Bryce Nat. Park, Glen Cyn. Nat. Rec. Area/ Badlands Nat. Pk.

[derouen6]

We leave the day after Easter for our annual spring trip. Which of the above should we do this year? We will do the other next year again departing the day after Easter which is 3 weeks later in 2019. Opinions please. Thank you.

Sherry

[Dick_B]

While waiting I'd search for each in this Forum for previous posts.

[ORbiker]

derouen6 wrote:
We leave the day after Easter for our annual spring trip. Which of the above should we do this year? We will do the other next year again departing the day after Easter which is 3 weeks later in 2019. Opinions please. Thank you.

Sherry

How long are planning to be traveling?

[padredw]

Bryce if good weather. Not the Badlands but the Black Hills (Custer State Park, Rushmore, Needles Highway) would be a good alternative. My opinion of course, but we have been to both.

[huachuca]

I think I'd go south. We were in southern Utah from mid May until early June last year and had a dusting of snow while camped at Comb Wash plus needed a campfire most nights to sit outside. Making the same trip again this year but arriving a couple of weeks later. Being a southern boy, I'd rather sweat than shake.

We were in Badlands in the Fall of 2016. Don't know if you'd want to take your rig over ten miles of gravel road but we really enjoyed camping at Sage Creek within the Park.

[MDKMDK]

I would base my choices on weather conditions at your possible destinations just before heading out.
I've been to Bryce in March and seen both snow, or deep red mud, on the trails into the canyon. If it's in a thaw situation there, you probably won't want to do much hiking on them. They're messy.
Badlands might be too far north in April. I have little experience there in early Spring.
Glen Canyon Rec Area might be your best bet. Lake Powell RA might be in good shape.

[agesilaus]

Bryce is in our top 10 list, Badlands doesn't seem to get a lot of good reviews but we spent a whole week there hiking the trails and visiting nearby attractions. We enjoyed it, but that was the summer of what passes for extreme rainfall for that area, so it was not typically what you'll see.

Be warned that April 2nd is very early to be heading out there, I saw a national snow cover map yesterday and IIRC SD was covered. You can expect snow at any time that early in the high altitude parks (Bryce is up to 8000 ft) and the northern parks. Glen Canyon is mainly a boating park with almost no road access. It is lower altitude so snow may be less likely. I assume you can rent boats unless you are dragging a boat all the way from LA.