficient to do a hike tour inside the canyon and drive to some viewpoints?

The first day is too long in my opinion. Knowing that the night before may be late in Vegas! And I prefer being at the end station not much after sunset (19:00), giving us also time to diner and go to bed on time with the children (pick-nic for lunch). I consider several options:
• Overnight in Kanab (1.5h less driving) during day 1. But next day we would be later in Antelope canyon which may end up in unpredictable waiting queues screwing up the planning of the rest of the day. Otherwise, being later in Antelope may give a higher (better) sun.
• Only a drive through in Zion (no or a short stop : Canyon Overlook trail?). Does a drive through only make sense? Would it not better to save time driving direct to Bryce?
• If we could make it before 18:30 in Page we could go to horseshoe bend to see sunset.

Following the planning of day 2, we have some extra time. Originally, I had the idea to drive also to Marble canyon that morning but due to the 89 road closure this becomes a big detour. I don’t know if the Cameron Trading Post is worth a stop. We could spend more time to the GC , visiting more view points but I believe the children will have seen enough ‘stones’ during these two days. Which should be compensated visiting amusement parcs in LA and San Diego.

I opt to go to lower antelope canyon because I read the queues are shorter and the visit is more ‘active’ (for the kids). We could go earlier in the morning, but don’t know if it makes sense.

Thanks for any advise!

WhereAreWe

Two days to visit Zion, Bryce, Antelope and the Grand Canyon is a bit ridiculous, but I guess it's doable if you don't care to relax and enjoy the scenery.

First off, you haven't accounted for the time zone change from Las Vegas to Zion - you won't arrive at 10:45 but rather at 11:45. So you need to adjust all of your times and push them back an hour for the rest of that day.

All you have time for in Zion is the Canyon Overlook trail.

I would stay in Kanab and time your arrival for Antelope Canyon around noon when you'll have better light in the canyon. You can see Horseshoe Bend in the morning if you want.

Stay in the Grand Canyon overnight, Kingman is nothing more than a stop on the way to LA. If your prime motivation for this part of the journey is to see the Grand Canyon, please give yourself more than a couple hours out of two days for that.

Honestly, you may be better off sticking with your original plan of Death Valley for one day and then going to the Grand Canyon for one day. You're doing a lot of driving for very brief stops at parks that deserve a minimum of overnight stays, not just 2 hours or so.

Cher

Just visited Grand Canyon (North Rim), Bryce and Zion last September. Your plan is overly ambitious and does not allow adequate time at all for Zion and Bryce. As you've planned now for 2 hours in Zion, that's probably only time to drive through the park on your way to Bryce and maybe stop and a view point or 2. No time at all for any hiking, so you will miss much of Zion. If at all possible, at least allow yourself an overnight for Zion and one full day there. For Bryce, there is a drive through the park, but you need to allow time to get out at the overlooks to see the canyon. A half-day (~3-4 hours) for this would be adequate. You could probably rush through in 2 hours. You would need a full day if you also wanted to work in a hike into the canyon. I would highly recommend the 2 hour horse back ride into Bryce Canyon. I think it would be better to focus and enjoy fewer areas rather than try to see everything in one trip ... way too rushed to properly enjoy!

2dogs

unless you are dead set on seeing Antalope Canyon, I nix that and divide the time between Zion and Brice .. with Brice as a destination to stay overnite either in the park or outside the park in Ruby's .. wake up, enjoy the sunrise and do a hike down and up Queens to Navajo trail .. then head to Grand Canyon .. either stay at the park or outside the park's main entrance .. wake up and see sunrise and do a trail .. then off to I40 and head west to Kingman and on to LA .. hava safe trip !!

J62

Your schedule sounds absurd to me.

indyhiker

I say this as someone who happily spent a week at Zion and was still sad to leave, but is there anything wrong with just spending two days there? The weather will likely be pleasant (Bryce could still be cold and snowy), the park is stunning and Springdale is relaxing place to spend a couple of days. I guess I just don't see the appeal of simply driving past places this beautiful. Plus, the chances of you sticking to an itinerary this tight is slim. For instance, the drive from Zion to Bryce can get delayed if they're doing roadwork at all. It seems like something has to give. I realize it's tempting to see more, but sometimes less IS more.

rizzo0904

Way too much, especially with the three teenage-ish girls. Just do Bryce and skip the others.

rizzo0904

indyhiker - I don't think they can tackle Angel's Landing which is my favorite thing at Zion. That's why I said Bryce. But good call on snow. Either way, way too much crammed into 2 days.

eroz

This makes my schedule look super slow! Do you HAVE to be in any of these areas? I ask because you are spending an awful lot of timein your car. I would consider
Las Vegas to Zion. Overnight. ( I can't see driving past Zion to get to Bryce with this limited time, plus Angels Landing is not for many of us-way too scary! )
to Page/Antelope in the morning, explore then head to GC.

Tomsd

If you want to appreciate Zion - suggest you get out of Vegas even earlier (wake the kids at 6 and be on the road at 6:30 and they can sleep in the car) and/or stop for a snack along the way - or when you get to St. George.

At Zion - take the bus ride up to the top and back (the only way to see the main part of the Park) - which would give you a much better experience.

Then head over to Bryce - and suggest you carve out a night there somehow - (you can stay outside the park fairly inexpensively) - and enjoy the drive to the various overlook points - maybe having time for a hike and then see the sunset.

You might also see some Antelope and Deer as we did.

Next am - enjoy the sunrise - and a little hike if you have time and then head to Page.

indyhiker

Angel's Landing is not the only trail worth doing in Zion IMO. If fact, we hiked right past it and opted to do part of the West Rim Trail. Also rented bikes one day and rode the park road. It was lots of fun.

I think the biggest drawback with Bryce is the drive there can be tedious if they're construction. And the weather is still iffy that time of year. Zion is more predictably nice in April.

spirobulldog

This is like seeing cousin Ned at Point A, then Uncle Billy at Point B, Then Aunt Sue at Point C, Then your first time to meet your real parents Bob and Jane at Point D, finally your brother Chris family at Point E(whom you haven't seen in 15 years). You spent 2 days, 20 hours of travel time, $400 in Lodging, $250 on gas, and $100 in food. You get to see each of them 15 minutes

Or you could see just one of them and save a lot of time and money. Oh yeah, you have the best time of your life and actually spend some quality time with one of them.

Do yourself and family a favor, and pick just one place to visit in a 2 day span. Out of all the places you mention, Bryce would easily get my pick.

utahtea

As spriobulldog mentioned, do yourself and your three children a BIG FAVOR and choose either the Grand Canyon OR Zion to visit. You are going to be spending ALL your time in a car DRIVING! You will have very little time to see ANYTHING. Yes, there is a lot of scenery but it will just be whizzing by! You have to eat and do pit stops...those really haven't been factored in.

The Zion shuttle takes 90 minutes to JUST do the round trip down the canyon and back. That leaves you no time to do anything else!

I promise your children will thank you if you choose only one park.

Utahtea

janisj

When one sees itineraries spelled out to 15 minute intervals . . . I fear there is probably nothing we can do to convince the OP.

>>08:00-10:45 - Las Vegas to Zion (02:45)
10:45-12:45 - Zion (02:00)
12:45-14:45 - Zion to Bryce (02:00)
14:45-17:15 - Bryce (02:30)
17:15-20:15 - Bryce to Page (03:00)