Plan our vacation in southern UT / northern AZ

In My Humble Opinion
1

So we’re flying into Las Vegas on a Friday. The following Friday, we need to be in Phoenix AZ at dinnertime. A few days after that, we’re committed to Sedona AZ for a night then 2 nights at the Grand Canyon (south rim). Then back to Vegas to return home.

In the time between arriving in Las Vegas and arriving in Phoenix, we want to see the sights. I’ve played around with a “big circle” driving route and the following destinations suggest themselves for the LV to Phx leg:
[ul]
[li]Zion NP[/li][li]North Rim of the Grand Canyon (we’ve seen the South Rim and are only going there again because the friends we’re linking up with want to go there)[/li][li]Bryce Canyon NP[/li][li]Capitol Reef NP or Glen Canyon [/li][li]Monument Valley UT[/li][li]Petrified Forest NP[/li][/ul]

A map listing all the destinations

Obviously we can’t do all of those in a week. If we had two, perhaps we could make it happen.

We’re planning on just spending our first night in the Las Vegas area. If we decide to do Zion, maybe we’ll get a hotel a bit east of the city for that night (we can allow a day or so at the end to see the Hoover Dam).

Folks who’ve visited Utah strongly suggest Zion and Bryce. I’d like to see the North Rim. I think it’d be cool to drive through Monument Valley. The boat trips around Glen Canyon NRA look really really neat (if expensive).

We won’t be up for a lot of hiking (I’ve got a bum knee and the kids will be WHINING). So, we need places we can drive through, and stop for short(ish) walks of maybe a mile or so on not-too-awful terrain.

We don’t want to kill ourselves with drive-drive-drive-stop-have-fun-whether-we-like-it-or-not-drive-some-more craziness, either.

So - thoughts on each of these for suitability, how long we should allot for such places, which ones are not-to-be-missed, which ones are “meh”, etc.?

2

Zion, Bryce and North rim should be 1 day each. For all of them there are short hikes to good spots. My family liked Bryce the best.

North Rim is way different than the south rim - way less people and there is a forest right up to the rim , it’s not a desert.

A central place to stay for all 3 of those spots is the small town of Kanab, UT.

For Zion there is a short trail right off the road that brings you to the top of the valley, don’t miss that.

3

Re: Zion-- You can’t drive into the main canyon unless you’re staying at the Lodge. To see the main part of the park have to take a shuttle bus from the visitor center. It runs frequently thoughout the day with a round-trip taking about 90 minutes. If you’re staying in Springdale, I highly recommend The Desert Pearl (reservations might be tough, though). Make sure to check for road construction info on Zion’s website.

4

Are you driving from Phoenix to Sedona? If yes, I recommend a stop at Rock Springs Cafe in Black Canyon City (on the I17 on your way to Sedona) for some of the best pie you’ll ever eat.

If you’re into animal rescue at all and you’re going to be near Bryce & Zion, you might want to visit Best Friends: http://www.bestfriends.org/

5

Better yet, go down the street a ways, and have breakfast at the Four Bs. Bring your appetite, and don’t dream that you will be able to eat a full stack of pancakes.

If you are going to have a rugged vehicle, and have some time, take the cut-off from 89 through Kodachrome Way. Forty miles of dirt road, but spectacularly beautiful.

6

If it’s the one I’m thinking of, then the trailhead is at 37.214079,-112.940226 (go to Google Maps and search on those coordinates). As you enter the park from the east, the trailhead is immediately before a tunnel entrance. It’s a short, steep hike - maybe a half-mile one way - and then you’re staring off over a deep gorge that the tunnel will take you to once you get back to your car.

Lots of short hikes in Bryce, and the terrain is easy on the knees if you stay up on the rim trails. Way at the southernmost point there are some short loop trails that will keep you from doing the usual out-and-back routine.

For scenic drives, it’s hard to beat UT12 from Bryce Canyon up to Torrey. About 110 miles one way, expect it to take all morning since you’ll want to hit some scenic overlooks along the way. There are some hotels in Torrey, and Capitol Reef is just east of there.

If you will be doing a big circle route like this, UT24 through Capitol Reef to Hanksville is also astonishingly beautiful. The first few miles of UT95 south from Hanksville are kind of straight, but as you get toward Glen Canyon it gets better. You can take the split at UT275 down to the settled part of GC, or continue on UT95 for some mind-blowing scenery. Be sure to stop at the Hite Overlook (37.883322,-110.409722). You can continue on after this, but you’ll have a choice to make in a few miles:

-continue on to Blanding before heading south toward Phoenix. Good driving scenery, US191 is a main road, and gas/food is available in Blanding.

-turn south on UT261 to go over the Moki Dugway. More scenic and shorter distance to Phoenix, but a bit of unpaved road and no major town for a ways.

-UT276 over to Halls Crossing in Glen Canyon. Either this or the other side of Glen Canyon, not sure which would be a better place to catch the boat ride you mentioned being interested in. There is a car ferry that crosses, so you’re not screwed if you approach from the “wrong” side.

-Natural Bridges state park is right at the junction of all these roads. Might be worth a quick hike there.

7

Oooh - great info, everyone!

I don’t know why I didn’t think of staying one central spot and travelling day trips to each of the parks - they’re all within 2 hours of Kanab, and it’d save us a lot of hassle with changing hotel rooms every night. Much less wear and tear on us and the kids.

