# Visiting National Parks in AZ and UT: where to stay?



## LisaH (Apr 16, 2017)

We plan to do a quick road trip to UT and AZ, visiting Antelope Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and maybe also Arches and Canyonland. We have all visited Grand Canyon at least once so maybe a quick stop but not high on our priority list. Where should we plan to stay? Is Worldmark St George a good base for Zion, Bryce and Antelope Canyon? We are not limited to timeshare but Worldmark, if possible, would be a great consideration logistically. The timeframe is about a week. Thanks!


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## DaveNV (Apr 16, 2017)

LisaH said:


> We plan to do a quick road trip to UT and AZ, visiting Antelope Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and maybe also Arches and Canyonland. We have all visited Grand Canyon at least once so maybe a quick stop but not high on our priority list. Where should we plan to stay? Is Worldmark St George a good base for Zion, Bryce and Antelope Canyon? We are not limited to timeshare but Worldmark, if possible, would be a great consideration logistically. The timeframe is about a week. Thanks!



St. George is closest to Zion, roughly 45 minutes away. So the Worldmark would work for that area, unless you wanted to stay closer to the Park.  Springdale, Utah, is right outside the west entrance to Zion, and has a number of nice motels. If you want to catch the sunrise in Zion Canyon, I'd suggest staying in Springdale.

Bryce is about two hours northeast from St. George, and a sunrise there is absolutely worthwhile. There aren't many options for overnighters, so my suggestion would be staying at Bryce Canyon Lodge, (inside the Park), or at Ruby's Inn (outside the Park.) Even if you don't stay inside the Park, having breakfast at the Bryce Canyon Lodge is a pleasant thing to do.

Antelope Canyon is near Page, by Lake Powell, and it's clear across the state from St. George, heading east. You'd want to stay in that area to do Antelope Canyon - the drive to get there from St. George takes roughly 3 hours. Find something in Page for overnight before your Antelope Canyon visit.

Arches and Canyonlands are closest to Moab, Utah, many hours away from St. George - roughly 350 miles away.  There are no timeshares there. They are parks well worth the trouble to visit, but they need to be a trip unto themselves.  Trying to see five Parks (including Antelope Canyon) in a week's time is just not going to work, if you intend to get out of that car and actually see something. 

There are many other things to do around there than just these five locations. If you have the time and inclination, you can easily fill a week or two in the area. Have fun!

Dave


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## taffy19 (Apr 16, 2017)

You will be very busy visiting all these beautiful places.  I can't recommend any timeshares because we have never stayed at any of them.  Are you just driving through?


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## Sandy VDH (Apr 16, 2017)

We did this very thing. Stay in Moab (I think best western 2 nights), Stay in Page (Mariott 1 night), Stay in Bryce Canyon (Best Western in Park 2 nights), stayed at Worldmark in St George (3 nights).  We did a week in Yellowstone first, then did this. 

Flew into Bozeman, MT and then out of Las Vegas, NV (after a 2 night stay there too).


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## MuranoJo (Apr 17, 2017)

JMHO, but, wow, that's packing in a lot for just one week.  Seems to me it would be a drive-through, with little time to explore each park.


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## LisaH (Apr 17, 2017)

Thanks everyone for your input. Exactly what I was looking for 
Found this on the web and I think we will try to replicate minus Grand Canyon and maybe another park (which one?).


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## WinniWoman (Apr 17, 2017)

I am hoping to do something similar one day adding in Mesa Verde and Durango. But I want to go with a tour group and leave the driving and logistics to them.


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## klpca (Apr 17, 2017)

We did Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef over 5 days this fall. I wish that we could have stayed longer - maybe 7-8 days. We had previously been to Zion. Driving in Utah is easy, but places are far apart (about 2 - 3 hours each). St. George would work, but Springdale is exponentially better. At Bryce we stayed at the Lodge. The rooms were basic and had no views, but the lodge itself was nice. It is a quick walk to the edge of the canyon and the trailheads. We stayed in Torrey, Ut. to access Capitol Reef. The lodging in Torrey was meh - I can't even remember where we stayed, but I couldn't recommend the place anyway. I would have preferred being closer to the center of the park but we would have had to camp and this trip wasn't a camping trip.

Here's a video of Zion that I stumbled across a few weeks ago. You'll love it.


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## vikingsholm (Apr 17, 2017)

We stayed in St. George for quick access to Zion. The Worldmark is nice, and there are also the Villas at South Gate timeshares, which seem to deposit a decent sized inventory on Trading Places exchange site.

From there, we also like to go to Bryce for 2 days, with one overnight. The Grand Staircase Inn in Cannondale is 10-15 miles from Bryce, and rooms are under $100 (we paid $59 off season), with a small store below them. Rooms are basic, but ours was large and clean. There is an excellent fancy restaurant at a small resort a few miles north of Cannondale called the Stone Hearth Grille. It is in a very nice place on a hill with a view of the surrounding area, seems out of place in this remote area but is highly worthwhile to round out the experience. The last few miles to get there were on a graded gravel road.

