Zion 7 days????

I stayed at a KOA? mid way between those parks and took toad to sight see. Bryce got boring quickly.
bumpy

4runnerguy wrote:
I would also recommend one campsite in/near Zion and another in/near Bryce. We like the NPS CG's in both parks. As hikers, I'd recommend more time in Zion than Bryce. At Bryce, use the shuttle to drop into the canyon at one trailhead and catch the shuttle when you come out at another trailhead. If you run out of trails in Zion (not likely in only a few days) drive on up to Kolob Canyons, a part of Zion NP away from the main part of the park.

As usual, I'm in total agreement with you. We did Zion for a week about 10 years ago when we were still strong hikers. We stayed busy hiking for the entire week. We didn't do all the hikes but covered the major ones.

If you really are hikers/adventurers, I suggest you think about staying in Cannonville near Bryce. That way you can do the one figure eight hike at the bottom of the canyon and do the drive along the rim. Escalante National Monument and Kodachrome Basin with will add to a stay at Bryce.

4runnerguy, as seconded by Thunder Mountain, is right on. I third it for sure. Time is Zion is largely dependent on how much hiking you do IMHO.

Thank you everyone for your input!!!! I think we are going to try to hike as much as the wife will do in Zion and one day trip to Brice. I was planning on one day without the wife to do a guided canyoneering trip from Zion Adventure Company. We will need a down day anyway this is just part of a 18 day trip from Sacramento, Grand Canyon, Zion, Brice, Great Basin NP, Reno, Home. Once again thank you all!!!!

Personally, I think you're shortchanging Bryce by only doing a day trip. Seeing Bryce from the top rim is not seeing Bryce. If you get below the rim it's like a fairyland. The hikes are awesome.

Also, if you move over to Bryce you can drive Hwy 12 toward Capitol Reef Nat'l Park - lots of beauty.

If you're staying in Springdale you'll have a long slow drive to get to Bryce.

It's not that difficult to move from campground to campground. That's what I'd recommend.

On your way to Bryce and just a few miles west of it, Red Canyon is worth a stop. I really enjoyed hiking the Arches Trail, and I camped at the NF CG there for a night.

In Bryce, hiking back up can be pretty tiring. Consider taking a half-day horse ride down a ways and back. They have riding horses in the park and a bunch of riders get led down the trail together, single file.

One of our regrets is NOT taking the horse-ride in Bryce. That would have been the coolest place to be on horseback!

rexlion wrote:
On your way to Bryce and just a few miles west of it, Red Canyon is worth a stop. .

We stopped somewhere in that vicinity on the N side of the highway IIRC and was about as impressed with that scene as I was with Bryce.
bumpy

We have been to Zion and will take a day trip over there from Kanab this summer.

Unless you are into serious hiking the best part of Zion is the drive down from the tunnel on Hwy 9. Otherwise it is pretty much a Park bus ride getting a sore neck looking up and the canyon walls.

We were at Bryce last year for 6 days and will be there 6 days again this year on our way to the Oregon Coast....that might be a little long based on the short time span between visits. But it is a great place and other things around it as well.

At Bryce you are looking down at spectacular beauty; particularly at sunrise. And, as said, getting below the rim is amazing down there hiking.

Enjoy - be safe.

Both parks are great for hiking, but for shear beauty I would pick Bryce any day. The Red Canyon is a beauty as well.