Itinerary to Grand Canyon/Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce

Hi,

Not being a big fan of hiking, my friends and I would like to take
some good pictures and have the following plan to visit Grand
Canyon/Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce in 3 days around Christmas time.
Could someone please take a look and see if it's possible?

Day 1:
Las Vegas -93--40--64--180- Grand Canyon NP -160--191- Blanding
(Stay)

Day 2:
Blanding- Moab- Canyonlands NP- Arches NP -191--70--89- Panguitch
(Stay)

Day 3:
Panguitch- Bryce NP -9--15- Las Vegas

We plan to stay a few hours (max 3 hr) in each National Park to take
some good shots.

Are those highways difficult to drive at nighttime (ie, curly)? In
winter time, are they covered with snow? Is there any service station
along the highway?

Regards,
P Ross

There are two main problems with this, first, you won't get any good photos
because you'll be at the parks mid-day instead of early and late. Second, it's
just way too much driving, in my opinion.

If I were you I'd cut out one leg of the trip, probably Moab. Alternatives
suggested below.

From: (Peter R)

Not being a big fan of hiking, my friends and I would like to take
some good pictures and have the following plan to visit Grand
Canyon/Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce in 3 days around Christmas time.
Could someone please take a look and see if it's possible?

Day 1:
Las Vegas -93--40--64--180- Grand Canyon NP -160--191- Blanding
(Stay)

This is a really long day and you'll be at the GC at the worst time for photos.
I'd advise staying at the GC or in nearby Tusayan so you can photograph the
sunset and then again the next morning, when light is better for photography.

Day 2:
Blanding- Moab- Canyonlands NP- Arches NP -191--70--89- Panguitch
(Stay)

Day 3:
Panguitch- Bryce NP -9--15- Las Vegas

Blow off Moab, even though it's wonderful up there it's too far out of your way
on this trip ... instead, after photographing the GC the morning of day 2 drive
to either Bryce or Zion (Bryce seems to be your pick), which you can do in
about 4 hours with good roads. If you get the chance to stop in Page you might
want to photograph the slot canyons at Antelope Canyon around mid-day (light is
good mid-day since it's 40-50 ft underground), but try to be at Bryce by 3 PM
or earlier. Photograph Bryce in the good afternoon light and either stay there
and shoot it again the next AM or else move operations to Springdale for the
night and shoot in Zion the next day. Then it's an easy drive back to Vegas.

We plan to stay a few hours (max 3 hr) in each National Park to take
some good shots.

You'll have time to briefly stop at the major overlooks but that's about it.
You probably won't get good photos, especially if you're there mid-day. Sort
of like jogging thru the Louve in 40 minutes ... you can do it but you might
miss something

Are those highways difficult to drive at nighttime (ie, curly)?

Not too bad, especially if they are dry and ice-free.

In winter time, are they covered with snow?

Briefly, after winter storms. It just snowed yesterday in that area, for
example, with another storm due in late Sunday.

Is there any service station along the highway?

Once you're off I-40 there aren't many towns but there are stations in every
town. Many/most of them close at night, say after 10 PM or thereabouts so
getting gas late at night might be a problem.

You can do this trip but you probably won't enjoy it much and you probably
won't get any good photos.

Bill

"Peter R" wrote in message
m...
Hi,

Not being a big fan of hiking, my friends and I would like to take
some good pictures and have the following plan to visit Grand
Canyon/Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce in 3 days around Christmas time.
Could someone please take a look and see if it's possible?

Day 1:
Las Vegas -93--40--64--180- Grand Canyon NP -160--191- Blanding
(Stay)

Day 2:
Blanding- Moab- Canyonlands NP- Arches NP -191--70--89- Panguitch
(Stay)

Day 3:
Panguitch- Bryce NP -9--15- Las Vegas

We plan to stay a few hours (max 3 hr) in each National Park to take
some good shots.

Are those highways difficult to drive at nighttime (ie, curly)?

Yah they can be not to mention wandering stock and wildlife
on the roads after dark.

In
winter time, are they covered with snow?

Snow is possible

Is there any service station
along the highway?


They are few and far between

This is way too much for 3 days

If you havent been to the Grand Canyon before
you should at least stay overnight there and then
either move on to Zion and Bryce Canyon.

Much as I love Canyonlands and Arches they are
a trip in themselves and both could be quite tricky
at that time of year as you have ascents to high
elevations with freezing conditions a real possibility

Keith

Much too much driving. LV to Gr. canyon - 275 miles at least five
hours
GR. Canyon to Moab -about 300 miles - will take at least six hours,
maybe more
Moab to Bryce - another 280 or so miles,
Bryce to LV - another 240 miles - most on the Interstate
I would hesitate to do this when it is warm because of the distances
involved. I certainly would never attempt this in December in 3
days.
Here is an alternative - GR, CAnyon to Zion to Bryce or GR. Canyon to
MOnument VAlley to Zion or Bryce or both since you could do Zion as a
drive through on the way back to LV from Bryce

Thanks for everyone's reply.

What is the actual driving time from Grand Canyon to Moab
(Canyonlands/Arches NP)? Are they mountain roads which are difficult
to drive?

How about from Moab to Las Vegas via I70?