It's an easy sidetrip to Kodachrome State Park south of Cannondale 15 minutes or so, all on paved road. Beyond that, you can venture into Grand Staircase Escalante national monument. We took the Cockscomb Road as far as Grosvernor Arch, which was pretty impressive. It's all gravel road though, not always smooth, and not good in wet weather. It was bone dry for us.

Have been to all 5 national parks in Utah. Zion and Bryce are probably my favorites, but it's hard to choose. Zion has some good outlying portions accessed from different roads such as Kolob and a few others on the way to the main entrance from St. George, which are good drives/hiking areas as well. We did quicker breeze throughs at Arches and Canyonlands with a one night stay in a Moab motel in between. You can see quite a bit just on the driving routes in these 2 parks. Antelope Canyon in Arizona is also great, a don't miss, guided trip required. Capitol Reef is the sleeper. Incredible rock formations are visible from the main roads, but it is more remote. If you don't have time, that's probably the one you'd have to miss.

If you can do a week in St. George, you can get a reasonably good experience at Zion and Bryce, and with another 4-5 days have time for short side trips to Antelope and Moab with its nearby parks, staying at motels there. I recommend a hike down among the hoodoos in Bryce too, really adds to the experience of just seeing them from the road. Queen's Garden loop is a good one if you only have time for one.

If you stay in St. George, the nearby Snow Canyon park has a lot of beautiful red and white sandstone rock formations and a long open canyon too, makes for a nice day trip. No shortage of scenic wonders in this entire area.


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## JudyH (Apr 17, 2017)

LisaH said:


> Thanks everyone for your input. Exactly what I was looking for
> Found this on the web and I think we will try to replicate minus Grand Canyon and maybe another park (which one?).



I have been there several times, camping and other.  I agree this itinerary will work for you.  Try for spring or fall.  Much more enjoyable.


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## Karen G (Apr 17, 2017)

LisaH said:


> Thanks everyone for your input. Exactly what I was looking for
> Found this on the web and I think we will try to replicate minus Grand Canyon and maybe another park (which one?).


We've done almost the exact itinerary referenced in that website, and it was glorious! I recommend just staying in motels along the way for the best use of your time.


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## Sandy VDH (Apr 17, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> JMHO, but, wow, that's packing in a lot for just one week.  Seems to me it would be a drive-through, with little time to explore each park.



There was a reason, I had my 85 year old father with me, so hiking was limited.


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## sue1947 (Apr 17, 2017)

The recommended itinerary included Goblin Valley and skipped Capitol Reef.  Reverse that.  Goblin Valley is ok for a quick stop but Cap Reef and any of the other National Parks is 100% better.  
The lodging for Cap Reef is limited but used to be easy to get but that has changed.  We had to book a year in advance for our trip in mid October.  I've stayed at Austin's Chuckwagon motel and enjoyed it.  They have small cabins and regular motel rooms plus a bakery/grocery store/deli with a 3 BR apartment upstairs.  If you can get that, it's a great option with a full kitchen.  The cabins have a full size refrigerator and microwave and enough counter space to do minimal cooking.  It's a small town and most of the motels/lodging are older but clean and decent.  
The drive between Bryce and Torrey along US 12 is a must drive and you need to allow plenty of time for stops.  The hike to Calf Ck Falls is a nice one if you have time.  
Of all the places, if you can only get lodging in the park at one spot, make it Bryce.  Being able to walk to the rim for sunset/sunrise is a real plus.  The lodging isn't anything to write home about but location, location, location.  And don't even think of just doing a drive along the rim.  You must get out and hike down below the rim.  There are a variety of loops and short to long options.  If you can't get into the lodge, Ruby's is fine, but you'll be there with all the tour buses.  Another option about a half hour away is to book one of the small cabins at Kodachrome Basin state Park.  The cabins were redone maybe 10 years ago and have a micro/refrigerator and a picnic table on the front porch with a barbecue out front.  You can walk out the door and around the parks for a great sunset stroll.  

There is so much to see in the areas mentioned plus more that aren't as well known.  If all you have is a week, I suggest choosing either west or east UT and focus on those areas.  Come back for the others on a later trip.  In eastern UT, Arches and Canyonlands get all the attention but there's more to see.  Canyonlands Needle section is completely different and worth even a short hike in to see it.  South of Moab on the way to Monument Valley is Natural Bridges and Hovenweep National Monuments and the Valley of the Gods closer to Monument Valley.  Then Navajo NM before getting to Page.  

Sue


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## DaveNV (Apr 17, 2017)

You'll be driving past Capitol Reef National Park, and it deserves a stop.  Drive-through, at minimum, hike a bit if you can.  Some amazing rock formations. If you need to stay over, Torrey is closest.  Motels are average, at best, but the beds are clean. It's all about location.

Between Zion and Bryce, if you take the right road, you can stop at Kolob Canyon. Very underrated portion of Zion, but worth the visit, on the way to Bryce.  Also, don't forget to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets in these places whenever you can. Sunrise at Bryce is breathtaking. Sunset at Arches is amazing, especially if there is a full moon.

