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.