I went on a different tour. We left the Grand Canyon Airport at around 6 am, flew very low over the eastern Grand Canyon (the wings were over the windows, so everyone had a great view), landing at Page for breakfast. Then went to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam, where we boarded Jeeps for a tour of Antelope Canyon. Then back to the Dam, where we began a rafting trip down the river. Lots of great sights, plus a picnic lunch. Then continuing down the river to Lee’s Ferry, and buses back to Grand Canyon. It was already dark when we got back . . . a very full day.
I went on a week-long photography trip in the Utah area in March. We started in Vegas, then drove north about five hours to near Devil’s Garden, then worked our way back south for several days, through Capital Reef, Zion, Bryce etc. It was all scenic and amazing. If I had to rank, I’d put Zion at the top of the amazing list, then Bryce and then the rest. Which works pretty well for you, since Zion is the closest to Vegas.
I have not been to the rim of the Grand Canyon, either side. I have flown over it as a passenger in a small plane, and I’ve rafted down the canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead. I think the view from either rim would look about the same: spectacular.
I thought Hoover Dam was kinda meh. I’m normally very likely to be impressed with grand engineering of that sort, but I drove over it on the way to somewhere else, and there wasn’t really a stop to take in the view. I’d imagine from the downstream side at ground level it might look amazing, but I haven’t seen that view. From the top it was like driving over another bridge.
Okay, I’m going to take some of this North Rim and Zion / Bryce advice to heart. They look pretty awesome. I’m still going to do the South Rim though, since I had already booked some of that.
Right now, my itinerary looks something like this (Google map).
So I am spending one night in Vegas, two nights at the South Rim, two nights in Jacob Lake, one night in St. George, and probably one final night in Vegas again.
Basically I’ll have a full day in Bryce, a full day in Zion, three days to split over the South and North Rim, and some time in Vegas too. All the driving is at maximum 3-4 hour stretches, so that should be comfortable. Throw in the Hoover Dam tour and I think I’ve got a pretty good vacation on my hands. Hopefully I won’t suffer National Park overload!
Any must-see attractions along this route? The only reason I’m going through Flagstaff is because I have read that the drive along Route 180 from there to the Canyon is amazing. I’d shave off an hour turning at Williams. I could put that hour back on again by going Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman instead of the Interstate. Other than the inherent romance of Route 66, is there much on that detour to make it worthwhile (the Snow-Cap Drive-In looks interesting, but if I had to choose between Route 66 and Route 180)?
First off, whatever suggestions we might have, you’re on an adventure! I don’t think you can go wrong no matter which way you go.
The Kingman-Seligman stretch is the longest intact section of Route 66. I like it precisely because it’s NOT I-40. It’s a well-paved, two lane “back road” with just enough curves and hills to make you wish you were driving a 1960 Corvette. There are a couple of worthy stops besides Seligman for the Roadside America enthusiast. Peach Springs has a funky semi-museum and requisite tourist trap giftshop and Grand Canyon Caverns has a neat tour with an elevator ride down into the bowels of the earth. Some folks might consider that kind of kitcsh a waste of time, but those are the kind of places I love.
Heading up to the Canyon on AZ180, you might want to check out Red Mountain.
When you cross the Colorado on your way to the North Rim, stop and walk across the old Navajo Bridge. Then take the short drive to Lees Ferry where you can see some really neat geology and maybe put a toe in the river.
PS: consider staying in Springdale instead of St. George.
Missed the edit window–the musem/gift shop I was thinking of isn’t in Peach Springs, but at the Hackberry General Store.
When I was there in 2006 there had been a huge forest fire north of the Canyon, and the entire North Rim had been evacuated. The road just re-opened on the day of my arrival. For several miles I drove through nothing but a charred forest . . . mostly just black tree trunks. In places the wood was still smoldering. It’ll still be basically the same when you drive through it . . . but you might be seeing a little new growth by now.
The great thing about the North Rim is that you can stay in one of the Lodge’s cabins, which are very rustic. There’s minimal electricity and plumbing, and that’s it. But wait till you see the view from the terrace.
Add in the Grand Canyon skywalk? http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/
You could hit it on your way to Flagstaff after Hoover Dam.