Thanks,
P Ross

(Rqf) wrote in message . com...
Much too much driving. LV to Gr. canyon - 275 miles at least five
hours
GR. Canyon to Moab -about 300 miles - will take at least six hours,
maybe more
Moab to Bryce - another 280 or so miles,
Bryce to LV - another 240 miles - most on the Interstate
I would hesitate to do this when it is warm because of the distances
involved. I certainly would never attempt this in December in 3
days.
Here is an alternative - GR, CAnyon to Zion to Bryce or GR. Canyon to
MOnument VAlley to Zion or Bryce or both since you could do Zion as a
drive through on the way back to LV from Bryce

From: (Peter R)

What is the actual driving time from Grand Canyon to Moab
(Canyonlands/Arches NP)?

I've driven this often, takes me about 5 - 5.5 hours, maybe a bit less,
depending on exactly where you start from in GC.

Are they mountain roads which are difficult to drive?

No. The GC is on a high plateau, about 7,000 ft. You drop off this pretty
quickly, before you get to Cameron a few miles outside the eastern park
boundary, and after that you're mostly on a relatively flat plateau, around
5,000 ft or so except for the drop down to the San Juan River north of Monument
Valley. It's a pretty easy drive (no mountains to cross) without much traffic
but it's patrolled and you need to stay within 5-8 miles of the speed limit or
you'll get a ticket.

How about from Moab to Las Vegas via I70?

Can't help you with that one, but I'd guess it's a looong day.

Bill

dy (Bill Hilton) wrote in message ...
From: (Peter R)

What is the actual driving time from Grand Canyon to Moab
(Canyonlands/Arches NP)?

I've driven this often, takes me about 5 - 5.5 hours, maybe a bit less,
depending on exactly where you start from in GC.

5 - 5.5 hours is not too bad. Thanks for the tip, although it says 8
hours and 7 minutes on Yahoo driving map.


Are they mountain roads which are difficult to drive?

No. The GC is on a high plateau, about 7,000 ft. You drop off this pretty
quickly, before you get to Cameron a few miles outside the eastern park
boundary, and after that you're mostly on a relatively flat plateau, around
5,000 ft or so except for the drop down to the San Juan River north of Monument
Valley. It's a pretty easy drive (no mountains to cross) without much traffic
but it's patrolled and you need to stay within 5-8 miles of the speed limit or
you'll get a ticket.

How about from Moab to Las Vegas via I70?

Can't help you with that one, but I'd guess it's a looong day.

Bill

What is the actual driving time from Grand Canyon to Moab
(Canyonlands/Arches NP)?

I've driven this often, takes me about 5 - 5.5 hours, maybe a bit less,
depending on exactly where you start from in GC.

From: (Peter R)

5 - 5.5 hours is not too bad. Thanks for the tip, although it says 8
hours and 7 minutes on Yahoo driving map.

A lot of the Mapquest and Yahoo type sites seem to have a LOT longer times than
what I see, and I don't actually speed much, almost never more than 5-8 miles
over the limit (after getting caught twice and learning my lesson).

FWIW, I've driven from Phoenix to Moab at least a dozen times and it's always
about 8 hours, so it sounds silly to me for Yahoo to say it takes over 8 from
the GC. Takes me about 3.5 hours or slightly less to get to Cameron, the
remaining 4.5 hours or slightly more from Cameron to Moab. Cameron is about
30+ miles from the GC.

Bill

(Peter R) wrote in message om...
Hi,

Not being a big fan of hiking, my friends and I would like to take
some good pictures and have the following plan to visit Grand
Canyon/Arches/Canyonlands/Bryce in 3 days around Christmas time.
Could someone please take a look and see if it's possible?

Day 1:
Las Vegas -93--40--64--180- Grand Canyon NP -160--191- Blanding
(Stay)

Day 2:
Blanding- Moab- Canyonlands NP- Arches NP -191--70--89- Panguitch
(Stay)

Day 3:
Panguitch- Bryce NP -9--15- Las Vegas

We plan to stay a few hours (max 3 hr) in each National Park to take
some good shots.

Are those highways difficult to drive at nighttime (ie, curly)? In
winter time, are they covered with snow? Is there any service station
along the highway?

Are you sure visiting 4 parks in 3 days? You won't even have time to
drive through the park. If you want to take some good shots, you need
to hike a bit to do so. You should visit Arches and Canyonlands on a
separate trip, IMHO.

Also, it is impossible to do it in December. The roads are closed
sometimes after snow storm. The visibility is very low when snow
comes and chances are, you will have to pull aside. More driving time
will be added. I think you should take that into consideration when
you drive during the winter time. However, your plan is not a good
one even if you plan to go in the summer. Basically, you go there,
but you are not seeing much in each park.

I suggest you visit Grand Canyon, then Zion or Bryce via 89 in 2 or 3
days. That is more reasonable. As I said, I don't recommend your
itinerary at all. It is impossible and dangerous when snow storm
comes (and it comes quite often sometimes).

-Shawn


Regards,
P Ross

I'd try to plan wherever you go such that you can photograph in early
morning or at Sunset.
I liked sunrise at Bryce and sunset at GC and Arches. I like
photographing Bryce and Arches
the best. Lots of stuff to take pictures of. I also really liked
Kodachrome, especially at dusk.
During the day, consider taking in a slot canyon. Antelope Canyon is
renowned, but expensive.