3 days bryce and 6 days zion

Claim Guy Wrote:
"mtaerie" wrote in message
...

Message: We will be traveling to SW Utah from March 26th until April
4th. We have never been to this area and want to see the wonders, do
some amature photography, relax, hike, horse back ride, and golf.
Does
it seem reasonable to spend 3 days in the Bryce Canyon area and 6
days
in the Zion area to accomplish our goals? What places/sights would
you
recommend as priorities? Is a 4 wheel drive a good idea? We are
thinking of staying at the Stone Canyon Inn in Bryce and the Canyon
Vista B&B in Zion-any opinions about these choices? The Desert Pearl
Inn was recommended and it looks fabulous but it is a little pricier
than we want to spend on this trip. Any information or ideas you
could
share with me would be appreciated.


I was just there last summer.

6 days in Zion is way more than enough, IMHO.

If I were going for the first time, with the knowledge I have now, I
would
spend 3 days in Zion, 3 in Bryce, and then a couple of days farther
east,
near Boulder, or farther, where it is a little more remote. It takes an
effort to get all the way to the Moab area, which has Arches and
Canyonlands NP's and all the things you want to see and do, so if you
have 9
days to spend in the area you should really take a look and see if it's
something you want to see.

I really regretted only having 4 days for the area, so we did Bryce for
2
and Zion for 2. Since Zion is so close to Vegas and SLC, it is
certainly a
destination that can be returned to in the future. Getting farther east
along Hwy 12 is something that takes a few more days and would be well
worth
the effort, I think. At least that's what I'm telling the wife, since I
just
gotta get back.

I don't know the Stone Canyon Inn, but there really is no "Bryce" to
speak
of - it's just a few farms and some basic inns. If you can manage it
(and if
it's open) I would recommend the NP Lodge, right at the rim. Very cool
cabins and the lodge is not bad. Nothing like walking over to the rim
for a
sunrise.

We stayed at the Desert Pearl and it is a terrific place - well above
average lodgings with lots of space. Most places in Springdale looked
nice,
and I hadn't ruled out the Canyon Vista when selecting the DP - we just
wanted the space at the DP for the kids.

Have a blast and take a big memory card.
Thanks alot!


--
mtaerie
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Claim Guy Wrote:
"mtaerie" wrote in message
...

Message: We will be traveling to SW Utah from March 26th until April
4th. We have never been to this area and want to see the wonders, do
some amature photography, relax, hike, horse back ride, and golf.
Does
it seem reasonable to spend 3 days in the Bryce Canyon area and 6
days
in the Zion area to accomplish our goals? What places/sights would
you
recommend as priorities? Is a 4 wheel drive a good idea? We are
thinking of staying at the Stone Canyon Inn in Bryce and the Canyon
Vista B&B in Zion-any opinions about these choices? The Desert Pearl
Inn was recommended and it looks fabulous but it is a little pricier
than we want to spend on this trip. Any information or ideas you
could
share with me would be appreciated.


I was just there last summer.

6 days in Zion is way more than enough, IMHO.

If I were going for the first time, with the knowledge I have now, I
would
spend 3 days in Zion, 3 in Bryce, and then a couple of days farther
east,
near Boulder, or farther, where it is a little more remote. It takes an
effort to get all the way to the Moab area, which has Arches and
Canyonlands NP's and all the things you want to see and do, so if you
have 9
days to spend in the area you should really take a look and see if it's
something you want to see.

I really regretted only having 4 days for the area, so we did Bryce for
2
and Zion for 2. Since Zion is so close to Vegas and SLC, it is
certainly a
destination that can be returned to in the future. Getting farther east
along Hwy 12 is something that takes a few more days and would be well
worth
the effort, I think. At least that's what I'm telling the wife, since I
just
gotta get back.

I don't know the Stone Canyon Inn, but there really is no "Bryce" to
speak
of - it's just a few farms and some basic inns. If you can manage it
(and if
it's open) I would recommend the NP Lodge, right at the rim. Very cool
cabins and the lodge is not bad. Nothing like walking over to the rim
for a
sunrise.

We stayed at the Desert Pearl and it is a terrific place - well above
average lodgings with lots of space. Most places in Springdale looked
nice,
and I hadn't ruled out the Canyon Vista when selecting the DP - we just
wanted the space at the DP for the kids.

Have a blast and take a big memory card.
Thanks alot!


--
mtaerie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Caveat Wrote:
Caveat wrote:
snip

To expand upon (and clarify) my last post, we need to make a
distinction here between two types of hiking: walks (short) and "good"
hikes (long, or involving significant elevation gain and loss). From
your post, I guessed that you are interested in the former (along with
rest, horseback, golf) rather than more serious hiking (which is my
frame of reference). But in case that guess was wrong, here is the
range of hiking options available at Bryce, Escalante, and Zion:

From the Park center rim above the Bryce Amphitheater, the choices
range from one-mile walks like the Bristlecone Loop to the 8-mile
Fairyland Loop (900' elevation loss/gain) among the 11 available
hikes recommended by the Park people. The best hikes involve dropping
into the canyon from the rim, then climbing back out. There are also
much longer backpack trails within the park, but you likely aren't
interested in those.