Looked over your itinerary, and have some comments:
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On the leg from Hoover Dam to Flagstaff, you might consider staying in Williams instead of going all the way to Flagstaff. It is a straight shot north from Williams to the south rim, but not freeway. Williams has plenty of motels, and you could even wing it at this time of year (no need for reservations). It also has a good number of restaurants, and plenty of gift shops to get you started on your Grand Canyon experience ;-). 180 is nice, but I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say “amazing”. Plus if you decide to change your plans (see below), you could take 180 on the way out).
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Also on the leg from Kingman to Williams, you may notice signs. But DO NOT visit “Grand Canyon Caverns”. I made this mistake once, and was sorry I did. 1) it is a ways off I-40, so you burn a lot of time going to, getting back, and 2) the tour was horrible. There were a couple cool formations, but overall very disappointing.
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The drive from the south rim to Jacob Lake is long and slow. The stretch along the south rim heading east is where there will be a number of pullouts for viewing the canyon. I’d recommend hitting at least a couple, and particularly the last one (with the tower). This will eat into the driving time. Once you continue east/south away from the canyon, and loop back north, it is a long drive.
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Bryce is awesome, and very nice to do some day hikes - either along the rim, or even down in (not that steep). Plan to spend some time there.
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Given that you’ll hit 3 national parks, you might consider getting the annual pass. On the route you’re going, if I’m not mistaken, you will need to pay just to pass through Zion. I did that route in the opposite direction going from Vegas to the north rim, and I seem to recall paying for the park entrance even though I was just passing through (you don’t have much choice).
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There are plenty of other threads on what to do in Vegas.
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I hate to mess up your plans, but you’ll be “close” to visiting:
- The meteor crater (between Flagstaff and Winslow)
- Monument Valley (a ways from Page, but not that far).
Since you’re visiting the south rim, I’d recommend passing on the north rim and hitting either or both of these other sites. If you were only doing one rim, I would still recommend just doing the south (although the north is great too - but fewer accesses from the road, so fewer lookouts).
- You’re going at a really good time of year. The rim of the Grand Canyon is at a decently high elevation, so bring warm clothes. It could go either way (60s maybe 70s, or 40s) on the rim so you need to be prepared.
We stayed in St. George when we did a similar trek, May 2008. St. George is doable as far as visiting Zion NP, but blondebear is right. Springdale is right next to the park.
I agree with steadierfooting. My friends who had hiked through Grand Canyon kept saying you-gotta-see-the-north-rim. We did this May. We visited the North Rim on the first day it was open this year. We thought it would be more secluded. IT WAS PACKED. Considerable less people visit the North Rim, but the North Rim can’t handle the throughput that the South Rim can handle.
As far as ghost towns, we went to Grafton and Silver Reef. I only recommend them if you have plenty of free time.
When you leave the GCSR you will pass the Little Colorado River Gorge. It’s worth stopping to snap a photo or two. I’m of two minds whether to take 89A or 89. In 2008, we took 89 and the drive up to the mesa top is amazing. In 2009 we drove 89A from the North Rim to the South Rim. If you are skipping the North Rim, it’s only a little bit longer to take 89 vs. 89A. If you take 89, when you stop to admire the view, that road at the bottom is 89A. And you’ll see the Little Colorado River Gorge in the distance below.
I would drop the trip to the North Rim. There’s nothing in Jacob Lake but that place to stay, and it’s not horribly close to anything. I’d look at staying in Springdale and someplace closer to Bryce. Depending on your driving schedule, take UT-9 through the Eastern entrance to Zion. It’s a great drive.
Are you getting the $80 year pass to all the national parks? That’s what we did. In a year we saw Petrified Forrest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Death Valley, Yosemite, Yellowstone, The Redwood Forrests, Olympic, Badlands, and a few others. Bryce is my favorite. The Navaho Loop trail is a must-hike.
When I was planning my first trip, Darryl Lict (I think that’s his user name) recommended the Angel’s Landing hike in Zion NP. I recommend that to you too. You can read about it at the national park site. I will say this, before Angel’s Landing I thought I wanted to hike up half-dome in Yosemite. The Angel’s Landing hike absolutely cured me of that notion. If you plan on hiking Angel’s Landing, it’s a pretty big chunk of time. Whatever time allotment the NPS recommends is a good guess.
I hope you have a great time! I’m so envious.
