Sundance ~ Zion ~ Grand Canyon
 

Hi!

I'm planning a trip for August 2016 and can't decide where to go! My first choice was hiking in Glacier National Park; however the costs is quite a leap for us (airline tickets from Florida are $1K per person+lodging+meals, etc.). Therefore, I am trying to find alternatives.

What attracted me to Glacier are the hiking trails, wildlife and breath-taking scenery. Those are very important to me.

Here is what I have right now: we would be flying into Salt Lake City and then heading to the Sundance Resort for a few days and then driving (4 hrs) to Zion and the to the Grand Canyon (over a 7 to 8 day period.)

My question... should I drop Sundance and hit other points of interest? My hubby also suggested traveling to CA and driving up to Seattle.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

These are all great places, and only you can answer this question. If you want to skip Sundance, you can fly into Las Vegas and add Bryce Canyon to your itinerary, which would mean less driving. That might be cheaper.

Your post isn't all that clear - do you have a few days for Sundance PLUS 7 or 8 days for the Zion/GC leg? Or is it 7 or 8 days in total?

>> My hubby also suggested traveling to CA and driving up to Seattle.
<<

Is that instead of the Utah parks and the Grand Canyon? OR plus the Utah Parks+Grand Canyon? If you want to start in SLC and do the Utah Parks, Grand Canyon, Southern CA, Northern CA, Oregon and Washington you would need about a month.

Given what you say drew you to Glacier, have you considered going to Yellowstone? Look for lodging in West Yellowstone (4 and a half to 5 hrs from Salt lake City).

If you do decide on the Utah parks, as has been suggested, look to doing a loop from Las Vegas. It is usually a bit less for airfare and much less for car rentals. Southwest flies there and does not show up on the discount sites. If you are flexible, look at the low fare calendar on their site.

>>have you considered going to Yellowstone?<<

Yes to this. Or Colorado via Denver.

August is NOT a good time to go to Zion. Bryce would be ok because it is higher--so would GC North Rim. At that time of year, I would to go to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons in a heartbeat!

Glacier National Park is an excellent hiking park. If it important - do it; otherwise you may never have another opportunity.

Lodging is always expensive, but tenting is not. August is a tenting time at Glacier. Food cost is variable. Buy a small camper stove with your tent once you arrive at your destination. Wal-Mart has reasonable camping equipment since it will be a use/toss type of purchase.

Campsite OUTSIDE of park.
https://search.yahoo.com/local/s;_yl...&fr=hp-avast-s

Camping IN park
http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/camping.htm

I camped outside the park and rode my motorcycle plus some recreational hiking. All memorable.

IF POSSIBLE - or make time __
http://www.conradmansion.com/index.html
One of the finest original homes in the west - including all original furniture

Vaga

Thank you all so much for your insights!!

To clarify -- total days would be 7 to 8.

I will be looking into the Yellowstone/Tetons suggestions via Vegas or Denver.

RVvagabond, thank you for the tent camping ideas too for Glacier! Hubby and I are avid campers in FL and I hadn't considered this as an alternative in Glacier.

Just to clarify, it's Utah parks via Las Vegas (instead of Salt Lake City). It's Yellowstone via Salt Lake City or Jackson, and it's Rocky Mountain National Park via Denver.

You don't want to go to Yellowstone via Las Vegas or Denver. I don't think you meant that, but that's what you wrote.

>>You don't want to go to Yellowstone via ..... Denver.<<

Well, you certainly could. It's 2.5 - 3 hours more driving but that is not significant over a 7-8 day trip. If Denver airfare and car rental is significantly cheaper it would probably make sense to fly in and out of there rather than SLC.

>>it's Rocky Mountain National Park via Denver. <<

It's actually all of Colorado via Denver, not just RMNP. My suggestion to consider Colorado was not restricted to one national park as there is far more to see than just RMNP.

>>To clarify -- total days would be 7 to 8. <<

That is a very short time so the Utah Parks via Las Vegas but it will be ungodly HOT! No time at all for the CA/OR/WA bits.

Or Yellowstone and possibly the Tetons preferably via Salt Lake City or Boise but Denver would be OK.

For Yellowstone it would be great to fly into Bozeman, Montana.

>>For Yellowstone it would be great to fly into Bozeman, Montana.<<

How would that be great? Considering they are skipping Glacier because airfare is too expensive, don't you think airfare to Bozeman would also be prohibitively expensive?

Wink,

Just in case the airfare to SLC is a good deal, you should know that the hiking in northern Utah is fantastic! Fly into SLC and you can be hiking in the Wasatch Mountains, which the Sundance area is part of. Go an hour further east and hike in the Uinta Wilderness at high altitude and lots of camping there. Campground reservations needed for Th - Sun all summer and early fall. Lots of beautiful day hikes there and also out of Sundance.

Sundance lodging is NOT cheap, but Park City lodging in the summer has some great deals in all price points and types.

You have all made some really great suggestions and I will need time to research the areas you have all mentioned and subsequently, look into traveling via SLC or Vegas or Denver.

I can definitively state we won't be camping. Camping is A LOT of work, --totally worth it-- but I'm going to opt for a little pampering on this trip. That said, I'd still like to stay somewhere where I can enjoy the wilderness; I guess that's why the studios at Sundance were appealing.

I can't thank you all enough for your wonderful suggestions! I will be back once I've set an itinerary as I will no doubt need suggestions on hikes, lodging, etc.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!