We'll be in CA this summer and are looking at coming through Zion on the way home. We should have 1-2 days to explore. Any suggestions?

Start early, as it can get hot.

Rent ebikes as opposed to taking a shuttle. Everyone is going to the parks this year and lines are ridiculous. Shuttles lines have been two hours or more.

Go canyoneering with Zion Adventure Company.

The coffee place near the park entrance sucks. Go to the one across from Meme's.

Hang around til dusk. It's cooler and the crowds leave.

Also, swing by Bryce since you're close. Again, go early and late.

Zion is great. Of "the popular" parks, it's harder to get around than most. All traffic sort of bottlenecks at places. So, the go early (or late) is key to avoid both traffic and heat issues.

Bryce was really cool. It's not that far from Zion and yet feels like a world away. A very western feel compared t the very granola feel of Zion. Just interesting how different the vibes are.

If you're there and heading back to texas, you will be pretty near the north rim of the Grand Canyon which is also great. May consider that as well if possible

I am planning on hitting all three mid-July: GC North Rim, Bryce, Zion. Just scratching the surface on each really. If I come back with any dos and don'ts, I'll share.

milner79 said:

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I am planning on hitting all three mid-July: GC North Rim, Bryce, Zion. Just scratching the surface on each really. If I come back with any dos and don'ts, I'll share.

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For someone visiting Bryce Canyon NP: a mile or so from the park entrance is the Best Western/Ruby's Inn. They have a large general store/souvenir shop, and several restaurants. The restaurant that is next to the lobby isn't great, but it isn't bad at all, and the prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. Overall, a decent place to stop for a while if you need to stretch your legs or fill your belly.

In case you haven't been to the North Rim or to Bryce before, they are quite high in elevation (9k'). This means that even in the summer you can get some very cool temperatures, especially if you get hit by a rainstorm while you are out hiking.

C

Just finished RVing Utah's mighty 5. Zion was by far the most packed. We hiked the Narrows on a Monday and it felt like going up and down Kyke Field's old ramps during football games. People everywhere!

There was flash flood in Zion today. Be sure to check updates before you go. I'm not sure the extent of the damage but some parts don't look good.

Wow - this is the entrance - looks worse further inside the park. Will take awhile to clean up - several roads destroyed.

More video of the massive mess in @ZionNPS #utah #flashflood #zion pic.twitter.com/5PqYgQM2HR

— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) June 30, 2021

Just back from quick trip to GC North Rim/Bryce/Zion.

1. GC North Rim is stunning in its beauty and expanse. Very definitely worth the trip. And be sure to take the time to take the drive out to Cape Royal for the amazing vistas on the northeast side of the park.

* Bonus: if you like stopping at local breweries, don't pass up Edge of the World Brewery in Colorado City, AZ.
** Bonus II: Bee's Marketplace in Colorado City is a surprisingly comprehensive grocery in a very small town. Shop there before heading south into the park and consider taking food you can make an easy meal out of. The lodge dining is overpriced and not great; the deli offerings get old quick.

2. Bryce is uniquely beautiful, but you can see it in a day's visit if you choose to. Our visit was cut short by rain/lightening, so probably not a fair assessment, but it can be seen in a day if your time is short.

* Bonus: Nice two-lane bike lane between Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon, if you like that kind of thing.

3. Zion Canyon was awesome. Lots of hiking there ... and we were only able to scratch the surface. Parking is an issue; we had to park just outside the park in Springdale and pay $40 for the privilege. But the park is beautiful. Lots of people ... but did not detract from our enjoyment. Of the three, it is the one park I really want to go back to and explore deeper.

*Bonus: This was an anniversary trip for us so we splurged on an upscale bed-breakfast in Springdale. Highly recommend Zion Canyon B&B www.zioncanyonbnb.com. Larry and Liz are great, the massage chairs were welcome, and breakfast was delicious.

*Bonus II: Again, if you like local breweries, don't miss Zion Canyon Brewery, conveniently located right outside the park's pedestrian bridge, along the banks of the calming Virgin River.

BSD said:

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There was flash flood in Zion today. Be sure to check updates before you go. I'm not sure the extent of the damage but some parts don't look good.

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As someone who's hiked the narrows top to bottom this is scary stuff. I remember the entire time on that overnight hike my mind was constantly aware of the closest point of high ground / egress.

That being said. Bad ass hike that everyone should do.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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BSD said:

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There was flash flood in Zion today. Be sure to check updates before you go. I'm not sure the extent of the damage but some parts don't look good.

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As someone who's hiked the narrows top to bottom this is scary stuff. I remember the entire time on that overnight hike my mind was constantly aware of the closest point of high ground / egress.

That being said. Bad ass hike that everyone should do.

