6 Days in Flagstaff, Page, Bryce/Zion area--advice?

[GPs]

We're arriving in Flagstaff today and have reservations at Grand Canyon on 2nd/3rd of Oct. Want to see Bryce or Zion. Looking for advice from experience--what is most important to do, see, and where to stay?

[Lauren]

I agree about Zion and we much prefer Bryce over it. And Sedona and Jerome. And many interesting ruins and can combine a nice one with Sunset Crater as has been said. Moab for Arches and Canyonlands (Island In The Sky - north section)only. We LOVE Moab and going back for 6th or 7th time next year. Agree with 2 gypsies on things to skip. We are not into the commercial type things; more with the natural beauty.

Would send you to Grand Falls but hard to find (on the reservation east of Flag - falls are higher overall and wider than Niagara Falls when there is moisture...and chocolate in color so also known as the Chocolate Falls.)

Enjoy the area.

[JJnLilly]

We just finished our 'Canyons' and NP's tour - Arches, Canyon Land, Zion, Bryce, Grand and Mesa Verde. They are all unique. We enjoyed Canyon Lands because we could do more hiking and it was much less crowded.

[JJnLilly]

We just finished our 'Canyons' and NP's tour - Arches, Canyon Land, Zion, Bryce, Grand and Mesa Verde. They are all unique. We enjoyed Canyon Lands because we could do more hiking and it was much less crowded.

[2gypsies1]

It sounds like you're set for the Grand Canyon. Enjoy.

So for Zion, if you can, stay inside at Watchman Campground - electric, dump station and water fill. If you want a full hookup place, stay just outside the Zion entrance in Springdale. The free shuttle has a few stops in Springdale.

For Bryce, if you want hookups, Ruby's is your best bet - just outside the Bryce Gate. It has restaurants, fuel, laundry and a huge gift shop.

Flagstaff: if you have time drive the loop drive through Sunset Crater, just north of Flagstaff off Hwy 89. There are some neat Indian ruins along the drive.

Personally, if you're short on time with your stay in Flagstaff, I would skip Meteor Crater, Petrified forest and Painted desert. Instead, check out Walnut Canyon and the ruins.

Have a great trip!

[mileshuff]

Ride the chairlift at Snowbowl ski area. It runs until mid October. Fantastic views from 11,200' up.

Visit Williams, 30 miles west of Flagstaff on I-40. Fun old Route 66 town. Visit Bearizona drive thru animal park (walk thru area as well). Deer Park petting zoo is also nearby.

We usually stay at the Grand Canyon Railroad RV park which is next to the Railroad which runs to the Grand Canyon.

Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff on I-40 is interesting. The crater itself isn't much to see but the space museum is worth the stop.

In Flagstaff is Lowell Observatory which offers tours. It has an over 100 year old telescope thats unique with its rather simplistic construction. Lowell is also where Pluto was discovered.

[RobbF67]

GPs wrote:
We're arriving in Flagstaff today and have reservations at Grand Canyon on 2nd/3rd of Oct. Want to see Bryce or Zion. Looking for advice from experience--what is most important to do, see, and where to stay?

Make sure to check out the Hotel Monte Vista while you are in Flagstaff...any plans on going to Sedona or Jerome?

[D_E_Bishop]

I would suggest Bryce over Zion but I cannot recommend a campground. We stayed a Ruby's a few years ago during Easter Week and they had to plow for to get. Fair campground but the other facilities were over run with rude and obnoxious folks. There are public campgrounds around the Bryce area and others have mentioned them on the forums, so maybe a search would help find them.

I agree about the Arches, Canyonlands areas. Dead Horse Point St Pk is great, if you have 4X4 the Canyon is fantastic.

[travelbayshore1]

x2 on the Meteor Crater. Also, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest.

[caberto]

We did Zion recently, and honestly, was not very impressed; it was very busy, crowded, and the views were just OK compared to Arches... I would rather have done Bryce. We also did Moab/Arches, which was great, and want to go back to spend more time there.

We stayed in Williams during the Grand Canyon segment of our trip, and visited Bearizona, it's a cool little drive through zoo, with bears, buffalo, wolves and more, just roaming around. It's fairly new, and is not quite finished yet, but it was a great stop. We liked Williams itself as well, neat stores and cafes/restaurants.

Edit: Oh yea, I forgot to add Sedona :S... that's very well worth seeing as well.

[Fresno_Tundra_D]

We did a similar trip in 2009. My only regret was that when we left the Grand Canyon and drove north to Bryce we didn't stop off at Meteor Crater. That would be my advice. It really isn't that far out of the way.