Hi, all,

I've been reading old posts here for a few weeks and would appreciate some advice on my plans for the end of June through beginning of July for my wife, me and our 6.5 year old's first trip to the Southwest Parks area. I am from the southeast (born in Key West), but live in South Korea and have only been to Denver once. It's very expensive as you can imagine to travel for three from SK, so we will not likely be able to come again for some time (Samoa and Fiji are next up for us).

We want to spend 8 to 12 days driving around and hope to include a good variety of sights/activities at a comfortable pace to take it all in. We hope to get a look at the Grand Canyon, but also are excited about other parks/interests like Zion, Bryce, Antelope Canyon, Rainbow bridge, Capitol Reef, Arches and Goblin valley. I've considered this loop from SLC: SLC/Moab/Goblin (Little Wildhorse)/Capitol Reef/Calf Creek Falls/Kodachrome/Bryce/GC North Rim/Zion/SLC. However, this doesn't include Antelope and Rainbow, is more expensive than starting at LAS and has that last big drive back to SLC, so re-considering the LAS loop (in reverse): LAS/Zion/GC North Rim/Bryce (with Page for Antelope/Rainbow somewhere in here)/Kodachrome/Calf Creek/Capitol Reef/Goblin/Moab (arches and Dead Horse) back to LAS. This plan has too much on the plate and needs to be re-arranged so there's no long drive back to LAS from Moab. My instinct at this point is that we can go with the LAS loop, drop Moab (ahh! no Arches???), and go to Page (for Antelope and Rainbow) and perhaps GC South rim to loop back.

Any advice about what to drop or change about one of these two plans would be very helpful at this point. My priorities are to give a 6 year old boy who likes dinosaurs (don't they all?) and an active mom and father (she's a fitness trainer and I'm a 49 year old surfer/photographer) a fun and memorable -- but unrushed trip to remember for the sights we see and the people/experiences we have. Many thanks.

After reading my post, I should add that we are not some super family, I surf and photograph when I'm not teaching and my wife is in shape but not terribly outdoorsy. My son is an average boy in all respects but a good lad, so we might keep him.

This map and mileage list that was posted several years ago might help you with your plans

http://ohiohickstraveltips.weebly.co...-utah-map.html

If you are thinking of doing this this summer, you are a little late for finding lodging although people do make reservations in the parks a year in advance and then cancel if they find they can't make the trip. Spots open up all the time so call often if you want to stay in the parks and in the mean time, make reservations at a nearby town that can be cancelled without penalty if something more appealing comes up.

Many thanks, emalloy,

That's a handy map for certain. Also good tips on reservations. I realize I'm scrambling a bit here, so I'll keep an open mind about my chances and expect to have to stay nearby in places.

There is a very significant difference between 8 and 12 days - and assume that these days are all actually in the US - and you will have to reduce your number of sites to ft the schedule you end up with.

I am currently planning a trip in the same area for myself and my husband (both avid hikers). We are flying in/out of Las Vegas and have 7 days for our trip as opposed to your 8 -12 days.

While I would have loved to have made the Grand Circle of National Parks in Utah, I soon realized that plan was not feasible if we actually wanted to do any sightseeing or hiking. So, we are limiting our trip to Zion, Bryce (and perhaps Grand Staircase-Escalante) and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I would recommend you similarly consider limiting the number of parks you visit.

Sometimes "less is more" especially when you are traveling with young children. (Been there, done that).

nytraveler: We will be coming from Fresno to LAS, so the 8 to 12 days is all on the ground. I left a big window so commenters (especially utahtea and Spirobulldog) could have adjustment time. The key is not to see everything but to have a fun trip that captures the best in that span.

longhorn55: Agreed, unhurried pace is key. We have Zion, GC North Rim, and Bryce as the three main stop but are hoping that with that many days, we will be able to see a few other places. It seems reasonable to be able to add an arch, slot canyon or waterfall in there as well, no?

I think your sons favorite spot would be Goblin Valley State Park. Right nearby is Little Wildhorse Canyon. 2 Must Sees, IMOP.

I would be tempted to do Capitol Reef, the above, and Arches/Moab.
www.deserthighlights.com is my all time very favorite thing in Utah.

You could totally skip what I've suggested and do the other side of the State instead(zion, bryce, etc).

You will be able to get reservations in Moab, but Bryce and Zion may be difficult.

You'll probably see more if you do the loop from Las Vegas and hit the North Rim rather than the South, which is a long slog. I wouldn't skip Arches, but it's a long detour and best done if you stay north of the Grand Canyon the whole time. I've seen both rims of the GC, and I think the views on the north are almost as spectacular as the south.