If you do happen to stay in St. George, have breakfast at the Bear Paw Cafe.  It's a must-do if you like a great breakfast, and it'll give you a great start to your day.  http://www.bearpawcafe.com

I've driven the bulk of your itinerary a few times, and it never gets old.  In fact, next month we're doing it again, with a two-week driving trip starting from flying into Denver, driving west on I-70 to loop over and around into extreme northeast Utah (Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal, UT - the best place you've never heard of), down through Moab to Arches and Canyonlands, then jog over to Mesa Verde NP in Colorado, then back down through Monument Valley, and on to Sedona. Down from there to Tucson, and flying back to Seattle from Phoenix. Should be a lot of great scenery along the way - again. 

Dave


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## Sandy VDH (Apr 17, 2017)

Kolob is also an easy trip from St George, if you use that as a base.  I would highly recommend this area too.


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## saabman (Apr 18, 2017)

If you plan on visiting all these parks buy a pass. It'll save you some coin.

Did you say when you're coming? Just know that Utah has done a very good job of promoting itself and now NPs like Arches and Zion are very crowded from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Zion had 4.3 million visitors last year, double from 2008, and most people stay in the valley. In July you might queue for 2 hours to board a shuttle. To make matters worse the entrance at Springdale only has 2 lanes to get in. Once the parking lots inside the park are full you'll need to find a place outside the entrance and shuttle in. My point is come early! I was there 3rd week of March this year and the Emerald Pools trails were packed --note it was a Saturday-- and the lower pool -- the most iconic pool -- was closed. As mentioned by Sandy, Kolob is good too and will have fewer crowds.

If you decide to stay in Springdale know there are plenty of nice hotels there but you must book early if coming during high season. And eat at Oscars, the best Mexican restaurant in town. 

re: Arches -- my best advice is to get there before 7 AM and you 'll get in free and avoid what can be extremely hot temps by mid day. Drive all the way to Devils Garden, hike a bit, and make sure you have water, then make your way back. The drive in the morning is gorgeous.

Too bad you don't have 2 weeks like DaveNW. But enjoy.


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## MuranoJo (Apr 18, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> JMHO, but, wow, that's packing in a lot for just one week.  Seems to me it would be a drive-through, with little time to explore each park.





Sandy VDH said:


> There was a reason, I had my 85 year old father with me, so hiking was limited.



Just responding to the OP and thread participants in general, but my thoughts are we literally _fly_ by these beautiful parks, with itineraries to squeeze in as much as possible via a rushed road trip.  It's better than never seeing the parks, but it's not really 'experiencing' the parks.  

IMO, the best experiences we've had have been where we planted ourselves in an area for a good several days and done some exploring, whether hiking or driving.

And, yes, I do understand mobility issues and time issues--I've been there myself.


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## WinniWoman (Apr 19, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> Just responding to the OP and thread participants in general, but my thoughts are we literally _fly_ by these beautiful parks, with itineraries to squeeze in as much as possible via a rushed road trip.  It's better than never seeing the parks, but it's not really 'experiencing' the parks.
> 
> IMO, the best experiences we've had have been where we planted ourselves in an area for a good several days and done some exploring, whether hiking or driving.
> 
> And, yes, I do understand mobility issues and time issues--I've been there myself.




I totally agree with this. Our best vacations were the same, whether for National Parks or non- National Park places. Especially if you only have a week... We are doing this for our week long June trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Maybe because we are so used to time sharing, but even when we go elsewhere we tend to settle in a bit and allow some time to breathe.  After all, it is a vacation. That said, sometimes in the interest of time and the big picture of your life- especially if you feel you might not get back to an area- you might feel you have to squeeze in a bit more. But that is best if you have 2 weeks or more in my opinion.


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## DaveNV (Apr 19, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> I totally agree with this. Our best vacations were the same, whether for National Parks or non- National Park places. Especially if you only have a week... We are doing this for our week long June trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Maybe because we are so used to time sharing, but even when we go elsewhere we tend to settle in a bit and allow some time to breathe.  After all, it is a vacation. That said, sometimes in the interest of time and the big picture of your life- especially if you feel you might not get back to an area- you might feel you have to squeeze in a bit more. But that is best if you have 2 weeks or more in my opinion.




Agreed.  I think part of the issue is where these Parks are located.  In this area, only Zion is what I'd consider "drivably close" to a major airport (Las Vegas.)  The other Parks are on the way to somewhere else, and in the case of Arches and Canyonlands, the Parks are practically across the highway from each other.  How can you see one without seeing the other?  It takes effort to get there, and unless that is THE destination planned for that trip, there is the propensity to say, "Ooh, as long as I'm there, I'll go to this second place.  But wait! This third place is down the road.  And then we can see..."  It's easy to add more and more into the mix, until the entire trip is all about miles spent in the car, trying to get from Place A to Place B.  I'm guilty of it myself, trying to maximize the time/location thing. Not that it's a bad thing...