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I'm doing it this fall. Should be less crowds, less heat, and less rain!

Got Zion and Bryce coming up next week. Looking forward to it.
Couple of questions for those that have been before, both pertaining to The Narrows:

1. I've hiked all kinds of terrain in my trail runners. I have neoprene socks and sticks. Would I still be better off renting the boots that everyone recommends from the outfitters or can I get by with some of my old trail runners?
(We'll probably do 6-7 miles RT - Bottom Up)

2. Staying at the Zion Lodge, how likely am I to get a seat on the first bus out? I'm picturing the first couple filling up at the visitors center and no one getting off at the lodge. Would I be better off walking to the Grotto and waiting for the first bus there as I'm sure people will be getting off for Angel's Landing?

That's all. And YOOOOO the food options at Bryce look meager as heck...

It's doable in your set up, but likely more enjoyable in the proper set up. I didn't want to be soggy and it gets pretty deep at points. So, I'd rent the gear and just go into it knowing the process will eat into your overall trip time, there will be some crowds but it thins the farther you go, there are extra logistics to plan for.

I have hiked a lot as well, and to me the narrows are interesting but more of a novelty. There are other excellent, less crowded hikes in the park.

You will want to pick up gear the evening before so you can hit trail early and be back to return in time to grab a nice table at Oscar's.

I didn't rent anything for the narrows, but I wish I at least had a stick for balance. I was worried about twisting my ankle on a rock the whole time! My running shoes did just fine in the water.

As for Bryce, food is slim. There was a hot dog food truck at one of the viewpoints that was wonderful! There's a pizza place in Torrey that was pretty good, but the avoid the bbq place.

Of you want zion hiking without all the people go to the northern section of the park, Kolob Canyon

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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Of you want zion hiking without all the people go to the northern section of the park, Kolob Canyon

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We did trans zion a few years ago. The Kolob area was gorgeous.

We stayed at Zion Lodge in April and hiked the Narrows.
We got up early and got in line to rent gear before they opened. We rented the whole set up (waders, boots, and stick). The stick and boots were life savers. Others wet waded, but The waders were nice to keep phone dry.

We had also booked a private shuttle the night before. The private shuttles seem more efficient. We got in and out much easier than those taking park shuttles.

Check weather ahead of time. There is little to no service in the canyon.

Just got back and had an amazing time:

Zion was gorgeous and the Narrows might be my favorite hike I've done in the US. Angel's Landing was a lot of fun too - and not as hard or scary as I expected.

Staying at the lodge was a blessing. And we were able to squeeze on the first bus of the day without issue. We were also able to hike over to the Grotto to get started on Angels Landing before any busses arrived, which was great. GET STARTED EARLY regardless of what you're doing.

We got the gear from Zion Guru and were glad we did. Had a nice chat with an Ag '20 that worked there.

MeMe's was a good lunch. King's Landing, Spotted Dogs were good meals at the end of the day. Anthera was...not.

Bryce Canyon was better than expected. So many people just stuck to the viewpoints, so when we got on trail, we were mostly on our own. The Figure 8 of Navajo and Peekaboo loop was the highlight. We were on the trail before sunrise. I'd recommend doing both loops counter clockwise. I bopped down to Two Bridges after finishing the loop to see that feature and Thor's Hammer. We did 2 nights at Bryce, but couldve easily done a day & a half without feeling like we missed anything.

Pizza Place was a good dinner and Stone Hearth Grille was really nice. Probably the best meal you can find. The options in Bryce City aren't good...

Cedar Breaks National Monument didn't disappoint. Visitor's Center is closed (under construction), but Ramparts Trail was a very nice hike - https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/utah/spectra-point-and-rampart-overlook-trails

Cedar City seemed like a surprisingly nice town with some good food options. Pork Belly's was a good lunch stop.

The difference in crowd between Zion and Bryce was interesting. Most of those at Zion seemed to be more active and outdoorsy. They were there to hike and explore. Bryce Canyon's crowd was like a trailer park holiday. It was definitely a less athletic looking crowd, but the good news is they stuck to the viewpoints and boardwalk and didn't clog the actual trails. Zion's trails were packed by mid-morning.

Just saw that there was a rockfall in the Narrows today....looks like one injured.

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2021/09/15/cdr-the-narrows-in-zion-closed-due-to-rockfall-rescue-operation-underway/

My take is that there were far more people active in Zion since the trails are much easier with regards to elevation change.
Bryce has relatively significant elevation changes which thins out the crowds on the trails.

I dont know, Angel's Landing was pretty crowded.

But I mean just from hanging out at the Visitor's Center at the two parks, the crowd was remarkably different.

True, but Angels Landing is considered one of the top hikes in US and is easily accessible, so it likely gets a lot more non-hikers due to that.