Sidepockets

Grandpa, Grandma, and 17 year old grandson planning to visit Zion & Bryce and maybe the Arches starting Oct 27 thru Nov 2, 2005. Would appreciate any suggestions for things to see and do. Also, places to stay and eat. We have had many great suggestions on other trips. THANKS

cd

I know very little about this area. We were only in Bryce one day and Zion one day. But, we loved Zion, we took horseback trail rides and it was wonderful.
There is a poster on this board by the name of Utahtea that has tons of info. Do a search for Zion/Bryce and you will get a lot on information.

xanthippe

The drive up from Bryce to Torrey (rt. 20?) is beautiful, and driving east from Torrey you could make a brief stop at Capitol Reef N.P. I hope you do go as far as Arches--it's spectacular. While in Moab, eat breakfast at the Moab Diner. My son recommended it, so when my sister and I spent a couple of nights in Moab, we ate at the Moab Diner the first morning--and then again the second. The diner is right on Main Street, on the East side near the center of town.

tovarich

For Zion we stayed in Springdale which is just next to the entrance of the park.Walks: Emerald pool 1 hour and the riverside walk of the temple of Sinawara 1,5 hour. For Bryce we stayed in Hatch. The best walks there are the combination walk: Queens garden trail and Navajo trail. In Moab you can at least stay 3 days so much to see : Arches, capitol reef, dead horse ...We stayed at the motel John Wayne stayed when filming westerns in the neighbourhood. Paul

Dianne

I am looking for help for this area as well. Is it too much for a week to go as far as Arches. Should be plan 2 nights in Zion, Bryce and Arches? Looking for a good itinerary for this loop that would start and stop in Las Vegas (where we fly into). Is it crowded in too much?

xanthippe

You can drive from Las Vegas to Zion in three hours or a bit less--maybe a bit more if you stop in St. George to eat or stock up on drinks, etc. My sister and I did the round trip from St. George to Moab with only five nights, two of those nights in Moab. We would have liked another night or two, but what we did was satisfactory. Since she lives in St. George, we have been to Zion many times, so we did nothing but drive through, a very cool and scenic drive through the tunnel. We had a goal of hiking in the other four national parks, and did so, though some of the hikes were only an hour. We DID hike to the Delicate Arch (in Arches), a five-mile round trip which was quite a challenge for us at our average age of 60.

Coming home from Moab, you can save time by getting up on I-70 and follow it to I-15, which leads to Las Vegas. Better yet, you could take the interstates TO Moab, stay three nights, then one night near Bryce and two nights in Springdale near Zion. Then you'd have a three-hour drive back to Vegas. Two, two and two nights would work well too. We went through Torrey in both directions because we thought the drive from there (on route 12, I think) to Zion was so beautiful and we wanted to experience it going in the opposite direction!

Sidepockets

Thanks too all, I will soon map out and post my planned trip based on suggestions. I hope to finalize after getting more suggestions.

Dianne

Thanks Xanthippie for the suggestions and time considerations. Arches looked so far away on the maps but I think we can include it. I didn't want to spend the whole week in the car! Moab to Las Vegas is long..so we may stop somewhere 1/2 way or maybe in St. George. Would love to hear your itineray, too Sidepockets.

travlsolo2

A recent road trip included Bryce, Capitol Reef and Zion. Loved all three, in that order. In Bryce, would suggest hiking down the Navajo Loop and up the Queen's Garden trail. Next time I'd love to do a horseback trail ride there.
The Hickman Bridge trail was nice in Capitol Reef; the scenic drive was closed due to huge thunderstorm the day we were there. Want to go back.
We enjoyed the Riverside Walk and the Narrows in Zion.
Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale (Zion) is a great place to stay. Spotted Dog Cafe is a good place to eat.