You won't be able to see everything, especially if you can do only 8 days, but you can see a lot. And if you aren't avid hikers a night or two in Zion, Bryce, and Arches/Canyonlands will likely be enough. The GC can be seen easily on a daytrip from Bryce (the GC North Rim is the hardest place to find lodging ... you should have no problems with the other places assuming you make reservations soon, though you may not find in-park lodging).

I am so glad you are including the dinosaurs. While the natural beauty of places are incredible and especially to adults, do consider a 6 year old may not want arches and red rocks day after day.
Here is a google page which I am sure you have done. I hope you will include a "real" museum/exhibit in your trip for your son (and you all). We have done it in Colorado with grands and it is MUCH fun and educational.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=dinosaurs+in+Utah

I thought that I was locking in a bit, but now I'm torn again. I had crafted this general plan:

Days 1 -3: Go to Zion
Days 4-8: Stay in Tropic to visit Bryce, and up Hwy. 12 to various sites (and depending on how much driving north we wanted to do, go as far as Goblin and Wildhorse?)
Days 9: GCNR lodge (got reservations for two nights, though I thought on keeping one when plans are more solid)
Days 10-11: Page (for AC, Horseshoe and Rainbow -- and Dinosaurs and Navajo dancing: http://nobackhome.com/7-things-to-do...-with-kids/)-- Drive to GC South for sunset
Day 12: GCSouth to LAS (flights out are at midnight or 1 AM)

This plan came from reading so many other reviews that pointed out how far Moab would be to visit from LAS. But now, I'm leaning back toward leaving out the Page/GCSouth leg and running up Hwy 12 through Capitol Reef to Moab based on comments above.

spirobulldog: How do you think the above plan would work? What 12 day plan would you suggest from LAS through Zion, Bryce, GCNR and Moab? I like your comment about canyoneering: I have done rigged climbing on limestone cliffs in Thailand once and I think the wife and kid would enjoy it once I got them into it. I also would like to manage a dinosaur-related stop if possible.

Doug Stallings: Many thanks for the tips. If I keep the south plan, perhaps I might be able to shorten Zion and Bryce (we like hiking but if we do it every day it might get old--especially for the boy).

Gretchen: This trip idea began because my son watches Dinosaur Train (and I have always wanted to see the area) and I have been in discussion with Dr. Scott Sampson about getting kids into nature (I am a technology researcher and trying to plan how to start mobile technology standardized curriculums in schools that include tech, domestic and wild environments). We hoped to visit him in Denver and go to SLC for the natural museum, but it's too far and we thought that the Smithsonian's large collection (which we will visit two weeks later) would give my son, Bear the Ed part of the trip. We thought we might just go to the Dinosaur Project (#6 on the link above). But now I feel more like going to at least one of the sites you provided a link for...confusion again.

There is a good pre history museum in Price UT. It has some dinosaur stuff.
The only dinosaur tracks I saw in Utah were about 23 miles north of Moab at Copper Ridge.

I am curious why you are coming from Fresno? Not exactly a tourist hot spot. I grew up about an hour out of Fresno.

tomfuller: I'll check out Price and Copper Ridge. Gretchen's list has some good spots like that.

MichelleY: I'm flying to fresno to go to Sequoia NPS and then down to Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Seeing dinosaur tracks is so much different from going to a "museum''/exhibit. A really wonderful one is just outside CO Springs in Woodland, CO (I know--a LONG way from where you are), but it is really difficult even for adults to "see" these tracks until you "get" the 3D of it.
I am SURE there is some in Utah. I am just trying to say that kids, and particularly young kids, need "REAL" stuff now and then to see and enjoy--not just scenery. And we sure did a lot of hiking and stuff--but also playing in the fire at the campsite.
Near Denver are really good dinosaur things.

I appreciate your enthusiasm about the real experience of dinosaur tracks and fossils in the field on my boy's imagination. As happens, I may have lost a bit of that in trying to please everyone in the planning. I think I'll look at another plan that runs us through Moab and spends less time in Zion and Bryce.

Goblin Valley is a must for a kid, if your near Moab. Little Wildhorse Canyon is just a few miles from the Goblins.

Deadhorse Point State Park is worth a drive out. It looks similar to the Grand Canyon.

I thought I would make one trip to Utah about 10 years ago. I believe I've been 6 or 7 times now.

>>MichelleY: I'm flying to fresno to go to Sequoia NPS and then down to Monterey Bay Aquarium. SNP/KC > Monterey > Las Vegas/Utah (via Fresno again? ).

Fresno is almost 3 hours from SNP, and about the same time in the totally opposite direction to Monterey. Fresno to Las Vegas is about 7 hours.