# Utah:National and State parks trip, seeking ideas/input



## winger (Nov 3, 2014)

We are finalizing a cross country trip for next summer (just us two and kids) which has several "legs". We would like some ideas for building an itinerary for the portion involving the Utah state/national parks.  So far we are looking at flying into and out of Salt Lake City, UT.  Fly in will be Saturday morning around 10AM, and we do want to fly out on Wednesday by 10AM so we can get into New York at a reasonable time to get to the hotel to settled in.  That basically leaves us four (4) full days including driving/travel days in Utah.

So far, from readings, we are interested in seeing the following three parks (in descending order of interest):
Bryce Canyon National Park 
Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park

The following two are potentials:
Capitol Reef National Park
Zion National Park

Input we are seeking include:
1) Are there other parks or other places we did not mention which we should consider (maybe reason(s))
2) Possible places to stay overnight - has to be a hotel where we can store our belongings
3) If anyone has done this trip or has an idea of an ideal itinerary, that would be great!

We are pretty much open to anything - we just want to soak in some nature (wow factor is preferable) before we hit the hustle and bustle of the East Coast portion of the trip which follows. 


Thanks.


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## Sandy VDH (Nov 3, 2014)

We spent a 2 week trip last year from Bozeman MT to Las Vegas.  We did Yellowstone for a full week, then we did Canyonlands, Arches, Navajo Monument, Bryce and Zion, plus Page AZ. 

Canyonlands and Arches are very close to each other but a farther drive.  

But If it were my 4 days I would  I would keep Bryce and Zion for sure, BUT would also consider adding the slot canyons near Page AZ, Antelope Canyon and perhaps the north rim of Grand Canyon.  Antelope Canyon was the highlight of the trip for me, Bryce a close second.  Beside these 4 places are a lot closer together and will not require as long as a drive as Canyonlands and Arches. 

SLC to Canyonland, Arches, Bryce, and Zion in 4 days WOW. I think that is too much distance and you won't have time to get out and see anything. 

JMHO


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## DianneL (Nov 3, 2014)

*Arches and Canyonlands*

If you have only four days, I suggest you drive to Moab and see Arches and Canyonlands. We did this recently, spending four nights in Moab. From Moab we drove to St. George and spent a week. From st. George we saw Zion, Bryce, Snow Canyon State Park and North Rim of Grand Canyon. Then we flew out of Las Vegas. Beautiful scenery.


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## DaveNV (Nov 3, 2014)

You have an ambitious plan, and you'll be spending a fair amount of time in the car.

From SLC to Bryce is a 4 hour drive. So after landing at around 10:00 on Saturday, collect luggage and getting a rental car, it'll be about noon by the time you leave the airport.  If you drive straight to bryce canyon, you can be there ~4:00PM Saturday.

Check into Ruby's Inn http://www.rubysinn.com, store your luggage, and drive into the Park.  See the highlights, stay for sunset. Get dinner, get an early night's sleep, and go back into the park for the sunrise on Sunday.  Follow the sunrise viewing with breakfast at the Bryce Canyon Lodge.  http://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/lodging.htm  You could stay at the Lodge, but it's probably more expensive than Ruby's Inn, which is right outside the Park.

After breakfast, check out of Ruby's Inn and hit the road toward Arches. It's another 4 hours, if driven direct. Just south of Arches is Moab, Utah.  Take your pick of the motels in the Moab area.  They have everything from a Motel 6 to a five star B&B.  Check into your hotel, grab dinner, and relax overnight.

Monday morning, go see Arches.  It's enough of a park to take most of the day, if you hike a bit here and there, and enjoy the experience.  As darkness approaches, go back to Moab, have dinner, and spend the night.

Tuesday morning, check out of your motel, have breakfast, and drive through Canyonlands.  It's mainly a drive-through experience, unless you're a serious hiker. You can see the main parts of the park (mostly scenic overlooks looking down onto the Colorado and Green Rivers), within a few hours.  You could easily be done by early afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon, drive back to Salt Lake City. It's another 4 hour drive, more or less, if you go through Price, Utah.  If you get to SLC early enough, spend some time exploring the city a bit.  (Temple Square is pretty interesting, and the Tabernacle with its huge pipe organ are open the to public.)  Spend Tuesday night in SLC.