In 2009 I exchanged into Villas at Southgate in St. George for a week. We stayed the first two nights and last two nights of our week in the condo, seeing Zion and the surrounding area.  The three middle nights were spent one-each at Bryce Canyon NP, at Capitol Reef NP, and the North Rim of Grand Canyon NP.  We put 1500 miles on the rental car that week, starting and ending in Las Vegas.  It was a remarkable vacation, (the Fall color in the Aspen trees along Utah's Scenic Highway 12 was unforgettable.)  But we needed to come home to get some rest.  

Dave


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## vikingsholm (Apr 19, 2017)

Yes, if you can fit in 12 days to 2 weeks for this trip, do it. It is a remarkable and varied area, with a lot of terrain to cover.


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## vikingsholm (Apr 19, 2017)

vikingsholm said:


> We stayed in St. George for quick access to Zion. The Worldmark is nice, and there are also the Villas at South Gate timeshares, which seem to deposit a decent sized inventory on Trading Places exchange site.
> 
> From there, we also like to go to Bryce for 2 days, with one overnight. The Grand Staircase Inn in Cannondale is 10-15 miles from Bryce, and rooms are under $100 (we paid $59 off season), with a small store below them. Rooms are basic, but ours was large and clean. There is an excellent fancy restaurant at a small resort a few miles north of Cannondale called the Stone Hearth Grille. It is in a very nice place on a hill with a view of the surrounding area, seems out of place in this remote area but is highly worthwhile to round out the experience. The last few miles to get there were on a graded gravel road.
> 
> ...



Edit: The town I called Cannondale in this post above is actually Cannonville.


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## Sandy VDH (Apr 19, 2017)

For an 85 year old, my Dad was reasonably mobile.  He acted more like a 65 year old than an 85 year old.  But we did mostly the easy/moderate walk style hikes.  We did a lot of the Geyser Basins in Yellowstone.  We got up and did Mesa Arch at Sunrise in Canyonlands, we did the walk to Delicate Arch in Arches.  We drove to see Navajo National Monument, we hiked out to Horseshoe Bend in Paige.  We did the Walk along the Virgin River in Zion.  But the hardest walk for my Dad was the rim walk at Bryce Canyon, you really don't realize how high you are there, you are over 10,000 ft, and he was thinking he was getting out of shape as he was out of breath, I had to tell me that I was out of breath too.  

We did not hike every easy or moderate walk, but we did at least one in each park and spend time getting to see the vistas. 

I will treasure that vacation forever, exactly one year after that trip, my Dad had a sudden and brief illness and passed away within 12 days. During that year he talked to everyone he know about what a great trip he had.  So to me that make that trip and those memories priceless to me.


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## VegasBella (Apr 19, 2017)

If you're open to staying at a nontimeshare you might want to check out Kanab, Utah. http://kanab.utah.gov/
"Kanab is centrally located right in the middle of TEN of America's greatest scenic wonders - making it the perfect base-camp for exploring, hiking, boating, photography or back country adventure!"

If you stay or just visit St George I recommend Even Steven's Sandwiches. 
http://evenstevens.com/


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## LisaH (Apr 19, 2017)

Thanks everyone! I know I can count on tuggers for best travel info. We have decided to postpone the trip until fall so we won't rush to do it in less than a week. I will revisit this thread when we plan in more details.
Sandy, I know how you feel. I have been traveling with mom to Shanghai and Taiwan the past two weeks. In Taiwan, we hired a driver and he took us everywhere up and down the island. Mom tried to walk as much as she could (and she did very well I might add). For some hike, I did it with my friend or the guide while she waited in the car. Mom is 84 and in very good health, but I'm not sure how many more trips I could go on with her. I treasure whatever time we spend together now.


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## uop1497 (Apr 21, 2017)

Thanks for sharing useful information.


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## DaveNV (May 30, 2017)

Head's up to OP and anyone else who has read this thread.  I am in the second week of my two-week driving trip through this area.  We spent four days in Moab, Utah, so we could visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  I did not know till we arrived that Arches is going through major repaving work at night, and the park is closed from 7PM to 7AM Monday through Thursdays right now.  That means no sunrises or sunsets in the Park. Also, they've closed the entire Devil's Garden area (for some reason - I don't know why, or for how long.)  So many of the Park's most dramatic sites aren't available.  (Landscape Arch, to name one.) Call before you go - or you'll likely be very disappointed.  We only spent about five hours inside Arches, spread over two different days.  Disappointing.

Canyonlands, on the other hand, was remarkable.  Here's one image I took the other evening while waiting for the sunset. 





Dave


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## WinniWoman (May 31, 2017)

Beautiful pic! What a disappointment that must have been about the other park. I would have been so mad.

That happened to us once when we drove from our home resort for hours on end to a National Historical Park in Northern Vermont and the government shut down and it was closed.

I am hoping it stops snowing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I heard it was delayed in opening because of snow and our whole trip is based on going into the park. Just a couple of more weeks. Fingers crossed.


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## DaveNV (May 31, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> Beautiful pic! What a disappointment that must have been about the other park. I would have been so mad.
> 
> That happened to us once when we drove from our home resort for hours on end to a National Historical Park in Northern Vermont and the government shut down and it was closed.
> 
> I am hoping it stops snowing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I heard it was delayed in opening because of snow and our whole trip is based on going into the park. Just a couple of more weeks. Fingers crossed.