All the other stuff: well, we’ll have to spend some time digesting things tonight and make some plans… we were thinking of winging it on a day-to-day basis but if we do get a central hotel room, we can at least plan that far in advance.

The scenic drives sound great - this is something we love to do. I don’t know if I’m comfortable going on rugged/unpaved roads, what with us having a rental car (it will be an SUV but just a “regular” one, not 4WD or anything).

8

I’d skip Zion and go to Arches & Canyonlands (especially Needles). Then swing by Goblin State Park on the way to Monument Valley.

YMMV, of course.

9

If you do end up staying in Kanab, Moqui Caveis just down the road. It’s a funky roadside-attraction kind of place, if you’re into that.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes is nearby, too. It’s best to visit early in the morning before the ORV traffic gets going. You can avoid them entirely in the northern portion of the dunes.

10

I wasn’t going to suggest Goblin since it’s a detour even further out of the way from Hanksville, but I did just see a picture of it the other day, and it might be worth a visit.

Re: Canyonlands, I actually far preferred the Island-In-The-Sky district rather than the Needles district. Lots of good overlooks at IITS, and a nice short hike to the salt dome. Dead Horse Point State Park is also in the same area as the IITS district; if you’re in the area, both are worth seeing. Arches National Park is IMHO in third place.

As the OP has noted, there’s way too much to do out there in any single trip. Pick and choose, and expect to come back again at a later date to see other stuff.

11

Kanab is a very small town so don’t expect much there beyond motels and a few places to eat. We liked it but we are low key people.

Most rental car agreements say you cannot take the car off pavement. I think that is true even if you get 4WD.

12

Is the pie really that good? I’ve lived in AZ all my life and have driven up and down I-17 more times than I can conveniently count (I attended NAU) and I’ve never tried the famous pie.

When you’re in Sedona, make sure to take a drive up Oak Creek Canyon, and stop at the scenic overlook at the top of the canyon. But believe the speed warnings at the curves - those switchbacks are wicked. Then from the top of the canyon it’s a relatively short jaunt into Flagstaff.

Since it’s miserably hot this time of year, the kids would probably enjoy Slide Rock. But you’ll want to make sure to call their water quality hotline if you decide to go, since there have been issues with high bacterial levels in the past.

I know that you say that you have a bum knee, but if it can handle a small amount of scrambling over rocks, there’s always the “Ice Cave” near Flagstaff. It’s an ancient lava tube and the kids would probably get a kick out of checking out a cave. Make sure to have warm clothing - temperatures range from 35-45 degrees even in mid summer.

One of the places that I think a lot of people miss is the Riordan Mansion. I know we enjoyed the tour. Of course, that one is much more for someone that enjoys… well, touring old buildings. And it would depend a lot on the age and temperment of the kids.

And if you’re a space/astronomy buff, don’t forget Lowell Observetory. But be warned: Yes, you get a chance to look through the historic Clark telescope (weather permitting) as well as one or two others, but the lines can be very long.

13

We will indeed be driving up that way - essentially reversing the drive we made back in 2005 (when we went to the GC first before Sedona).

Aha - Slide Rock was on the itinerary; thanks for the tipoff about the water quality!

The ice cave sounds neat also. Dunno if we’ll hit the Lowell Observatory - but as Typo Knig is a physicist by training if not trade, and there’s another physicist in the group we’re meeting with, that might have to get shortlisted :).
Thanks for all the suggestions!!

14

If you take AZ 180, the less-traveled route to/from the Grand Canyon, there’s a really cool spot about 30 miles north of Flagstaff called Red Moutain. The hike is really easy, and there’s a good chance you’ll have the place to yourself.

15

Hi Mama Zappa, I started a thread earlier this year about my planned trip to Utah later this year and several people here were very kind in giving helpful suggestions. As some of the places I want to see like Bryce Canyon are on your itinerary too, I include it here in case it helps you too.

16

If you haven’t left yet, one further tip. I don’t know in what time of year your 2005 trip took place, but if it wasn’t summer, the summer weather in Northern AZ might surprise you. Be prepared for rain. Afternoon thunderstorms are pretty frequent phenomenon, they can show up in a hurry, and there’s often no indication earlier in the day. OTOH, they usually don’t last very long, so they probably won’t spoil any plans.

And let us know how the trip went (unless I gave you bad advice :smack: )

17

We were there in December, so I definitely expect different weather :).

I got a Fodor’s guide at the library that mentioned flash floods in some of the parks, so we’ll definitely want to be on the lookout for weather reports.

Tentative plans for now:
Night 1: arrive Vegas (need to make hotel resin north Vegas)
2-6: Kanab UT (have reservations at a motel) - day trips to various parks including hopefully the North Rim
7: Page AZ? (near Glen Canyon - have not decided)
8-10: Phoenix (have reservations)
11: Sedona
12-13: South Rim (have reservations in the park)
14-15: Vegas (have reservations)
Then home.

18

If you need suggestions for restaurants in the Phoenix area, just post back with what type of food you like.

19

If you stay in Page, you must visit Antelope Canyon. It is truly one of the iconic places of the southwest. You used to be able to check out the lower canyon on your own, but I see now both portions are by guided tour only. If you have any issues with steep/narrow passages, the upper canyon is the best one to check out.

20

My BF and I stayed in Page en route from Bryce to Yellowstone and found it surprisingly charming. The spectacular scenery in the entire area might help.