Wednesday morning, check out of your motel there, head for the airport, turn in the rental car, check in for your flight, and head home.

It's a very fast itinerary, but you won't be exhausted by any of it.  And with luck, you won't have to spend more than about 4 hours in the car at a time.

Save the other parks for another trip, when you have more time.  I love visiting Utah, and the last thing you want to do is rush your visit. Each park could take all four days, and still leave things unseen.  I used Google Maps for the driving distances and times.

I hope this helps. 

Dave


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## Luanne (Nov 4, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> Check into Ruby's Inn http://www.rubysinn.com, store your luggage, and drive into the Park.  See the highlights, stay for sunset. Get dinner, get an early night's sleep, and go back into the park for the sunrise on Sunday.  Follow the sunrise viewing with breakfast at the Bryce Canyon Lodge.  http://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/lodging.htm  You could stay at the Lodge, but it's probably more expensive than Ruby's Inn, which is right outside the Park.



Instead of Ruby's Inn I would suggest the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon.  It is almost across the road from Ruby's and is a newer hotel.  Breakfast is included, which it isn't at Ruby's.  We stayed there for a night on a trip we took to Zion and Bryce.  I picked it because it had the best reviews on tripadvisor.

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/UT/Bryce-Canyon-City-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-PLUS-Bryce-Canyon-Grand-Hotel/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=45082


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## winger (Nov 4, 2014)

*All*. Thanks very much so far for the input.

*@Dave*.  I read your 'plan' to DW last night and she was in tears  (in a good way!).   Also, keeping the driving to 4 hours is a good thing.  Our original plan for the four days was to fly into Denver then drive to/from Mt. Rushmore which is approx 7.5 hrs each way.  We have since changed our plans because the Utah option will result in less driving (at least the from/to portions SLC vs DEN) and there seems to be a whole lot more to see/do do on the SLC-Utah trip.

I also like how you seem to spread things out which helps decrease the 'rush' aspect of the trip.

BTW, we aren't heading home on Wed, we are heading to New York City to continue our cross country trip! 


*@Luanne*. Thanks for the hotel tip.  Little confusing here.  For the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon, I think it is located at: 30 N 100 E, Bryce Canyon City

For Ruby's, I think it is the one located at: 26 South Main Street Bryce Canyon City

These are 1.5 miles apart, not "almost across the road".  Do I have the right hotels?


@Sandy.  Yellowstone was one of our options for these four days (which included driving to/from DEN or SLC), but based on talking to others and some reading, 4-5 full days *at the Park itself* would be 'minimum' to make the trip worthwhile, thus we will save YNP for another trip (maybe a road trip which would include Mt. Rushmore).  When we are up there, maybe we can visit my good friend who is preparing to retire up in Bozeman : )

Antelope Canyon - That is definitely one place which I really want to see - just unsure if I would want go that far on this particular trip.  Maybe if I do the places Dave mentioned, I can do another trip which would include Vegas, Zion, Antelope Canyon?


@DianneL - The St. George base-camp and exploring the nearby parks is one alternatives, maybe I can combine with Zion, Bryce, and Antelope.  Unsure if Grand Staircase can be added to this trip and/or if that were worth seeing.

Well - I knew this would happen, but my head is spinning with these ideas now LOL


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## Sandy VDH (Nov 4, 2014)

I would second Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon, that is where we stayed.  Big rooms, newer hotel.


We stayed in Moab 1 night, Page 1 night, Bryce 1 night and then 2 nights in St George, for our 5 night swing though south Utah, and N. AZ as part of our larger 2 week trip.

In Canyonlands, we did sunrise at Mesa Arch.  Lots of people up for sunrise, bit of a surprise.


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## Luanne (Nov 4, 2014)

winger said:


> *@Luanne*. Thanks for the hotel tip.  Little confusing here.  For the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon, I think it is located at: 30 N 100 E, Bryce Canyon City
> 
> For Ruby's, I think it is the one located at: 26 South Main Street Bryce Canyon City
> 
> These are 1.5 miles apart, not "almost across the road".  Do I have the right hotels?



Yes, you have the right hotels.  If you pull up Google maps and input the addresses you might see what I meant.   The "city" of Bryce Canyon is very small.  There aren't many places to stay and during certain times of the year the only restaurant open is the one at Ruby's (which is why it's nice to stay at the Best Western Plus since they do serve a free breakfast for their guests).