It was a disappointment.  But we made the most of our time there.  Just wanted to have sunrise and sunset time at Arches. And of course, the four days we were there was Monday to Thursday - so we couldn't get into the park after hours during the days we needed.  Oh well!

Good luck with your plans.  When we were driving from Denver west on I-70 two weeks ago, it was snowing in the mountains.  Crazy weather! We didn't have any delays (but we didn't hang around, either.) Once we made it over the mountains and into northeastern Utah, everything was much nicer weather.

Currently in Tucson, Arizona, and heading up to Phoenix tomorrow.  It's averaging about 100 degrees here right now.  No snow. 

Dave


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## MuranoJo (Jun 1, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> Beautiful pic! What a disappointment that must have been about the other park. I would have been so mad.
> 
> That happened to us once when we drove from our home resort for hours on end to a National Historical Park in Northern Vermont and the government shut down and it was closed.
> 
> I am hoping it stops snowing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I heard it was delayed in opening because of snow and our whole trip is based on going into the park. Just a couple of more weeks. Fingers crossed.



Would love to hear your experiences in RMNP after you get back.  Have a family get-together near there in July and would love any tips.


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## CO skier (Jun 1, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> I am hoping it stops snowing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I heard it was delayed in opening because of snow and our whole trip is based on going into the park. Just a couple of more weeks. Fingers crossed.


Trail Ridge road was scheduled for opening this last weekend, until the most recent snow event of an endless Snow Season arrived.

The entire road is sure to be open across the Continental Divide for your trip, but you will undoubtedly be driving through snowbanks taller than your car.  It will be Amazing!  (The road into the Park is open all year on both sides; it is just the section across the Divide that gets closed.)

There is an entire string of mountains in RMNP named, "The Never Summer Range" for good reason.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 1, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> Would love to hear your experiences in RMNP after you get back.  Have a family get-together near there in July and would love any tips.




Will do! I also will write a review of Rams Horn Village Resort and post in the marketplace.


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## klpca (Jun 1, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> I am hoping it stops snowing on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. I heard it was delayed in opening because of snow and our whole trip is based on going into the park. Just a couple of more weeks. Fingers crossed.



It opened yesterday. Have fun! https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/news/pr_trail_ridge_road_opens_for_the_season.htm

By the way, if you have facebook, you can follow the National Park pages for any individual park. Then you can easily see what is happening in the park that you are visiting.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 1, 2017)

klpca said:


> It opened yesterday. Have fun! https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/news/pr_trail_ridge_road_opens_for_the_season.htm
> 
> By the way, if you have facebook, you can follow the National Park pages for any individual park. Then you can easily see what is happening in the park that you are visiting.



Yes. Thanks! I saw! I am following the park FB page, and the resort one, and Estes park one, and Colorado one.....etc. LOL!


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## dpete (Jun 1, 2017)

LisaH said:


> We plan to do a quick road trip to UT and AZ, visiting Antelope Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and maybe also Arches and Canyonland. We have all visited Grand Canyon at least once so maybe a quick stop but not high on our priority list. Where should we plan to stay? Is Worldmark St George a good base for Zion, Bryce and Antelope Canyon? We are not limited to timeshare but Worldmark, if possible, would be a great consideration logistically. The timeframe is about a week. Thanks!



Have you taken this trip yet? I am just starting to plan pretty much the same trip for next April. My itinerary will be abbreviated and quick. I am flying into Las Vegas and if I can find it-I need a bus for 14 -(luxury bus for driving between parks and with a driver/guide-suggestions welcome). I want to go from airport to Grand Canyon (probably will have to be south rim as north rim doesn't open until May (we are going April 14th). Stay overnight there and visit park at sunrise then head to Brice/Zion (which first?) another overnight stay in that area and back to Las Vegas where we have a house for the week. If you have done your trip and have suggestions I would be ever so grateful (or anyone else)! Love this thread!! I am a Marriott owner fyi. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Luanne (Jun 1, 2017)

dpete said:


> Have you taken this trip yet? I am just starting to plan pretty much the same trip for next April. My itinerary will be abbreviated and quick. I am flying into Las Vegas and if I can find it-I need a bus for 14 -(luxury bus for driving between parks and with a driver/guide-suggestions welcome). I want to go from airport to Grand Canyon (probably will have to be south rim as north rim doesn't open until May (we are going April 14th). Stay overnight there and visit park at sunrise then head to Brice/Zion (which first?) another overnight stay in that area and back to Las Vegas where we have a house for the week. If you have done your trip and have suggestions I would be ever so grateful (or anyone else)! Love this thread!! I am a Marriott owner fyi.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Doesn't sound like you are allowing much time for anything.

It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive from the Las Vegas airport to Grand Canyon (south rim).  Depending on what time of day you fly in, you won't have much time to see anything.  If you plan on leaving the next morning after sunrise, you still don't have much time.

Are you talking about doing both Bryce AND Zion in one day, then driving back to Las Vegas?  Driving from Grand Canyon to Bryce will be a little over 5 hours.  Driving from Grand Canyon to Zion would be just a little under 5 hours.  The distance between the two parks is almost two hours.

