I am looking for a one night stay in BRyce in july.The Park is full. where else can you suggest to stay?

Melissa

It's hard to believe that the lodges at Bryce are already full. I would call them just to double check. If they are, Ruby's is not too far from the park entrance. Ruby's is a large, western motif motel/restaurant complex that should have rooms.

I had this problem last summer with 2 months notice. First of all, do not count on the online system having up to date and accurate info. Call them on the phone. If they still say they are full (which they told me), they should tell you to try back because they get cancellations.

Worked for me at both Bryce and GC. I would call at least once a week and more when the date gets closer. I did have a backup plan at Rubys however...when we got there I was very happy not to stay at Ruby's. We did have lunch there and wandered about. Picture the area around and including Wall Drug. It would do in a pinch but the Bryce lodge is at the canyon edge. Rubys is in a flat, hot area 4-5 miles from the canyon. On the plus side it does appear clean and tidy.

we had to stay at ruby's as we were there in nov when the park cabins were closed. ruby's was fine--convenient to the entrance of the park, clean, and our unit looked out on a small lake complete with geese. we'd have preferred a cabin, but this was fine in a pinch. i agree you should check back for cancellations--with any luck you will get in and ruby's reservations are cancellable. i would request a room intheir bldg looking back at the lake..out of the mainstream and quieter, to say nothing of the pleasant scenery out the window.

We, too, stayed at Ruby's (in Dec.) Found it reasonable and clean. Apparently, during the regular tourist months, there are regular shuttle busses operating from there into the park.

Try Bryce Canyon Inn in nearby Tropic
1-800-592-1468

You might try Bryce Canyon Inn (www.brycecanyoninn). We stayed there a couple years ago. It is a few miles outside of the park. They offer cabins or rooms. We (2 adults) stayed in one of the cabins and it was very nice and rates couldn't be beat. I think we paid around $69 per night. It was nice and quiet, which we liked after hiking the trails all day.

Am I better off with Ruby's with 2 children as they have a pool?
what do you do in Bryce after dinner?

When are you planning to go to Bryce in July? I'm in the middle of planning my trip there too. I reserved a Western Cabin July 22 for three nights in the park but, I may need to cancel it because I don't think I can go at that time. If your interested in it maybe, somehow I can cancel at a certain time so, that you can get it. If your interested in it let me know.

Thanks but we are going earlier in the month

After dinner you can go watch the sunset at one of the view points. They usuaully have evening ranger talks at most of the National Parks..I notice that Bryce has a Special Night Sky Programs.

http://www.nps.gov/brca/ranger_programs.html

We played games with our boys or they wrote in their vacations journals about the day.

Utahtea

You might be better off at Ruby's with kids - if it is hot, the pool is a good diversion. Food is fair only, a few gift and rock shops.

As far as what to do after dinner - we drove into the park from Ruby's (really close to entrance) for sunset and then drove out after dark - saw lots of big wildlife. Also, after day of light hiking, we were all tired in the evening.

The shuttle bus system from Ruby's (also from Park lodging) makes a big loop through the park with many stops - I recommend it. Also have option of doing hikes along rim of varying lengths and picking up bus at next stop or so. We took the bus loop and it took us most of the day, with a stop for lunch at the Park lodge during a monster thunderstorm.

Ruby's is also staging ground for horseback rides. I have mixed feelings about Ruby's - it is sort of out of synch with the Park atmosphere, but with kids it had everything we needed (and much we did not) and we stayed at Park lodging at other Parks - so it was a good balance.

"It's hard to believe that the lodges at Bryce are already full. I would call them just to double check."

Not a surprise at all for July. We stopped planning a trip to Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon parks a few years ago when we learned the lodges we wanted to stay at were all fully booked for July in November. The next year we did starting a full year before we went. Yosemite, of course, is the worst, requiring a call or fax on one year plus one day ahead of when you want to stay at the Ahwanee and hoping you get in then -- the first day they take reservations.

On the other hand, yes, do keep calling and double checking. There are many cancellations. I'd book Ruby's to be safe and keep trying to get into the cabins in the park. We stayed once at Ruby's. It wasn't bad -- but no comparison to staying in a cabin right near the rim.