ZION, BRYCE, MONUMENT VALLEY EARLY OCT.

[wireman]

Plan on being in the Zion area starting the first week of Oct. Approx. 10-14 days. Looking for tips on what is a must see in the parks and surrounding area. Also your suggestions on campgrounds in the area. Even a few with no hookups.
I know the weather can be iffy then, so need to take that into consideration also because of the elevation.
Zion & Bryce are 1st on the list. Coming from So Cal. Any tips on highways especially to Monument Valley would help.
Thanks Wireman

[kedanie]

We stayed at Zion Canyon Campground in Springdale a couple of year ago while visiting Zion. It has full hook ups and is just outside the park boundary. We felt is was quite adequate.

The free National Park shuttle picks you up on the street in front and takes you to the visitor center where you can catch the other free shuttle that takes you up the canyon. You can't drive up there, shuttle only.

At Bryce, we stayed at Ruby's.

Keith

[wireman]

Thanks for the reply's. I think we are going to skip Monument Valley and concentrate on the Zion and Bryce area. Probably a day trip to the North Rim.
I will check out the campgrounds mentioned. Any thoughts on the Escalante Monument?
I have some info from Utah coming in the mail. No one better though to talk to for the straight scoop than other RV'ers.
Keep your recommendations coming. Thanks Wireman

[dcason]

Look for Jayco Escapade 24 foot C and you find us.
Donna

[tandk]

We are also in Watchman Oct. 17-21!! 30th anniversary camping trip 🙂

[dcason]

We have a reservation in zion/Watchman for Oct 17 - 21st...see you there!

[LindaAnn]

If you should stay at the Zion River RV Park in Virgin, UT, I just want to mention a drive we took at the suggestion of a local. It's just a couple of miles from the rv park and I believe it was Kolob Road. It winds in and out of a section of Zion Natl Park, but it is not crowded and has some really pretty scenery.

[2gypsies1]

Zion - we stay at Watchman C.G. in the park. That's the electric one. The non-electric one is too small for our 40' MH. Leaving Zion to the east you'll have to pass through the tunnels and there are some size restrictions but you didn't say what you'll be driving. Google the "Zion Tunnel" for the official National Park website information.

If you don't want to do the tunnels or can't because of size, you can easily take a couple other routes. The scenic one is west to Hurricane, UT and picking up UT59 to AZ389 which will take you into Fredonia and Hwy 89 north to Bryce. You could also pick up the North Rim of the Grand Canyon a little way off this route from Jacob Lake. Oct. is beautiful there with the aspen trees in full color. We stay a DeMotte Nat'l Forest campground just outside the park's entrance but the park has a campground, also. Check the website for closing dates.

Another way to Bryce from Zion is back onto I-15 to HWY 20 east to 89 South. Don't take 14 unless you like steep drives.

Bryce - we've stayed in the park's campground although there is Ruby's RV just outside the entrance. We really like Red Canyon forest service c.g. west of Bryce but, again, you'd have to check closing dates. Last Fall we found both Zion and Bryce comparitively empty in October and it was a pleasure to tour them once again. We've been to both often.

From Bryce to Monument Valley - a few choices: Continue from Bryce on Hwy 12. We find it very doable in our 40' but you'll hear comments about how scary it is. It all depends on your confidence level. It's a good 2-lane but it's a mountain road with beautiful scenery taking you through Escalante. Then from 12 pick up 24 to 95 into Blanding, UT and Hwy 191 south to 163 to Monument Valley. Nice drive. Don't plan on taking Hwy 261 from 95 to 163 at Mexican Hat. It's an extremely steep, curvy, narrow partly gravel downhill.

Or from Bryce get back on 89 north to 62/24/95/191/163

Or..from Bryce get back on 89 north to I-70 east to 191 south. This way you can take in Arches and Canyonlands Nat'l Parks and Dead Horse Point State Park (great campground with magnificient views) and then continue south to Monument Valley.

Monument Valley - Gouldings RV is the only park nearby. Monument had a dry camping spot right in front of the famous 'Mittens' but I think it's closed right now for renovations. You'd need to check it out. That's where we stay.

Lots of road choices....have a great trip!

[rfryer]

Good timing for that trip, Wireman. The weather will be about perfect there. Zion has two campgrounds, one with HU and one without. The one without, I believe, closes mid-October, I seem to remember having to move on one of my trips. There are commercial parks in the area but I never use them so can’t offer anything on them.

Bryce is 8000’ and will be cooler than Zion. There are no cg’s with HU’s in the park. They do have one commercial one right outside with HU’s, Ruby’s I think it’s called. RaenMark already gave you some ideas on surrounding points of interest and I don’t have much to add. I’d just go online and look for attractions in the area that might interest you.

[ClaireOKC]

We did this trip last fall and had a blast. You're going at a great time. The trees will turn about first week in October to second week in October and that's a particularly beautiful time.

For a short travelog, we didn't care much for Bryce, too many buses dumping out too many people at once. But we loved GSENM (Grand Staircase National Monument)....we took Skutumpah Road down by Kodachrome State Park and that lead us to several slot canyon hikes which were beautiful.

We also stopped off in Page, which was really special (Wahwep RV Park in Glen Canyon - a very nice RV park), to see the Horseshoe Bend of the Co. River, and the Navajo Bridge that crosses the Co. River further south. This can also be a great place to see condors, as they release them from the San Diego Zoo north of the Grand Canyon, and the birds seem to haunt the canyon area around the Navajo Bridge.

There's also a great hike Antelope Canyon up a little east of Page, that's worth a great look.

Finally, Zion we stayed at the Zion River Resort and we loved it. It is further away from the entrance of the park than some other parks, but it is by far the best park in the area, unless you want to do some boondocking inside the park (no hookups). We didn't find the drive all that hard to and from Zion.

Do take the tunnel drive into Zion, it is spectacular and very dramatic.

[LindaAnn]

We stayed at Virgin River RV Resort last year--really nice park--I highly recommend! It's very close to Zion Natl Park. We actually took a day trip from there to Bryce. In nearby Kanab is the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary--worth a trip if you love animals and have time.

We also went to Monument Valley, but were coming from the east, so I am not sure about the highway.

October should be a great time to visit!

[RaenMark]

Kodachrome Basin State Park near Bryce. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park just south of Zion on the east side. Cedar Breaks National Monument just north of Zion through Cedar City. Escalante National Monument, right next to Kodachrome. Several other scenic drives. Monument Valley would be great but on the opposite side of the state. Don't forget Capitol Reef National Park slightly east of Bryce. Southern Utah is phenomenal. So beautiful.

[NHIrish]

Well, we haven't been yet, but will be there just a couple weeks before you. We ended up booking the Zion River Resort in Virgin for Zion, and Kodachrome State Park in Cannonville for Bryce area. Kodachrome has some full hookup sites and looks very nice...as does Zion River.

Enjoy the trip!!!! That time of year I bet you are also going to the Balloon fest?


Irish