To get back to Las Vegas from Zion would be 2 1/2 hours and from Bryce it would be 4 hours.

We took a trip from Las Vegas to Zion and Bryce, but spent the night in the area just outside of each park.  That gave us at least a day to see each of them.  With your proposed itinerary you'd be driving most of the time and not be seeing much.


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## dpete (Jun 1, 2017)

Luanne said:


> Doesn't sound like you are allowing much time for anything.
> 
> It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive from the Las Vegas airport to Grand Canyon (south rim).  Depending on what time of day you fly in, you won't have much time to see anything.  If you plan on leaving the next morning after sunrise, you still don't have much time.
> 
> ...



Yes-we want to see sunrise at Grand Canyon then drive to Brice or Zion. See sunset,stay overnight and sunrise the next day in same park the go to other park-stay to end of day and head late to Vegas. 

I know it's packing in but with a hired driver and private bus we plan to have fun on the road 
Thanks for your info it is helpful. Any ideas for places to stay?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Luanne (Jun 1, 2017)

dpete said:


> Yes-we want to see sunrise at Grand Canyon then drive to Brice or Zion. See sunset,stay overnight and sunrise the next day in same park the go to other park-stay to end of day and head late to Vegas.
> 
> I know it's packing in but with a hired driver and private bus we plan to have fun on the road
> Thanks for your info it is helpful. Any ideas for places to stay?
> ...


I can only report on where we stayed.

In the Grand Canyon we stayed at the El Tovar.  It's the most historic, one of the Fred Harvey hotels, and has a lot of charm.  The room we were in was pretty small.  Even if you don't stay there and stay at one of the other hotels on the rim, you can eat in their dining room.

For Zion we stayed in Springdale, UT.  I can't remember where.  It was either the Best Western or the Hampton Inn.  I thought I had done a review, but can't find it.

And for Bryce we stayed at the Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon.  My tripadvisor review is below:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...Plus_Bryce_Canyon_Grand_Hotel-Bryce_Utah.html

I wanted to come back and add a comment about sunrise at the Grand Canyon.  We had been told we couldn't miss it, that it's a magical experience.  So we got up super early to do it.  It was freezing outside (this was in May).  And we were underwhelmed. I don't know if we were expecting more, if it just wasn't that great a morning, or what.  It was fun being out there and having the moose come up close (in fact one nudged my husband).  After the sun rose we went back to our room, and back to bed.  I was still freezing. I didn't warm up until after I got up and took a very hot shower.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 1, 2017)

Luanne said:


> I can only report on where we stayed.
> 
> In the Grand Canyon we stayed at the El Tovar.  It's the most historic, one of the Fred Harvey hotels, and has a lot of charm.  The room we were in was pretty small.  Even if you don't stay there and stay at one of the other hotels on the rim, you can eat in their dining room.
> 
> ...



I did the sunset/sunrise thing there also with a coworker (it was also in May, but not cold) and honestly I didn't see what the big deal was. Of course, the canyon is beyond magnificent, but the best sunrise/sunsets I have seen have been on my favorite lake- lake Champlain- from the Vermont side (St. Albans Bay) looking over towards the Adirondacks in New York.


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## Luanne (Jun 1, 2017)

mpumilia said:


> I did the sunset/sunrise thing there also with a coworker (it was also in May, but not cold) and honestly I didn't see what the big deal was. Of course, the canyon is beyond magnificent, but the best sunrise/sunsets I have seen have been on my favorite lake- lake Champlain- from the Vermont side (St. Albans Bay) looking over towards the Adirondacks in New York.


I guess my point in describing our underwhelming experience was to point out that if all you're going to Grand Canyon for is the sunrise, you'll be driving a lot and missing much.


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## WinniWoman (Jun 2, 2017)

Luanne said:


> I guess my point in describing our underwhelming experience was to point out that if all you're going to Grand Canyon for is the sunrise, you'll be driving a lot and missing much.



Yes, I got that and I agree, which was the point of my post you quoted. I also learned long ago that it is much better for me to do slow travel rather than fast. I like to settle in a bit and get to know a place. It's not a marathon, it's a vacation, but everyone is different I guess. I get wanting to see everything- I will sometimes get overly ambitious with my itinerary and then I have to stop myself, breathe and come back to reality. 

But - I, too want to see the Utah National Parks, and because of time constraints due to work, when the time comes someday I think I might consider a 10 day guided tour- let someone else do the driving and all the logistics, etc. I am not crazy about living out of a suitcase, though.


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## PStreet1 (Jun 2, 2017)

There's an app for your phone called "Just Ahead."  It costs $20.00, and having just completed our 3rd trip to Yellowstone--but first trip with the app--I recommend it highly.  We have in the past (and bought a new one for this trip) used the National Geographic guide which points out highlights as you drive along--and the park general materials and trail guides, of course--but we saw things and learned things with "Just Ahead" that we have not seen, or known, before.  There is a "Just Ahead" app for quite a number of National Parks, and I believe they will enhance your experience.


