Utah National Parks

[bcla]

That sounds like an amazing trip. For Yellowstone, we spent 3 nights in Gardiner, MT, then 2 nights in West Yellowstone. The drive wasn't too bad. We just missed the feel of being in the bubble, at least for a few nights.

Yellowstone has lots of interior accommodations. I think they call the roads connecting the park villages the Grand Loop.

Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon don't really have that much of an advantage to staying inside. And park accommodations are pretty limited. Ruby's Inn in Bryce is reasonably close to the the park entrance. Springdale has a shuttle outside the park, and there's a shuttle inside the park. When the shuttle runs (until November), there's almost no way to operate a private vehicle. Not even for disabled visitors unless they can demonstrate a need such as hauling around special medical equipment. Most disabled visitors have to ride the shuttles.

It also looks like there might be timed entry reservations in Zion Canyon. Or at least there were at one time.

The biggest problem right now is park staffing/maintenance levels and possibly overcrowding.

 

[CarolynFH]

It's good to know there's a lot to see, without hiking a lot. I'm not physically able to do challenging walks/hikes.

We can't hike either, and we were able to enjoy the drives through the parks, especially Arches and Canyonlands (the section that's accessed via Hwy 191) plus Dead Horse Point state park. There are overlooks and short trails to access different views.

At Zion, I would suggest lunch at the Red Rock Grill, on the outside patio.

I agree - we had a delicious lunch there!

 

[bcla]

We can't hike either, and we were able to enjoy the drives through the parks, especially Arches and Canyonlands (the section that's accessed via Hwy 191) plus Dead Horse Point state park. There are overlooks and short trails to access different views.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Yellowstone has lots of interior accommodations. I think they call the roads connecting the park villages the Grand Loop.

Bryce Canyon and Zion Canyon don't really have that much of an advantage to staying inside. And park accommodations are pretty limited. Ruby's Inn in Bryce is reasonably close to the the park entrance. Springdale has a shuttle outside the park, and there's a shuttle inside the park. When the shuttle runs (until November), there's almost no way to operate a private vehicle. Not even for disabled visitors unless they can demonstrate a need such as hauling around special medical equipment. Most disabled visitors have to ride the shuttles.

It also looks like there might be timed entry reservations in Zion Canyon. Or at least there were at one time.

The biggest problem right now is park staffing/maintenance levels and possibly overcrowding.

Thanks for the information. We'll keep the shuttle situation in mind, when planning the trip.

By all means go to the parks, no matter where you stay. At Zion, I would suggest lunch at the Red Rock Grill, on the outside patio. Looking at the canyon walls, while watching the deer and turkeys on the lawn, with kids playing all around, was an unforgettable experience.

https://www.zionlodge.com/dining-shopping/red-rock-grill/

Thanks you for the suggestion. That sounds lovely. I'll make a note to eat there.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We can't hike either, and we were able to enjoy the drives through the parks, especially Arches and Canyonlands (the section that's accessed via Hwy 191) plus Dead Horse Point state park. There are overlooks and short trails to access different views.

I agree - we had a delicious lunch there!

That sounds perfect! Thanks again.

 

[irlandaise]

I will put in my standard recommendation for a stop at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab.

https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary

Some people use Kanab as a home base for the nearby parks. BF has cabins onsite and its own motel in town:

https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary/plan-your-visit/places-stay

 

[CarolynFH]

That sounds perfect! Thanks again.

PS It's good you're going in October - much better weather (much cooler than the height of summer). But don't wait long to make your reservations - Moab in particular is jammed in October due precisely to the weather! We were there in late September, and it was quite busy.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I will put in my standard recommendation for a stop at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab.

https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary

Some people use Kanab as a home base for the nearby parks. BF has cabins onsite and its own motel in town:

https://bestfriends.org/sanctuary/plan-your-visit/places-stay

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it.

PS It's good you're going in October - much better weather (much cooler than the height of summer). But don't wait long to make your reservations - Moab in particular is jammed in October due precisely to the weather! We were there in late September, and it was quite busy.

Honestly, if it weren't for the game, we probably would have looked for a less crowded time to visit. Hopefully, it won't be too bad.

I think I'll go ahead & book rooms that can be canceled, in case we can't get tickets to the game.

 

[CarolynFH]

I think I'll go ahead & book rooms that can be canceled, in case we can't get tickets to the game.

If you can't get tickets to the game, keep the reservations but fly into and out of Las Vegas!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

If you can't get tickets to the game, keep the reservations but fly into and out of Las Vegas!

This makes me wonder, if flying into Vegas & out of SLC would be the best plan. I'll have to see how much expense that would add to the flight & rental car. If it's not a substantial amount, would you recommend that?

