Well heck, you’re coming to Zion, you must stop and meet cadolphin and myself!
We’re about 1 1/2 hours north of Las Vegas, just right over the Utah line on I-15. When you get closer to your trip, let us know and we’ll be happy to meet you for dinner/lunch/whatever.
And second the trip to Zion - it’s gorgeous.
Let me put in a plug for little-known Cedar Breaks National Monument, about a half hour out of Cedar City Utah and just down the road from Brian Head ski resort. A small area, easily driven through in ten or fifteen minutes with no admission charge, it is quite similar to Bryce Canyon but without the hiking facilities, or the crowds of tourists. Beautiful red sandstone rock formations.
Also easily missed by tourists and very accessible is the Kolob Canyons portion of Zion National Park, which is physically separate from the rest of the Park, and is right off Interstate 15, about ten miles south of Cedar City.
My parents are big fans of the SW Parks o’ Erosion. As a family with small kids, it was always day hikes, no backpacking.
Last time I went was a few years ago. We hiked partway into the Grand Canyon and back out. I enjoyed walking through the Hoodoos in Bryce. There are a ton of great short hikes at Arches with great scenery along them.
My favorite though, was hiking up out of Zion to Angel’s Landing. It isn’t an easy trail, but the view at the top is gorgeous!
One other thing. Look into buying a season pass for national parks and monuments, as there are a lot of them in Utah and Arizona, and the admission fees can add up.
The North Rim’s elevation is over 8000’; it’s likely to be reasonably warm but dry, and should reliably get cool (perhaps even chilly) at night. In short, a very pleasant climate.
If you hike far down into the canyon (interesting but certainly strenuous) it’s likely to be quite hot. The river is at an elevation around 2500’.
Don’t hike down into the canyon (North Kaibab trail, for example) unless you’re in good shape and prepared. The North Rim is cooler, but in June, it’ll be plenty warm coming back up.
Along with the others, I highly recommend a visit to Zion. Angels Landing is one of the most amazing trails in the National Park System…as long as you’re not afraid of heights! IMHO, the best place to stay there is The Desert Pearl in Springdale. (Make your reservations now!) Another thing about Zion: access to the inner canyon is by shuttle bus only, unless you’re staying at The Lodge. The shuttles run frequently, but there’s no way to just pop in for a quick look or a short hike.
My family did the Bryce/Zion/N. Rim Grand Canyon thing a few summers back, which was an excellent and memorable trip.
I highly recommend doing the Narrows at Zion, just be ready to get wet and if you plan to go a long way, the special shoes and walking sticks the rent out front of the park might not be a bad idea. Tons of people early on, but they tend to thin out quickly, and the views are so so so cool. (speaking of cool, what with the water and the shadows, it can get kinda chilly in there, so if you are planning a long hike, think about taking a jacket).
As for Bryce… again, excellent scenery down at the bottom, but it can get unexpectedly hot at the bottom compared to the rim, so be sure to take plenty of water to get yourselves back out.
I found the North Rim of the canyon to be way less busy than I expected for the Grand Canyon, but I am told that the South Rim gets most of the visitors. If you’d like more services and stuff, then the South Rim will probably have them. The North Rim had mule rides, a lodge + gift shop, and plenty of viewing places, all fairly person free. I can’t say anything about the inside or bottom of the canyon as we were not prepared for quite that amount of exertion, but others have said that the best idea is to try to hike down as early as possible so that you won’t have to hike back up in the dead heat of the afternoon. They also said that some of the trails on the South Rim have drinking fountains on the way back up to help hydrate under-prepared hikers.
I’m from Michigan, and have traveled around the US a fair amount, but had never experienced that kind of a landscape before. A little while into the trip I almost had a bit of a freakout due to the lack of ANYTHING green or, even worse, visible water. This made me very very fond of Zion, where not only can you walk down a canyon river (Narrows) but there are green things everywhere!
Ooooh. I second the Narrows. I reccomend Teva or similar sandals. If you’re a member, I know that REI carries the national park passes, and it’s always something my family got as we got last minute replacements on our way out of town.
One thing I liked at REI were their things that were essentially bandanas with silica gel pellets sewn inside: soak in cool water overnight, they swell up and it slowly evaporates off all day, cooling you down. Camelbak style systems are good too.
EDIT: And wide brimmed hats!
Zion and Bryce are great. I loooved Bryce Canyon–you definitely need to hike down in the hoodoos. It’s wonderful. We also loved Arches. If you go there you should go on a guided trip through the Fiery Furnace. It’s a really neat hike.
I’d like to go back to the SW when my kids are older. The scenery is just spectacular.
Bryce and Zion are the cool ones. Lots of standing rocks. Grand Canyon was a letdown for me. Bigger but not as interesting, just like a lot of other plain canyons only deeper.
My parents camped in Death Valley and Pop likes to mention how he flipped his pillow over to use the cool side and the “cool” side was hotter than the “hot” side. 
This might be way dorky, but I think I’m on the right board for that…
On our last trip west I bought a National Parks “Passport.” You can get it stamped at every park and monument you go to–and buy a special sticker for it, if you’re so inclined. You can keep this forever, adding to it as you go.
There is absolutely no benefit to doing this, except for the satisfaction you get from “collecting” the stamps. It gives you a little information about some of the parks, but not all. It’s basically just a nerdy thing to whip out. I bought it for my son but I admit it was as much for me as for him.
Geez, maybe this IS too dorky to post…
Nah, it’s cool. My parents buy a little patch at each park and when they get home Mom sews it onto Pop’s pack. They also buy a metal patch for her to nail to her hiking stick.
The FFurnace is cool too. Both senses of the word if you go early enough.
We had little passbooks, not official ones, but we got em stamped all over the place. Did the Jr. Ranger program too. Girls got charms for bracelets, guys sometimes got hiking staff badges.
My family did the Bryce/Zion/Grand Canyon trip in a week, and our unanimous verdict was that Bryce was the highlight of the trip. I know the Grand Canyon is the big one, but don’t shortchange the others!
The Grand Canyon has some spectacular views, but being able to walk in and around Bryce was did a better job of keeping us all entertained.
Late to thread so ditto on above sentiments. As a geologist who’s studied the Southwest for years, I’m thrilled someone else is about to be introduced to its wonders. It’s been field trip heaven.
There’s a lot more in the area if you’ve any free time. Goosenecks of the San Juan, Capitol Reef, Arches, San Rafael Swell, Canyonlands, Upheaval Dome, Dead Horse Point… it’s all awesome.
For the North Rim, might I suggest Toroweap Point. Long dirt road that leads to pure d bliss.
LHoD’s your hubby? He’s a righteous dude.
I’m writing all of these suggestions down. My folks did an Elderhostel trip to the Southwest last year, so they’ve also got lots of ideas.
Rico, that’s such a kind offer! We may have to take you up on it.
Aw, shucks. I’m pretty fond of him myself.