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## DaveNV (Jun 2, 2017)

Luanne said:


> I guess my point in describing our underwhelming experience was to point out that if all you're going to Grand Canyon for is the sunrise, you'll be driving a lot and missing much.



For dpete:  Listen to Luanne.  I have also done this kind of thing in one form or another in the past, and I think you're asking a lot of your 14 travelers.  To spend many, many hours packed in a bus, only to have the destination experience minimized due to a too-busy schedule will leave them wondering why they spent so much time and money for such an underwhelming experience.  It may negatively impact the rest of the week in Las Vegas you have planned.

The South Rim road at Grand Canyon is many miles long, with many turnouts and viewpoints.  There is no single viewpoint that is best, and even the time of day makes a difference in the viewing experience, because of the angle of the sun. The views change as the sun moves across the sky. I was just at Grand Canyon a few days ago, and while being an overall magnificent experience, you need time to soak up the place, especially if you haven't been there before.  That means time to visit the hotel, the visitor's centers and various historic buildings at the Grand Canyon.  Anything less than that will diminish the experience.

Bryce Canyon is a great park to visit for sunrise, more than for sunset.  The sun sets on the west side of things, but the most impressive formations are in the easterly canyons. But it's a long way to drive for essentially an hour's experience in the morning.

Zion is a better park to spend time in, if your 14 are interested in hiking or otherwise doing more than looking out the bus windows.

My suggestion:  Make it two separate things.  Get the bus and do the Zion/Bryce portion of the trip, designed with enough time to enjoy both parks at the appropriate time.  Then, later in your week in Las Vegas, arrange a separate overnight trip to Grand Canyon.  Drive over, explore the park, stay overnight, see the sunrise, enjoy a great breakfast at El Tovar restaurant, then drive back to Las Vegas.

There are many ways to slice up your time, and many other sites along the way to see that you're skipping because there is no time, or because you don't know about them.  The history of the area is worth exploring, and none of it should be rushed.  I think trying to pack in too much too fast will decrease the overall enjoyment level of the people riding all that way.

Dave


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## Laurie (Jun 2, 2017)

We had a couple of better-than-motel (not more expensive than) rentals with kitchens in Moab to visit Arches & Canyonlands (needed a second because we decided to spend an extra night), and another good one in Monument Valley - highly recommended if you decide to visit; let me know if you want details on any of these.

and one more worthwhile park very close to Canyonlands/Moab = Dead Horse Canyon State Park. And there's Canyon de Chelly ... 

We've been to almost all of the above parks described in this thread, and they are all so worthwhile, for however much time you have - multiple days in most, if you have.


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## LisaH (Jun 2, 2017)

I have not taken the trip yet. Our trip has been postponed until at least fall this year. We are on a Baltic Cruise now, visiting Lubeck (Germany), Tallinn (Estonia), St Petersburg (Russia, cold!)...reading this thread again and thanks for posting new NP info!


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## klpca (Jun 2, 2017)

DaveNW said:


> For dpete:  Listen to Luanne.  I have also done this kind of thing in one form or another in the past, and I think you're asking a lot of your 14 travelers.  To spend many, many hours packed in a bus, only to have the destination experience minimized due to a too-busy schedule will leave them wondering why they spent so much time and money for such an underwhelming experience.  It may negatively impact the rest of the week in Las Vegas you have planned.
> 
> The South Rim road at Grand Canyon is many miles long, with many turnouts and viewpoints.  There is no single viewpoint that is best, and even the time of day makes a difference in the viewing experience, because of the angle of the sun. The views change as the sun moves across the sky. I was just at Grand Canyon a few days ago, and while being an overall magnificent experience, you need time to soak up the place, especially if you haven't been there before.  That means time to visit the hotel, the visitor's centers and various historic buildings at the Grand Canyon.  Anything less than that will diminish the experience.
> 
> ...



Such a good and practical suggestion to make the Grand Canyon a separate visit from Las Vegas.

Here's a handy sunrise website. http://www.sunrisesunset.com/usa/NationalParks/ You will want to choose Zion NP VC (visitor center). 

For Zion lodging, I suggest the Cable Mountain Lodge http://www.brycecanyonforever.com/ . You are practically in the park. With a tight schedule, it will be helpful. In Bryce spend the extra $$ and stay in the lodge in the park http://www.brycecanyonforever.com/ . We had lots of clouds for our Bryce sunrise which was a bummer, but we still enjoyed our visit a lot.


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## bbodb1 (Jun 17, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> Would love to hear your experiences in RMNP after you get back.  Have a family get-together near there in July and would love any tips.



Where are you staying at RMNP?  East or West side? 
Last year we stayed on the west side and it was one of best vacations ever.  We hiked, hiked, hiked, and hiked some more and could have stayed there never to return. 
Trail Ridge Road was fantastic but this is not something you need to rush.  Take your time!  So many picturesque pull outs and trails all along Trail Ridge Road...
We spent every minute possible in RMNP and did not regret that decision at all.

We are headed to St. George UT this year to visit Zion - even though this will be in July (and no doubt hot) we are looking forward to it.  We're used to Arkansas heat and humidity so we're hoping the heat is all we'll have in Utah this July...