Sidepockets

Our proposed itinerary for Oct-Nov trip. Suggestions? Leave Vegas around 4pm, stay 1/2 way between Vegas and Moab at? 2 nites at Moab, Stay at Valley of Dols/ Gonzo Inn/ Sleep Inn.
Eat at Moab Diner/Moab Brewery/Eddie McStiffs. Tour Arches, Canyonlands and area. HikeDelicate Arch and Landscape Arch. Take Fiery Furnace Tour.
Head to Zion and Bryce,(Hwy12)spend 1 nite on way, where?
3 nites in Zion and Bryce. Stay at Flannigan's/NovelHouseB&B/Bumbleberry Inn/Best Western/DreamkeepersB&B? Eat at Spotted Dog/Sol Foods/Bryce Canyon Pines/Bryce Park Inn/ others? Shuttle tours, hike Emerald Pools and Riverside Walk. Note: We have not received AAA tour trip yet. Would appreciate suggestions. Thanks

highflyer

We did Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef NP this summer. We especially enjoyed Capitol Reef and Bryce. The Best Western in Torrey is a great place to stay. Almost in Capitol Reef NP with great views.

We also stayed in Boulder Mountain Lodge in Boulder which logistically might be a good place for you (it's on route 12) www.boulder-utah.com is the website and it has a great restaurant, beautiful rooms and views.

We stayed in the park at Bryce the cabins are rustic and charming. Great for one night but not enough comfort for a longer stay IMO.

Hope this is helpful...we might make it to Arches next year!

Sidepockets

Thanks Highflyer and others.

utahtea

On the first day leaving Las Vegas at 4 P.M., I think I would not go any farther than Richfield or Salina, Utah for a couple of reasons. 1st, you're not going to find lodging between Salina and Green River, 2nd it will be dark and take my word, you do not want to make the drive between Salina and Green River in the dark...it's just to SCENIC to be missed! If you want to stop earlier, then I'd suggest Cedar City, Utah.

The best place to spend the night between Moab and Bryce/Zion would be Torrey, Utah which is 11 miles west of Capitol Reef National Park.

Keep in mind that the days in late Oct and early Nov. will be short and you have a lot planned!


Utahtea

Sidepockets

Thanks UTAHTEA, we will take your adviceand stay near Richfield. If weather is going to be bad we will will go to Zion 1st. I will post our hotels/B&B's, mostly from Fodor's, shortly for opinions. Thanks

1Travelfan

My husband and I took trip into Vegas and Zion Park last year in middle of October. Weather was rainey in the park, cooler than we thought but we still made hikes and went through the shops in town. We decided to make a circle drive through the area to see more of the sights including some Native American rock drawings. We ran into a snow storm going through one of the passes that was a little scary. We had rented a Chrysler 300M when we arrived in Las Vegas and the car (and my husband)handled the unfamiliar road ok, despite the problems w/poor visibility. We were lucky that the outside air temp remained above freezing during the worst part of the trip--otherwise we might have slid off the road because we certainly did not have any chains. Coming down from the pass, we passed tour busses coming from the other direction which had skidded off the road into soggy ground--at least one probably needed a wrecker to help get it back on road--and there was no way to turn it around on such a narrow road. Once over the pass, weather warmed up and it was lovely day and we made the rest of the circle back to Zion without a problem
Just check the weather forecast as be prepared--in the park and outside. The conditions can change quickly and become very dangerous, especially with those not familiar with the area. People were passing us like crazy during the storm at times because we were driving slowly since we were not familiar with the road or driving in snow since we are from the Dallas, TX area.
We stayed at the Desert Pearl--loved the location which looked out on the creek behind, very peaceful. Room was bit different--concrete counters, minimalist type design but bed was comfortable--there was mini kitchen we did not need. Unfortunately the rain prevented us from sitting outside and enjoying the serenity like we anticipated but we would return there anytime.
We ate at several of the restaurants in town but enjoyed our meal at the Zion Park main dining room. Food and service were exceptional.
All in all, a wonderful place to visit. Hope you enjoy your trip.

eab

Hi Sidepockets,
I second (third?) the recommendation for the Desert Pearl Inn. We found out about it on this board and loved it. Zion was our favorite of these three parks and I'm so glad we stayed two nights at Zion. We hiked the Hidden Canyon trail and went beyond the maintained part of the trail -- it was just gorgeous. Unfortunately we didn't hike at Bryce because the trails were icy and we were wimpy (this was in early December two years ago). So we went back to Ruby's Best Western & got in our Jacuzzi We had beautiful weather at Zion & just a sprinkling of snow at Arches. We can't wait to go back to that area -- especially Zion. Late October should be a great time to be there. Have a wonderful trip!
Ellen