Grand Canyon North Rim, Zion, Bryce Canyon

[farmbone]

Hello, we are driving from Texas for a trip to the North Rim and then on to Zion and Bryce..

I'm thinking 4 days at the North Rim and 2 nights each at Zion and Bryce Canyon. ( Or should it Bryce and then Zion?) Or my husband wondered if we should just camp 4 nights at Zion and take a day trip into Bryce or camp 4 days and just take a day trip to Zion?

Also, we have a 32 foot 5th wheel. I keep reading about a tunnel and can't tell if we should avoid it or not. We could drive it after we drop off the trailer as another option. I'm just not sure of the route we should take.

We will be going the first couple of weeks of August. The North Rim and Bryce look like they would be a little cooler than Zion.

Thanks for any help.

[BillyandKris]

As for the tunnel at Zion go to this website:

http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/the-zion-mount-carmel-tunnel.htm

[BillyandKris]

Farmbone, I'm with you. We no longer do the Chevy Chase vacations. We try to stay at a place 3-4 days least, as you say. That way you really enjoy the place and don't feel like you gotta go back there because you missed this and that. We went to North Rim of GC only for a day. Drove all the way from South Rim where we had been hiking. I would definitely stay there longer than one day. Beautiful. North Rim and Bryce will be much cooler than Zion. Zion will be HOT in August. We camped in the Park and rode the bus a lot. Be sure to hike The Narrows. It will be crowded, but keep going past the crowds. We went about 6 miles and then came back. Wear some old sneakers or shoes that can be wet and take hiking pole. We have been to Zion twice and it is OK, but we preferred Bryce (also 2X) so I would spend more time there. I would avoid that tunnel at Zion with fifth wheel (we did not have our 33' fifth wheel when we went there). We are avid hikers. There was a gorgeous long hike at Bryce which I can't recall name of. Maybe Fairyland Loop???

[profdant139]

Did anyone mention that you can ride bikes up the Zion Canyon? There are no cars allowed, and the buses are very courteous -- one of the greatest rides we have ever done. Not difficult, take it slow on the way up, and then coast back down. And the views from a bike are jaw-dropping -- much better than from a car or a bus:

[NinerBikes]

farmbone wrote:
It sounds like a lot of you are suggesting visiting tons of places over our time, but to be honest, we have gotten where we like to see less and more in depth. We like staying places for 3 or 4 days at least. We really enjoyed our last family camping trip to Henderson Beach State park and just enjoyed staying there all week. We like hiking, playing games together, enjoying the campfire and visiting. I don't want to spend all the time in the car going from place to place like we did when the kids were younger. So.. if you had to pick two places to camp, which would you choose?

North Rim, and Bryce.

[Desert_Captain]

Mtrain wrote:
I believe they were traveling in August. River is lower and calm by Watchman...

It is prohibited (year round), because it is dangerous year round. There are lots of rivers, creeks and streams that are swimmer/kid friendly, the Virgin River in Zion is not one of them. Lots of logs, rocks and and snags and any precipitation upstream can turn a fairly calm section into a torrent without warning in mere minutes. Be safe out there. :C

[Mtrain]

I believe they were traveling in August. River is lower and calm by Watchman...

[Desert_Captain]

Mtrain wrote:
I also vote for Zion-- Watchman Campground. Bring innertubes for the kids to float in the river. Great shuttle around the park, and you can walk to restaurants, shopping in Springdale.

Floating (tubing), the Virgin River at Zion is prohibited and with good reason. In June with the temps at 100 the water temp was 48 and the current very treacherous. Simply put it is very dangerous to do so. Lots of folks do it but it is a very bad idea. :E

[Mtrain]

I also vote for Zion-- Watchman Campground. Bring innertubes for the kids to float in the river. Great shuttle around the park, and you can walk to restaurants, shopping in Springdale.

[c_traveler2]

Allworth wrote:
I have not read every word of every post. Most seem good, but a couple of things come to mind: (Sorry if I am repeating somebody)

Leaving North Rim, try to go by Pipe Springs NM. Interesting take on early settlements.

While it is possible to go from Ouray, CO directly to Santa Fe, that takes you over the Million Dollar Highway, through Silverton, Durango, and Pagosa Springs. You don't want to do the first two segments unless you are VERY experienced in the mountains. We have done it both ways with fivers, once 28' and the last time with 35'. I don't have any problems with it but the high country is my second (and favorite) home.

Glad your trying to fit in Pipe Springs NM, it's a well worth stop.



They have a really tour of the Ranch and it's history


Pipe Spring a farming area that the public can pick from at no extra charge, we took advantage of that situation.



In case you don't know there is a RV park just up the road from Pipe Springs NM.

[RaenMark]

We spent a couple of days at both Bryce and Zion last spring. It was enough, but if you want more hiking (we don't do a lot) add another day each. One other item and I'm not sure if someone mentioned it, don't forget to go out the west side of Zion north to the Kolob Canyons area, still part of Zion and really nice. Half a day for that trip. While at Bryce, spend another half day or day to go to Kodachrome Basin State Park. It's about half an hour to 45 minutes away from Bryce. If you have a higher ground clearance vehicle than we did (2013 Fusion), you can go past Kodachrome into Escalante National Monument and on to the Grosvenor Arch. Another fun side trip is Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, between Zion and Kanab. It's a couple hour visit, but pretty and unusual. Just food for thought. Spectacular area of the country.