My oft-repeated caveat in regards to visiting Zion: you cannot drive your car into Zion Canyon. Don’t plan on popping in for a quick stop at the viewpoints to take pictures and then going on your way. Unless you are staying at Zion Lodge, you have to take the park shuttle (or walk or ride a bike). The round trip from the visitor center to the end of the road and back takes 90 minutes. The shuttle stops at The Lodge and the trailheads, and the drivers provide a running commentary about the sights along the way.
If you only have a day for Zion, you’ll want to get an early start, pack a lunch and bring lots of water. Angels Landing is an awesome trail, but I wouldn’t recommend it to an inexperienced hiker or anyone with a fear of heights. The best place to stay in Springdale is The Desert Pearl, and Oscars Cafe has the best burgers in town.
I see more than one person suggested this. Unfortunately this is one of my non-refundable reservations (I’ve included a few nicer hotels at Priceline prices in the mix), and I have enough of these in general to mean that I’m not going to mess too much with any of the hotel reservations. I probably should have booked in Springdale but I think St. George should be serviceable.
I’m actually not staying in either, I’m staying at a Holiday Inn quite close to the Canyon. I have some flexibility on my route - I will be doing the earliest tour possible at Hoover Dam and then driving to this hotel. Depending on how late I leave I can decide whether to do the quicker I-40 or slower Route 66, as well as the quicker turn at Williams or the slower turn at Flagstaff.
I see what you are saying about Jacob Lake, but its actually an ideal distance on the drive from the South Rim for me. I’ve done it so that I get to wake up in the morning and spend the entire day at the South Rim, wake up the next morning and spend the whole day enjoying the drive to Jacob Lake (only a 3.5 hour straight shot according to Google but it looks like there are quite a few interesting stopping points, including crossing the river). By the time I reach Jacob Lake I can crash early and then enjoy the North Rim / Bryce in the subsequent days. Its on the way and just a room for the night basically. If I take out the North Rim I’ll probably take out my second night there and move it closer to Bryce or Zion. Any more last comments on the North Rim? I have some conflicting opinions - I thought I could settle it once and for all by visiting both! 
I didn’t know about the annual pass. Since I’m visiting 3 parks at $25 a park it seems like a no-brainer, assuming it is valid for a year from purchase. I could definitely use it again for some more local trips (Yosemite is sort of local).
I can ensure that I have a full day in Zion, but can I really not drive through the park from the east entrance on Route 9? That was part of my driving route - I wanted to go through that tunnel! I was planning on staying the day, and would use the shuttle for that instead of trying to drive everywhere inside the park.
Actually I’ve rethought the Jacob Lake stay. I’m still going to stay there one night, but the second night will be in Springdale. blondebear, the Desert Pearl does look awesome, and has excellent reviews, so I will be staying there.
This has been a very helpful thread. Thanks for all the contributions. Even if I didn’t respond to something directly, I have been taking it all in!
My van driver pointed out some of the damage from the fire, but it looked like the area was coming back very well.
And the wildlife seems to be thriving. As I was leaving the park, I probably saw 50 deer along the road. Who knows how many more were beyond the range of my headlights.
Here’s the map of Zion from the National Park Service. You can drive through, I just did it last week. But the best part of the park is the canyon, and for that you need to take the shuttle bus (the green line on the map).
Uh oh. Sounds like the prelude to a fun fight with a car rental company over insurance! I think I’ll try to drive during the day …
Speaking of which, I will be renting a convertible for this trip which I am guessing will be a Sebring. Has anyone had any experience with these? Will the trunk hold a suitcase that fits in an aircraft overhead locker, or should I pack with a squishable duffel bag?
As noted upthread, you CAN drive through the park on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway…you just can’t drive into the main canyon itself. There are some really neat formations coming in from the east side; you can park on some of the turnouts and hike out onto the slickrock and get some great pictures.
As you approach the mile-long Zion tunnel (there might be a line up of cars waiting to go through), there’s a small parking lot off to the left. If you’re not in too much of a hurry, stop there and check out the Canyon Overlook Trail. It’s only a mile round-trip out to a spectacular view down towards Canyon Junction.
It is valid for a year from the date of purchase. You can buy it at your first national park. We bought ours in May of 2008 and it was good through the END of May 2009. So technically depending on the day you buy it, it’s good for a little over a year.
Cool - yeah this is a good deal. It is only $5 more than I’d have to pay anyway and I’m pretty sure I can find some uses for it within a year.