Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks

In the winter, Bryce is beautiful but can be icy. The same is true of the trails leading up from Zion Canyon. In the summer, Zion is too hot, and Bryce can be crowded. In spring or fall, the bike riding at Zion is great -- you ride up-canyon and then glide down. No traffic, as a result of the great shuttles.

Near Bryce, don't miss Kodachrome Basin. If you are adventurous, there are some excellent slot canyons nearby -- Willis and Cottonwood. But the dirt roads near Kodachrome can get very slick in wet weather -- the bentonite clay turns to greasy gumbo.

Gonzo42 wrote:
However, I never announce my specific travel plans to anyone except close family and our neighborhood watch.

You don't need to be specific, but there's a whole different approach if you're visiting in mid-summer vs. late fall vs. early spring. Just a general idea would give you better input.

profdant139, I would like to hear your opinions on the different seasons. However, I never announce my specific travel plans to anyone except close family and our neighborhood watch.

rr2254545 wrote:
In Zion take route nine through the tunnel east and this is what we saw this past April



We stayed at the following

zion river resort Virgin Utah
Ruby's Inn Bryce Utah

The ram on the right looks like he's saying, "Look at those tourists. Aren't you glad we can head off-road, brothers?" :D

In Zion take route nine through the tunnel east and this is what we saw this past April



We stayed at the following

zion river resort Virgin Utah
Ruby's Inn Bryce Utah

We did both last Summer. They were awesome! Stayed in Glendale at Baures RV Park. Nice place between the two national parks. We also ventured down to the North rim of the Grand Canyon from there.

Gonzo, when are you going to Utah? My recommendations would vary greatly, depending on the season!

Gonzo42 wrote:
Any advice on visiting these two National Parks? We plan to take advantage of the shuttle, but after that is it worth driving in the park or just use the shuttle and get on/off whenever we want?

Zion is an amazing park.

We like to use both our car AND the shuttle service. We love the trails and use the shuttle service to plan hikes that link up with each other to avoid walking the same ground returning to our vehicle.

For example, using this map, we park at the start of the Kayenta trail (Grotto Stop off) and follow it to the upper Emerald pools and then work our way down the lower pool trail to the Zion Lodge stop. There we pick up the shuttle service and it takes us back to our car where we have lunch and snacks in a cooler.

We prefer the flexibility of our own vehicle, but use the buses to extend out our hikes. Parking is tough towards the narrows, especially in the peak season. That said, we prefer to visit in the "off season", towards the fall, when crowds are minimal and parking is much easier.

My wife and I also love the Pa'rus trail for an early morning run. Totally paved and a great moonlight run or early morning moonlight stroll.

Also don't forget Canyon overlook trail. Parking there is EXTREMELY tight. Best do that in early morning, bring water, binoculars, and a journal. We love to write down memories as they occur and later fashion those into a real journal we can look back on years later.

If you have the guts--do Angels Landing, an iconic hike with real bragging rights.

Zion is WAY better than Bryce (which is awesome too), but if forced to choose, set aside minimally 3-5 days in Zion.

Unless you are going in the winter, the only way to get into Zion Canyon proper is via shuttle (or ride a bike). In fact there is also a shuttle that runs into Springdale so if you are camped in town or at Watchman (recommended) in the park, you don't even need to move your vehicle except to explore the part of the park on the way east through the tunnels.

The shuttle at Bryce is convenient for hiking, as one can drop into the canyon at one trailhead and come out at another, utilizing the shuttle to get to/from your vehicle.

Bryce is one of my favorite parks. I have used the shuttle, but prefer to drive. We stay inside the Park in the North CG.

At Zion, to tour the valley, you will have to use the shuttle. There are parts of Zion that you can only visit by auto.
At Zion, we stay inside the Park in the Watchman CG. 30/50 amp service with a dump station with potable water.