FWIW, DH may want to spend a night in Vegas, but that wouldn't be a focus. Sadly, I'm afraid it would require too much walking for us to spend substantial time there anymore. At least, that's how I remember it from many years ago, when I was able to easily walk the strip.

 

[CarolynFH]

This makes me wonder, if flying into Vegas & out of SLC would be the best plan. I'll have to see how much expense that would add to the flight & rental car. If it's not a substantial amount, would you recommend that?

FWIW, DH may want to spend a night in Vegas, but that wouldn't be a focus. Sadly, I'm afraid it would require too much walking for us to spend substantial time there anymore. At least, that's how I remember it from many years ago, when I was able to easily walk the strip.

At one time I did trace out an itinerary like that, but when we made the trip we had other reasons to start and finish in Moab. If I were considering that trip I’d map out a route and then look at travel times, hotel, rental car cost (pick up one place, drop off another might be more expensive) and of course compare airfare.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

At one time I did trace out an itinerary like that, but when we made the trip we had other reasons to start and finish in Moab. If I were considering that trip I’d map out a route and then look at travel times, hotel, rental car cost (pick up one place, drop off another might be more expensive) and of course compare airfare.

You're right. We didn't start discussing possibly making the trip, until yesterday. I will spend more time researching in the next few days. Thanks to you guys I now have a starting point that I didn't have yesterday.

 

[Skippy918]

When we went to Zion, we flew in and out of Las Vegas. For Moab, we did round trip to Salt Lake City. But we also stopped in park city before heading down to Moab. It’s a pretty drive.

 

[jimmymc]

Springdale is great for accessing Zion. If you can, I'd recommend somewhere in walking distance to the visitor center. This will save a lot of headaches. Bryce Canyon isn't as crowded, so you can stay outside and just drive in.

Yellowstone is a bit unique in how large the park is, where staying inside makes a massive difference. Most parks have nice accommodations right outside the gates.

If you haven't booked flights yet, Zion is closer to Vegas than SLC. If you leave through there, you can also visit Valley of Fire State Park.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Springdale is great for accessing Zion. If you can, I'd recommend somewhere in walking distance to the visitor center. This will save a lot of headaches. Bryce Canyon isn't as crowded, so you can stay outside and just drive in.

Yellowstone is a bit unique in how large the park is, where staying inside makes a massive difference. Most parks have nice accommodations right outside the gates.

If you haven't booked flights yet, Zion is closer to Vegas than SLC. If you leave through there, you can also visit Valley of Fire State Park.

Thanks for the tips. They're very helpful. It's especially good to know to look for a hotel near the visitor center.

I'll look into the state park, in case we fly into Vegas.

 

[mamamary]

We went to Zion and Bryce last October. For Zion we stayed at the Best Western in Springdale. The entrance to the park was maybe 5 minutes away. Surprisingly we had no problems driving in and parking so we didn’t need to worry about the shuttle. Nice town with multiple choices for meals.

For Bryce we stayed in the Comfort Suites in Kanab. Hotel was somewhat dated but it was clean and had a pretty good breakfast. Hotel was remarkably cheap in my opinion. Restaurants in Kanab were pretty minimal in my opinion.

I would stay at either of these hotels again.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We went to Zion and Bryce last October. For Zion we stayed at the Best Western in Springdale. The entrance to the park was maybe 5 minutes away. Surprisingly we had no problems driving in and parking so we didn’t need to worry about the shuttle. Nice town with multiple choices for meals.

For Bryce we stayed in the Comfort Suites in Kanab. Hotel was somewhat dated but it was clean and had a pretty good breakfast. Hotel was remarkably cheap in my opinion. Restaurants in Kanab were pretty minimal in my opinion.

I would stay at either of these hotels again.

Thanks for the info.

 

[bcla]

Yellowstone is a bit unique in how large the park is, where staying inside makes a massive difference. Most parks have nice accommodations right outside the gates.

They have both though. A lot of Yellowstone NP visitors stay in West Yellowstone. The National Park Service says that Yellowstone itself has over 2000 guest rooms. But quite a few visitors go camping (including RV only sites) or backpacking. NPS says Yellowstone has over 2000 campsites.

Certainly it would be better to stay in the park, but it might be easier to find accomodations outside (West Yellowstone or Gardiner) on short notice.

And for anyone visiting, Grand Teton is amazing. They used to have a combined entrance fee.

 

[bsmcneil]

Definitely! Enjoy the trip, except for the Tar Heels support (GTH,C ... DDMF)

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Definitely! Enjoy the trip, except for the Tar Heels support (GTH,C ... DDMF)

How did you ever figure out which team? Go Heels!