jdas

Hi all,

I am planning to spend 8 days in Utah area with my wife in late May - early June. Since this is my first time in the area, I wanted to get ideas on must hit spots and economical ways to arrange for hotels in the area as we go from one place to another. Below are some of the themes I would like to cover but don't want to make this too hectic and would like to prioritize.

1. Monument valley
2. Bryce Canyon
3. Arches National Park
4. Escalante Nat Monument
5. Red Cliffs
6. Zion National park
7. Buckskin Gulch
8. Canyonlands National Park
9. Mirror Lake
10. Antelope Island
11.Dead Horse Point
12. Lake Powell
13.Alpine Loop

Looking forward to getting a focused itinerary from the locals and traveler community on how best to make use of the time when I am there and make this a very memorable trip. Also, any ideas to touch other areas that are not in the list above and hot to cut down costs be super useful.

Thanks in advance for your help here

bjgchi

it really depends on your budget, what you like to do (hike, shop, relax...), available hotels, and how far you want to drive. Unfortunately, many places are probably already sold out.
Personally, I would visit Zion and Bryce Canyon.

sharondi

We really don't have enough information from you to provide an itinerary. 8 days is not enough time to really see and enjoy all of the sites that you listed and still have a relaxed and memorable trip.
I would suggest flying into Las Vegas, heading right out to Zion (only 2.5 hrs) and spending a few nights there. Then on to Bryce for a night or two, out Scenic route 12 through Grand Staircase Escalante with a stop over night along the way in Escalante or Boulder. Go up to Torrey for a night or two in Capitol Reef and then head back.
Without knowing what you like to do (hike, photography) it's hard to make suggestions. Plus, it's kind of late to plan a trip for late May but you should make reservations in Springdale for Zion, and maybe Bryce Canyon Pines near Bryce - not likely you'll find lodging in either of the parks this late. In Torrey, Austin's Chuckwagon is a great value for clean, nice lodging near Capitol Reef.

emalloy

Here is a map with distance/ time chart that was posted by another Fodorite and which I've found helpful in planning.

Vegas or Salt Lake City are logical places to fly in to but we've also used Denver, Albuquerque and Phoenix. Look at total cost of both air fare and car rental. Sometimes Vegas has good prices on cars, Denver and Phoenix are often very high.

Try to figure out a loop so you don't have large drop off charges.

Add the time it takes to get from one site to the next plus the time you want in the parks to figure out how many days to devote to the trip. If you like to hike, you will need to spend more time in some parks, than if this is a drive through/been there/done that trip.

Click the names of people who respond to questions like yours and scroll down for any Trip reports they have posted for information on how others have structured trips to the area.

emalloy

forgot to post the link:

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

sludick

I've carried that map on a couple of trips and really like it. One note of caution, though - those are strictly drive times and don't include anything else. Add in time pull-offs to take pictures, bathroom, food stops, short walks, etc. For example, we went from Kanab to Torrey via Escalante, and it was a good 2/3 day (left 8am, arriving around 4p).

There is so much beautiful scenery and places to stop to gawk, read markers, etc. Don't shortchange the pleasure of getting there by blindly rushing through the drive.

tomfuller

Ohiohicks map is a great travel tool. This would be my plan -YMMV: Fly to Las Vegas - rent car and head for the Zion area. (Maybe a sunset picture?). Next day Bryce Canyon and Rt. 12 to Torrey and Capitol Reef - stay in Torrey.
Next day Goblin Valley SP and head for Moab. The Robbers Roost Motel in Green River is a bit cheaper than what you will find in Moab. Spend at least a full day in Arches and another day seeing Dead Horse Point SP and the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands.
Leaving Moab, head for Monument Valley. Spend a night in Kayenta or Tuba City.
From Tuba City head south on US 89 to get to Rt. 64 to go to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you can get a room anywhere at the South Rim, take it. Otherwise head for Williams.
From Williams depending on your schedule, you can drive a long section of Rt. 66 west from Exit 139 of I-40 all the way to Kingman. Otherwise just stay on I-40 and get off in Kingman onto US 93 to get back to Las Vegas.
When exiting the big US 93 bridge into Nevada, make the first right to go down to see Hoover Dam. You can drive across the dam back into Arizona. The second and third parking areas after crossing the dam are free.