[Allworth]

I have not read every word of every post. Most seem good, but a couple of things come to mind: (Sorry if I am repeating somebody)

Leaving North Rim, try to go by Pipe Springs NM. Interesting take on early settlements.

While it is possible to go from Ouray, CO directly to Santa Fe, that takes you over the Million Dollar Highway, through Silverton, Durango, and Pagosa Springs. You don't want to do the first two segments unless you are VERY experienced in the mountains. We have done it both ways with fivers, once 28' and the last time with 35'. I don't have any problems with it but the high country is my second (and favorite) home.

[c_traveler2]

farmbone wrote:
Hello, we are driving from Texas for a trip to the North Rim and then on to Zion and Bryce..

I'm thinking 4 days at the North Rim and 2 nights each at Zion and Bryce Canyon. ( Or should it Bryce and then Zion?) Or my husband wondered if we should just camp 4 nights at Zion and take a day trip into Bryce or camp 4 days and just take a day trip to Zion?

Also, we have a 32 foot 5th wheel. I keep reading about a tunnel and can't tell if we should avoid it or not. We could drive it after we drop off the trailer as another option. I'm just not sure of the route we should take.

We will be going the first couple of weeks of August. The North Rim and Bryce look like they would be a little cooler than Zion.

Thanks for any help.

Some RVers are nervous when it comes to roads like the Zion tunnel switch backs,in 2010 Hwy9 through Zion was upgraded including the switchbacks, making them wider in the turns. In the video below you'll see a large 5th wheel coming down the switchbacks during the construction.

click on photo for video


If boon docking is good with you, take FR22 into the Kaiba Forest, this will place you about 5 miles from the North Rim entrance. There is a fuel station inside the N. Rim park as well as a small market.
Off FR22

[Cup_fan]

We took a similar trip a few years ago. When we left the north rim, we took highway 89 north from Fredonia and into Kanab, Utah. A great place to take a little break and have some lunch. It's a very quaint little town and still has a old western movie set where many western movies were filmed. The Gunsmoke filming location is not too far outside of town to the east. It's on private property and is in dis-repair and has no trespassing signs on the fence, but the land owners live right next door and allowed us to go in and take pictures. They said the no trespassing signs are just for insurance reasons. Also on your way out of Kanab to the north is some really cool wind caves just off the road on your left. You can find some photos and the exact location on Google Earth, which is how we stumbled upon them. This road will lead you to highway 9 and the east entrance to Zion. I agree with some other posters in that this just an amazing park and the hiking there is both amazing and endless. This is by far my favorite national park of the ones that I've been to so far. If you are seasoned at towing your 5th wheel, and it sounds like you are, I wouldn't be afraid to go through the tunnel. There are some switchbacks, and there is a fee and I would check on height restrictions before going, but the views into the canyon from here are a must see. If you can't get into one of the campgrounds in the park, there is one just outside of the west gate in Springdale that we stayed in. It is along the Virgin river and has full hook-ups. You can catch a shuttle from there into the park if you like. Bryce and the North Rim are awesome and are a must see, but for me personally, Zion is where I would spend the bulk of my time. I envy you and wish we were going with you. We didn't get to hike the narrows when we were there, they were closed due to too much water flow from the river. But hey that just gives us an excuse to go back.

[4runnerguy]

farmbone wrote:
It sounds like a lot of you are suggesting visiting tons of places over our time, but to be honest, we have gotten where we like to see less and more in depth. We like staying places for 3 or 4 days at least.

Smart, smart, smart!

The time of year makes this a tougher choice. For us, the best hiking of the three is in Zion, but it is hot there in the summer. However, if you plan your day, you can still stay a little cooler. Hike the trails on the east side of the canyon in the morning and the west side of the canyon in the afternoon, taking advantage of the high canyon walls for shade. Some of the trails also climb up to higher elevations where it's cooler (Observation Point, West Rim Trail). Another interesting trail is Hidden Canyon Trail above Weeping Rock. You'll get to a sign where it says the trail ends, but you can keep going (you won't be the only ones doing so). You'll enter a deep box canyon where the high walls help block the sun. Go as far as you can up the canyon -- your scrambling abilities will dictate how far that is. Of course the Narrows is cool even on the hottest days. Take some hiking sandals or old tennis shoes to do this hike. Take your time and explore along the way. It is sooooo refreshing in there. As for camping, if you stay at Watchman CG in the park (has electric) you'll be able to soak your feet in the Virgin "River" to cool off, plus you won't have to drive to go anywhere, as you can walk to the shuttle (the only way into the canyon). Big cottonwood trees line the river which is just footsteps from some of the campsites.

At Bryce, you're up above 7000' so it is quite a bit cooler. Use the shuttle bus to get dropped off at one viewpoint, hike down into the canyon, and exit via another viewpoint, where you can catch the shuttle bus back to your vehicle. We prefer to camp near each of the parks rather than spending a couple of hours each day "commuting".

I guess if it were me, it would be three days each at GC and Zion and two days at Bryce.