Western parks road trip
 

My wife and sister-in-law are planning a ten day road trip to see some of the western parks. We would like to fly into Las Vegas and end there as well with the last night or two staying in Vegas before flying home. We are in our late fifties and early sixties so extensive walking/hiking is not in the plans. Definitely want to see the Grand Canyon and any other places you all would suggest. Looking to go in late September. Thanks

I would include Bryce and Zion. You might want to continue on HWY 12 and see Capitol Reef and even as far as Goblin Valley State Park. Are you going to do the North Rim or South Rim of the GC? You might want to do both

I'm at Zion as we speak. Spectacular place. Lots hikes for people of any fitness level. I've seen more 60+ on the hard trails than 30-.

A visit to the north rim of the Grand Canyon might be too time consuming. It takes almost 3 hours from Zion to the north rim, accommodations at the rim are very limited, and my recollection is that accommodations outside the park are at least one hour away. I would use the time for other sights, maybe even push to Arches National Park and see the Grand Canyon from the south rim on the way back to Las Vegas.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4260884536/

You can do a nice loop in either direction and the first thing I would do is try to find lodging in the parks, especially Grand Canyon. That would be for either the second night or the next to the last night, depending on which direction you do the loop.

If you are coming from the east coast then I would probably want to get a flight that lands by noonish then head towards Hoover Dam first and I think there is a hotel/casino very near it right on the road that leads to it spend the night do the dam tour then head for Grand Canyon.

Hike and look a bit, see sunset, spend the night in GC, see sunrise, hike a bit, then head for Monument Valley. There is a washout on 89, and I'm not sure if it is before or after Tuba City, but I think it is after, if so you can take 160 to Kayenta then 163 to MV. If you can't get lodging in MV, then Kayenta has places to stay.

I would then head back on 160 to 98 to Page. You could do Antelope Canyon and the float trip from there. If you don't want to spend a second night in Page you could take 89 to Kayenta before heading to Bryce

I would go to Bryce for a night or two and Zion for a couple of nights. Then back to Vegas.

I would suggest you try to drive during daylight hours if possible for three reasons. First, the scenery along the way is beautiful, especially in Utah. Second, a lot of the area has open range, so you don't just have to worry about antelope and deer, there are cattle and horses that are free to cross the road unexpectedly. Third if you did come from the east, your body clock tells you it is later than the clock in the car.

Since you could do this loop in either direction, see what works for lodging and flights, then decide on a direction.

Never pass a gas station when the tank is below half. Get water, snacks, etc. to have in the car.

Have a wonderful trip.

The washout is on 89 between Cameron and Page. I decided to skip Page due to the extra time needed for the detour, plus the pricing on the "easy" Antelope slot and the need to get reservations just made it too much of a hassle for a short trip.

On your way between LV and Zion, try to allow time to swing through Valley of Fire State Park. You can see a lot from the road(which is a good thing if it is over 100 degrees). Was just through that way and there were a few bighorn sheep near the roadway late in the day. The rocks are just as red as Sedona and the park is natural, not developed as a tourist resort.

The walk at the end of the Zion Park shuttle is mostly level. Unfortunately views from the mandatory shuttle are mediocre at best, so it takes a while to get on and off at east stop just to look around. There is good lodging in Springdale, the town just outside of the NP, with great red rock views. Usually for about half the cost of the NP lodge.

Kanab, Utah is a cute town centrally located between Zion, Page and Bryce. Angel Canyon just outside of Kanab is worth visiting, even if you don't stop at Best Friends. If you are not able to hike UPHILL at altitude, you won't need to spend much time at Bryce. You can see the main view at Sunset Point without too far a walk.

Route 12 is a beautiful (although at times scary) drive.

Capitol Reef is a good park for driving, take the Scenic and Grand Wash drives. Visit Fruta. Torrey is a good place to stay for Capitol Reef.

You may or may not have time to then visit Moab for Arches (most of it does require walking but there is a driveable loop). Coming back from Moab you can go via Monument Valley (worthwhile to see if you are up for the dirt road inside the park).

Then one night at the Grand Canyon is all you need to see sunset (I would try to stay at Bright Angel or Maswik cabins and take the shuttle out to Hopi Point for sunset). GC to Williams to LV is about 4 to 5 hours without stops.

Thank you all for responding! Great suggestions.