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## DaveNV (Nov 4, 2014)

Happy to help, and hope you can use some of the ideas.  A trip to Utah should never be rushed.  It is scenery unlike any I've ever seen in this country, and I never seem to get enough of it. I'm heading back there in the Spring. 

If you're not tied to that four day schedule to and from SLC, and if arrival airport is optional, consider an alternate idea:

Fly into Las Vegas, and fly out of SLC.  From Las Vegas, heading up I-15, you can be inside Zion National Park within about three hours.  If you drive through the Park and head out the east side of Zion, turn left at Mt. Carmel Junction and north on Highway 89, you can hit Bryce within an hour or so after leaving Zion.  Continue the rest of the itinerary I laid out, adjusted to suit your needs, and end up in SLC.

This option adds part of Zion to the mix, and shows you some more very interesting scenery.  It's still showing you only part of the Park, but it'll add to your experience some.  Just like with Hawaii, there is no way to see it all in one trip, but you can get a good idea of parks you'd like to come back to visit again.

Dave


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## Sandy VDH (Nov 4, 2014)

The drive though NW AZ on the hwy from Vegas to St George is great.  The road runs alongside the virgin river, which has cut the canyon that has made the highway possible.  It is a nice drive.  

When we did our two weeks we did the last 2 days in Vegas before heading home.


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## Karen G (Nov 4, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> Fly into Las Vegas, and fly out of SLC.  From Las Vegas, heading up I-15, you can be inside Zion National Park within about three hours.  If you drive through the Park and head out the east side of Zion, turn left at Mt. Carmel Junction and north on Highway 89, you can hit Bryce within an hour or so after leaving Zion.  Continue the rest of the itinerary I laid out, adjusted to suit your needs, and end up in SLC.


I second this plan. This is a good idea.


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## winger (Nov 4, 2014)

Sandy VDH said:


> The drive though NW AZ on the hwy from Vegas to St George is great.  The road runs alongside the virgin creek, which has cut the canyon that has made the highway possible.  It is a nice drive.
> 
> ,...


I did this drive solo maybe 10 years ago, and I did enjoy the drive.


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## JudyH (Nov 4, 2014)

My favorite trip of all trips.  I always suggest people do the Grand Circle in and out of Las Vegas

http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/grand_canyon/grand-circle-itinerary.htm

http://www.utah.com/itineraries/grand_circle.htm

Judy


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## Gophesjo (Nov 4, 2014)

*Virgin River Gorge*

There is some amazing video footage on youtube from last month's flooding of people driving through the gorge between Mesquite and St George and water literally gushing out of the canyon walls.  It made one of the most beautiful and impressive drives in America one of the most harrowing as well.


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## winger (Nov 5, 2014)

JudyH said:


> My favorite trip of all trips.  I always suggest people do the Grand Circle in and out of Las Vegas
> 
> http://www.utah.com/nationalparks/grand_canyon/grand-circle-itinerary.htm
> 
> ...



Thanks for the tip. I remember seeing this before, or something similar. This seems like a very doable trip but one which requires some time. For my upcoming trip, I am looking to give the rest of the family a 'taste' of the Utah-area parks to see whether their interest level would justify a dedicated 2-week return trip.


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## DaveNV (Nov 5, 2014)

winger said:


> Thanks for the tip. I remember seeing this before, or something similar. This seems like a very doable trip but one which requires some time. For my upcoming trip, *I am looking to give the rest of the family a 'taste' of the Utah-area parks *to see whether their interest level would justify a dedicated 2-week return trip.




See my reply in post #9, adding a different slant to my original reply.  If you want to give your family a taste of the parks, adding Zion will certainly give them a reason to want to come back.  Seeing a bit of Zion, Bryce, Arches, and Canyonlands is certainly a good taste of things to come.  

If you come back for an extended trip later on, there are a number of other things you can add to the mix.

Dave


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## winger (Nov 5, 2014)

Karen G said:


> I second this plan. This is a good idea.


@Dave.
I also like your alternative plan of going from Vegas to SLC. However, I just looked at my favorite car rental shop (Costco) for a sample price comparison.  

