Hello all Fodorites!

My BFF and I are planning a trip to these gorgeous parks the last week of March 2007 and I have a few questions. For the record, we are two late-thirty-something career women from NYC (hence the short length of the trip...you know the drill: work, work, work!) on our first trip to the beautiful Southwest. We're alot more into photography than hiking. And LOVE anything "off the beaten path". Please review our itinerary, the questions will follow:

Day 1- Fly from NYC to LV, rent a car and arrive at Zion by mid afternoon. Overnight at Zion Lodge.

Day 2- Zion all day, maybe a horseback ride in park. Overnight at Zion Lodge.

Day 3- Morning in Zion. In the afternoon drive to Bryce, arriving in time to see some of Bryce before sunset. Overnight at Ruby's.

Day 4- Spend morning at Bryce, then drive to Page. Hotel TBD.

Day 5- Tour Antelope Canyon. In afternoon, drive to Monument Valley, hopefully getting there by sunset. Overnight in Gouldings Lodge.

Day 6- Take a tour of Monument Valley and area. Overnight at Gouldings.

Day 7- Morning at MV, then drive to Grand Canyon South Rim thru Cameron. Overnight at Maswick Lodge.

Day 8- Whole day at South Rim, West and East Sides.

Day 9- Drive thru Flagstaff and Sedona for our 10pm flight out of Phoenix.

Here are the questions:

1- Can anyone recommend some good, easy hikes in Zion? How about the ultimate "Kodak Moment??" (I'm afraid of heights, by the way) Can anyone recommend a horseback ride?

2- How's the weather the end of March?

3- Are there any unusual sites, off the beaten path, like roadside attractions or ghost towns along our route we may want to see? TACKY is our middle name.

4- Do we need to make reservations for the Antelope Canyons and Monument Valley Tours ahead of time?

Thanks ahead of time for any suggestions and opinions!!!

Hi City Chick,

Your trip sounds basically good for the time of year. Do be aware that you are coming to early for spring flowers, or even for leaves on the trees and bushes in Zion Canyon. Part of the beauty is the contast between the green oasis of the canyon floor and the bare red cliffs. However, it will be uncrowded and it's beautiful all year long!

Bryce will have snow so hiking will probably be out. Also horseback riding in Zion will probably be out. I don't think they start riding there until later, but you aren't missing anything. A ride at Bryce would be much better, but will not be available in March. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing will though!

Great photo ops are endless. Bring lots of memory/film. Everywhere in the southwest the best times for photos are EARLY morning and sunset. Often you can get great lighting with storm clouds too!

Weather will be very cold at night and during the day too. A bit warmer during the day in Zion and Sedona. It's desert, but it's high altitude desert. Bring lots of layers, warm gloves, hats, food and snacks for car, gallons and gallons of water. Polarized sunglasses, sunscreen. Very important to have good, broken in hiking boots. Lightweight boots are fine.

Zion has lots of easy, short "hikes" and Bryce has lots of viewpoints to walk to as well as the rim trail, all paved or extremely easy.

Have fun!

We had 2 inches of snow in Zion one year on April 1st...we called it Mother Nature playing an April Fools Joke. We were told that it was very unsual for that time of the year. It still was cool/cold but great for hiking.

One of my favorite hikes in Zion is the Riverside Walk. Another favorite is the Lower Emerald Pool. You do climb in elevation a little but a very wide path to the Lower Pools.

Grafton is an old ghost town just outside of Rockville. Rockville is just a couple of miles from Springdale, Utah (which is the gateway city to Zion) In Rockville, look for Bridge Road it will on the same side as the Virgin River. It's the only bridge in town. Take the bridge and then make a right. Follow the road for a while. It turns to gravel but it's graded so shouldn't be a problem. We do it in our motorhome. It's a few miles from the bridge. You will pass the old Grafton cemetary on the left. Don't turn left at the cemetary..keep on the road you were on. There is an old church and they have renovated one of the old 2 story houses. One of the houses was burned down years ago. We've been visiting this old town since the mid 1980's. You can get some really good pictures of the church and Zion in the back ground here.

http://www.americansouthwest.net/uta...host_town.html

If you have time after Sedona, you might stop at Montezuma's Castle National Monument just north of Camp Verde, AZ. This is worth a 1/2 hour to hour stop.

http://www.nps.gov/moca/

You seem to have a great trip planned.

Utahtea

We had a Great Zion "Kodak Moment" last May on the Canyon Overlook Trail east of the tunnel. Though the hike is listed as a moderate one (1 mi.long, about an hr hike), my 89 yr old mother in law was able to do it. There is a spectacular viewpoint at the end. We had debated doing it, but in the end decided to go for it. It was a very beautiful hike & the hightlight of our trip in Zion viewwise. We did the other so called easy hikes, but were simply "wowed" by this one! We have a similiar trip like yours planned again for late Apr. From what I am reading, it seems like a tour guide thru Antelope C. would be wise choice..and something we will prbly do. We so love this part of the country! This will be our 6th trip back & can hardly wait.

Hi city_chick -

Your trip sounds great! Southern Utah is just amazing, and as someone interested in photography, you're going to love it! I second the suggestion to do the Canyon Overlook Hike, right outside the east entrance of Zion. You'll hit it on your way out of the park, heading towards Bryce, so I suggest that you plan to do that the morning that you leave. Also, on that same road, heading towards Bryce, is the Checkerboard Mesa area. So much fun to get out of the car and wander around! One of my favorite photos from my trip out there was taken in this area. As far as weather goes, definitely heed Dayle's advice and bring lots of layers, hat, gloves, etc. Expect snow at Bryce, and at 9000ft elevation it will be cold but hopefully you will get to see the hoodoos and the canyon surrounded by snow - so beautiful! I am from the northeast also and I am dying to visit that part of the southwest again. There is just nothing like it on earth. Have a great trip!

Just reading your trip plans and all sound good but day 7 can be very long day driving from monument valley to south rim I am trying to remember but think it's about 7 hour drive in good weather you have to be prepared it could be snowy. I was in Bryce in April and it snowed.

Wow! Thanks everyone for your great advice.
Utahtea, thanks for the site links, they are very helpful as well.