Okay, everyone is saying that
driving to Zion and Bryce should be a
snap, but...

Now, I've never been to Vegas (btw, I'm
from east central FL and we have 30 mph
limits in some places!) and wanted
to know how easy or hard it is to
get a rental car and drive I-15 to
St. George or Springdale. I presume getting out of vegas will be congested. THis
is on a Sunday afternoon.

Now, the _only_ driving I have done
out west is the 2 hour drive from
Flagstaff to Page on US89. Would you
say that the drive from St. George to
Sprindale and to Bryce is like that?

I'm afraid of driving when the roads
are narrow and winding like in Yosemite
and Jerome in AZ and I've to drive near
the edge of cliff!

I intend to use the shuttle in Zion.
Now, I hear Bryce's shuttle is not open
till Mid May. We're going in the first week
of May. How should we sightsee Bryce?

We're mostly into sightseeing and few
minor hikes.

This is kind of dumb, but once we are in
Zion park, are there restrooms anywhere
other than the visitor's center?

Thanks again!

You can drive your own car in Bryce Park; the shuttles are just more of a convenience (and kinder to the environment!) You can park your car at the staging area, which is right off the main road turnoff before you get to Ruby's Inn and Bryce Park. Be prepared; there still may be road construction at Bryce- it was going on when we were there in late Sept. 00. Driving at Bryce is very easy, just congested at times! You must ride the shuttles at Zion Park. There are restrooms at least six of the shuttle stopoffs at Zion Park. To get more information on Bryce and Zion, please look at the pages at www.nps.gov. For driving/road info, "Scenic Driving Utah" by Joe Bensen (Falcon Publishing) is very good. I have not driven LAS to St. George, so can't advise on that leg of the trip. If you're doing LAS, Zion, Bryce, the only place that stands out in my mind is the Zion - Mt. Carmel Tunnel, a mile-long tunnel. That gave me a little rush! If you are traveling on to Torrey and Capitol Reef, UT 12 from Escalante to Torrey is breathtaking, but has some of the road characteristics you mention. There are many pull-offs; I find it helps me to get out of the car, take a look around, then drive on. You will love every minute of your trip- definitely different from your normal vista. Enjoy!

Pati: The drive is a piece of cake - flat all the way to the AZ border, then it gets a little winding for a short while (no "white knuckle"). Then it's flat again through some small towns.

hi,
which part again is winding?
I guess driving over I-15 is flat.
However, then I go on I-9, I believe
to get to Springdale. Is this all
flat as well?

What about from Springdale to Bryce
over US89 and I-12?

What car do you recommend to rent?
I was going to go for an economy size
car.....

THANKS

I-15 is winding by interstate standards for about a 5 to 10 mile stretch just after you cross the Arizona border. It's not bad at all, but is enough to drop the speed limit to 50 or 55. Other than that I-15 is flat an easy to drive.

When I was out there last year I rented a full size car-got a Buick Regal. Never rent an economy car unless you're staying in town. Economy cars are typically Geo Metros and stink on the highway. Plus there is no great advantage on the gas mileage.

We rented a mid-size - they gave us a Grand Prix and it was fine. Springdale to Bryce was also flat. If you have time stop at Cedar Breaks Natl Mon. on the way back to the Interstate near Cedar City. Bryce was one of the most beautiful places we've been. We drove to the popular overlooks ourselves (the shuttle guy at the desk said that's all the shuttle does anyway) Are you staying overnight? We stayed in a cabin at Bryce - very nice (but didn't enjoy the food at the restaurant).