The SLC-SLC rental costs $127; on the other hand, the LAS-SLC rental costs northwards of $930+, IF even available. I estimate over 70 % of the inventory was sold out. I guess many people are maybe thinking of doing the same trip?

I will keep my eyes on the rentals...if they come down before I book my fights, I may consider  the LAS-SLC route.


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## DaveNV (Nov 5, 2014)

winger said:


> @Dave.
> I also like your alternative plan of going from Vegas to SLC. However, I just looked at my favorite car rental shop (Costco) for a sample price comparison.
> 
> The SLC-SLC rental costs $127; on the other hand, the LAS-SLC rental costs northwards of $930+, IF even available. I estimate over 70 % of the inventory was sold out. I guess many people are maybe thinking of doing the same trip?
> ...




That's quite a difference! My guess is they don't need or want any more cars in Salt Lake City. 

What if you do the trip in reverse, and end up in Las Vegas? Leave SLC and drive via Price, Utah, to Moab.  See Arches and Canyonlands, then shoot over to Bryce, then down through Zion, and on to Las Vegas?  If you're flying on to NYC, does it really matter which city you fly from?

Dave


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## winger (Nov 6, 2014)

BMWguynw said:


> That's quite a difference! My guess is they don't need or want any more cars in Salt Lake City.
> 
> What if you do the trip in reverse, and end up in Las Vegas? Leave SLC and drive via Price, Utah, to Moab.  See Arches and Canyonlands, then shoot over to Bryce, then down through Zion, and on to Las Vegas?  If you're flying on to NYC, does it really matter which city you fly from?
> 
> Dave


Huge savings, $535, but still far cry from $127.


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## sue1947 (Nov 6, 2014)

Some thoughts to add to the mix:

One way car rentals come and go.  I do this frequently.  Watch the prices and book when it is reasonable.  That time frame will change but it's typically well out in advance of your trip.   Try various airports.  Given your flexibility, you can check various combinations between Vegas, SLC, Denver and Phoenix and see which one is better.  I'd also throw in Albuquerque for Chaco Canyon as another cluster.  

Which parks to see?  You've mentioned the well known ones, but there are lots more.  I love the National Parks and try to fit them into each trip.  I use http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm, select the appropriate state and then click on the links to the various places.  You will find lots of smaller parks that might be worth just a half day on the way to or from or something completely new that you really love.  Here's the one for utah:  http://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm.  I also like www.americansouthwest.com and click on the various states.  There is way more than you have time for so your idea of hitting the main ones for a taste and then return trip is a good one.  

I would choose either:
   Arches/Canyonlands (Island in the Sky + Needles section), Deadhorse State Park.  This is about midway between SLC and Denver so if the weather is likely to be good, you might also check the Denver airport.   However, given only 4 days, I'd look into flying into Grand junction or maybe Durango.  The extra cost of flying into the smaller airport may be made up by lower car rental fees.  They tend to not have the high taxes of the larger airports which can save you hundreds.  I've also had really good luck with one way car rentals involving a smaller airport.   If Grand Junction, then add a half day at Colorado National Monument which is just outside the city.  
    Bryce/Zion:  Vegas or SLC are both easy drives.  With Zion, you will want both the 'main' canyon/valley as well as the Kolob Canyon portion north of St George.  Throw in Cedar Breaks (similar to Bryce).  Bryce is one place to splurge on staying in the park for at least one night.  Being able to walk to the rim for sunrise/sunset is great.  
   North Rim of Grand Canyon/Antelope Canyon/Vermilion Cliffs/rafting the Colorado; this would be best accessed from Flagstaff or Phoenix.  If Flagstaff, throw in Walnut Canyon.   You can access these from St George or Moab, but it's too much driving given your timeframe so save it for another trip.  This depends on the time of year.  Note that the North Rim doesn't open until mid-May and closes Mid-Oct.  
   Navajo National Monument/Monument Valley/Natural Bridges/Hovenweep.  
   From Albuquerque:  Chaco Canyon then over to Canyon de Chelly and El Morro or maybe north to Mesa Verde and Canyon of the Ancients NM (a BLM site) for a hike up Sand Creek.  The latter would be good from Durango if flights/cars work from there.  

For summer, I would lean toward Bryce/Zion or Grand Canyon north rim which are higher and not quite as hot as the others.   

Sue


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