Many of us are more attracted to the vast array of canyon hiking
available within the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument --
like those off the Hole-in-the-Rock Road south of the town of
Escalante, and east of the town all the way over to Capitol Reef
National Park. There is a multi-agency (NPS, NF, BLM) office just west
of Escalante with information on this area if you are interested in
any of these hikes. This is a spectacular lower-elevation area
containing slot canyons and challenging hikes not far from Bryce.

At Zion, the options range from the half-mile Weeping Rock walk to the
variable-mile West Rim hike (2600 elevation gain/loss). Angels Landing
is a 5-mile trip and 1500 vertical feet above Zion Canyon. The most
famous hike in the canyon is the splash-hike up through the Zion
Narrows -- but check the water flow, depth, temperature, and weather
forecast before doing that one.

For more serious hikes within the greater Zion National Park, get a
copy of The Backcountry Planner at the Visitors Center. This
publication covers more serious hikes (and backpacks) such as the
Subway and Kolob Canyons.

When you enter the parks, they will give you a little newspaper that
lists the most popular dayhikes. There are also numerous fine
guidebooks available that list all options in the area, including
Sandra Hinchman's Hiking the Southwest Canyon Country. Or just ask
here if you need more info on any of the hikes referenced above.

Cheers,


Caveat
Thank you for the detailed information. We generally enjoy 5-7 mile
walks with moderate elevation gains. We are so excited to visit the
area.


--
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Caveat Wrote:
Caveat wrote:
snip

To expand upon (and clarify) my last post, we need to make a
distinction here between two types of hiking: walks (short) and "good"
hikes (long, or involving significant elevation gain and loss). From
your post, I guessed that you are interested in the former (along with
rest, horseback, golf) rather than more serious hiking (which is my
frame of reference). But in case that guess was wrong, here is the
range of hiking options available at Bryce, Escalante, and Zion:

From the Park center rim above the Bryce Amphitheater, the choices
range from one-mile walks like the Bristlecone Loop to the 8-mile
Fairyland Loop (900' elevation loss/gain) among the 11 available
hikes recommended by the Park people. The best hikes involve dropping
into the canyon from the rim, then climbing back out. There are also
much longer backpack trails within the park, but you likely aren't
interested in those.

Many of us are more attracted to the vast array of canyon hiking
available within the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument --
like those off the Hole-in-the-Rock Road south of the town of
Escalante, and east of the town all the way over to Capitol Reef
National Park. There is a multi-agency (NPS, NF, BLM) office just west
of Escalante with information on this area if you are interested in
any of these hikes. This is a spectacular lower-elevation area
containing slot canyons and challenging hikes not far from Bryce.

At Zion, the options range from the half-mile Weeping Rock walk to the
variable-mile West Rim hike (2600 elevation gain/loss). Angels Landing
is a 5-mile trip and 1500 vertical feet above Zion Canyon. The most
famous hike in the canyon is the splash-hike up through the Zion
Narrows -- but check the water flow, depth, temperature, and weather
forecast before doing that one.

For more serious hikes within the greater Zion National Park, get a
copy of The Backcountry Planner at the Visitors Center. This
publication covers more serious hikes (and backpacks) such as the
Subway and Kolob Canyons.

When you enter the parks, they will give you a little newspaper that
lists the most popular dayhikes. There are also numerous fine
guidebooks available that list all options in the area, including
Sandra Hinchman's Hiking the Southwest Canyon Country. Or just ask
here if you need more info on any of the hikes referenced above.

Cheers,


Caveat
Thank you for the detailed information. We generally enjoy 5-7 mile
walks with moderate elevation gains. We are so excited to visit the
area.


--
mtaerie
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mtaerie wrote:


At Zion, the options range from the half-mile Weeping Rock walk to the
variable-mile West Rim hike (2600 elevation gain/loss). Angels Landing
is a 5-mile trip and 1500 vertical feet above Zion Canyon. The most
famous hike in the canyon is the splash-hike up through the Zion
Narrows -- but check the water flow, depth, temperature, and weather
forecast before doing that one.



Thank you for the detailed information. We generally enjoy 5-7 mile
walks with moderate elevation gains. We are so excited to visit the
area.



I went to Zion this summer and did the Observation Point
hike, which is on the other side of the canyon from Angel's Landing.
This hike is longer and 500 feet higher up at the top than
Angel's Landing, but is easy footing and no serious dropoffs.
The intermediate parts are though a series of narrow gorges
that are quite beautiful just by themselves. An early
morning start provides plenty of shade on hot days, at
least on the way up.

Doug McDonald

Thanks for


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Thanks for


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Thanks for


--
mtaerie
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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