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## MuranoJo (Jun 18, 2017)

bbodb1, We'll be staying South/Southwest of the park near Winter Park.
Since many of the family will only be able to stay a few days, I'm looking more for a scenic drive with perhaps small hikes, photo ops, etc.
Also anything of interest in the general vicinity in or out of the park would be appreciated.  

I'm also doing some research on my end, but it's always great to hear others' personal experiences!
Thanks!


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## WinniWoman (Jun 20, 2017)

We are in RNP right now staying at Rams Horn Village Resort on the east side. Very convenient to everything. Elk herds love it here. We did the entire Trail Ridge Road  yesterday to Grand Lake, including lots of stops. The key is to get out very early.


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## WalnutBaron (Jun 21, 2017)

DaveNW said:


> Head's up to OP and anyone else who has read this thread.  I am in the second week of my two-week driving trip through this area.  We spent four days in Moab, Utah, so we could visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.  I did not know till we arrived that Arches is going through major repaving work at night, and the park is closed from 7PM to 7AM Monday through Thursdays right now.  That means no sunrises or sunsets in the Park. Also, they've closed the entire Devil's Garden area (for some reason - I don't know why, or for how long.)  So many of the Park's most dramatic sites aren't available.  (Landscape Arch, to name one.) Call before you go - or you'll likely be very disappointed.  We only spent about five hours inside Arches, spread over two different days.  Disappointing.
> 
> Canyonlands, on the other hand, was remarkable.  Here's one image I took the other evening while waiting for the sunset.
> 
> ...


Can I just say that I now consider it a bucket list goal of mine to one day take a vacation somewhere in the Western states with DaveNW. I am certain it would be an unforgettable experience


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## DaveNV (Jun 21, 2017)

WalnutBaron said:


> Can I just say that I now consider it a bucket list goal of mine to one day take a vacation somewhere in the Western states with DaveNW. I am certain it would be an unforgettable experience



That is very kind of you.  Thank you!  I love to travel - anytime, anywhere, to see this amazing place we call Earth. The Navy took me around the world a couple of times, and I've seen a lot of wonderful places.  But I learned early on that no matter where I went, or how long I was gone, there truly was no place like home. When Dorothy was planning to leave Oz, I would have tossed out the Wizard so I could drive the balloon. 

Dave


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## bbodb1 (Jun 24, 2017)

MuranoJo said:


> bbodb1, We'll be staying South/Southwest of the park near Winter Park.
> Since many of the family will only be able to stay a few days, I'm looking more for a scenic drive with perhaps small hikes, photo ops, etc.
> Also anything of interest in the general vicinity in or out of the park would be appreciated.
> 
> ...



Winter Park is a bit further south from Granby (which is about 20 miles from the west entrance to RMNP at Grand Lake) so your drive will be a bit longer than ours but it was an easy drive when we were there.

Everything on Trail Ridge road is worth stopping and seeing as we spent our entire vacation in RMNP and would have loved to have spent more time there.  We did do a couple of longer hikes but I can't remember the actual trail names and I do not have my park map handy.  I do recall we hiked out to Lulu City (an abandoned city I believe the trailhead for this was the Colorado River Trailhead), around the Alpine Visitor Center (not just up to the 12K marker but crossed the road and went a few miles out from and back to the Alpine Visitor Center), the Onahu Creek Trail, played a lot on the Alluvial Fan (which is a fun area consisting of a water fall surrounded by rocks of many sizes - I have attached a photo of this area), and just about anything else that caught our attention.  As were were driving and spotted something that looked interesting, we'd get out and hike a bit.  Never disappointed.

There are a LOT of websites with maps and hiking suggestions but don't forget to check out the NPS map at:
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/maps.htm


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## WinniWoman (Jun 24, 2017)

bbodb1 said:


> Winter Park is a bit further south from Granby (which is about 20 miles from the west entrance to RMNP at Grand Lake) so your drive will be a bit longer than ours but it was an easy drive when we were there.
> 
> Everything on Trail Ridge road is worth stopping and seeing as we spent our entire vacation in RMNP and would have loved to have spent more time there.  We did do a couple of longer hikes but I can't remember the actual trail names and I do not have my park map handy.  I do recall we hiked out to Lulu City (an abandoned city I believe the trailhead for this was the Colorado River Trailhead), around the Alpine Visitor Center (not just up to the 12K marker but crossed the road and went a few miles out from and back to the Alpine Visitor Center), the Onahu Creek Trail, played a lot on the Alluvial Fan (which is a fun area consisting of a water fall surrounded by rocks of many sizes - I have attached a photo of this area), and just about anything else that caught our attention.  As were were driving and spotted something that looked interesting, we'd get out and hike a bit.  Never disappointed.
> 
> ...




Just got back from there and will post a review of the resort and activities when time allows.

It was awesome. We spent a full week- but just two Park days and then a trip to Boulder and also Red Rocks Park and Dinosaur Ridge and the Buffalo Bill gravesite. Did some nice things in Estes Park as well.


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