Trip to Utah

[Nono Geno]

We are planning a trip the first part of August and would like comments about what to see and few places to stay in 10 days. From what I’ve read here from other threads I think we would like to visit Zion, Bryce Canyon, and drive the Hwy 12 Scenic Byway. These 10 days include the first and last nights in Las Vegas to pick up friends. The only place booked is the Las Vegas Resort. Really a good price and couldn’t let that one go by! Gene

[08UltraRider]

We drove to Las Vegas from Canada last August via Highway 12 down to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Highway 12 has to be one of the most Scenic drives we have ever done. It's well worth the time!

We hoteled it but I did see some campers boondocking just off the highway in places.

[dandt]

Hi...Spent several weeks in the area 2 years ago and loved it. Keep in mind that if you are traveling in your rig, you can not go thru the tunnel from Zion to Bryce. You have to go thru Kanab and back up to get thru Bryce about 6 hours. I would suggest staying in Zion the entire time and just daytripping over to Bryce. Thru the tunnel only about 2 hours. In Zion we stayed at the NP and had a great spot with elec, no sewer or water available just a dump site with water. No showers either. We only stayed 3 days so managed, but checked out several parks in the area and loved Ferber Resorts just outside park entrance on then Zion River.It is a RV park and Hotel combo and was really nice. The park system has a great shuttle system that runs thru town and into and all the way up the park to the end of the road. Lots of great hiking at all levels inside the park and biking also. The town was nice with lots to do and restuarants. If you are there late enough be sure to rent shoes and hike the narrows up the river. Went we went it was to early in the spring and river was too full, but would go back in fall to do narrows, someday. The drive from LV to Zion is nice and the scenery fantastic. Have a great time.

[Nono Geno]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we will stay in Zion for 3 nights at the Zion River Resort so we have 2 full days in the park, then might drive around I-15 and stay at Ruby's near Bryce for 3 or 4 nights and take a day trip on Hwy 12 to Capitol Reef. I know it will be a long day but I think I would rather not keep moving the trailer. You think it's to far for a one day trip??

[08UltraRider]

From Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef it's about 120 miles one way so it depends on how much you stop to view the sights.

Highway 12 would be another good drive without the trailer too... Lots of twistys and hills with a couple of steep ones...

[HamRad]

Gene and Shirley,
We've taken a couple of the routes from Zion to Bryce. Actually we've not taken the trailer through the tunnel -- which I thought was still available to trailers on a special permit basis. That is you paid a fee and then would be escorted through the tunnel. But if it is closed it is closed. I haven't looked at that route for a couple of years.

The route south out of Hurricane is a great drive. That would be route 59/389. We even stopped at the Native American gas station and looked at the CG they run. We did a drive through and decided to go on into Kanab. If we get a chance to go that direction again we definitely drive it again.

Another route is north of St. George at Cedar City. Take route 14 over the mountain. We did not get a chance to visit the Cedar Breaks National Monument but understand it is worth a visit. The road is a bit twisty and up and down but definitely is doable. I even lost my trailer brakes on top of the mountain. Made it down with some really HOT breaks but they cooled off and were just fine by the time we got to St. George.

Apparently a lot of folks take route 20 across the mountain but we've not taken that one. Whatever you end up doing enjoy! That is a great area to spend some time.

Dennis

[Nono Geno]

hey Denise,
Thanks for the info on 14. That's the way we were planning on driving from Virgin to Bryce. It's, go slow, or go up to 20 and across.
We thought about going to Kanab from Bryce and day tripping to Page and Antelope Canyon near Lake Powell, time permitting.

[padredw]

We had a delightful visit to Utah on the way from California to Colorado just a couple of years ago. The only difference is that we had been to Zion not long ago, so we we only interested in going to Bryce, Capitol Reef, and Arches.

We crossed over on 20 and did not have a minute's concern pulling our trailer. The same for Utah 12, which we believe to be one of the most scenic routes in the country. We took our trailer and stayed at Torrey (for Capitol Reef) and Moab (for Arches.) We were glad we took our trailer over 12, as we stopped at a nice forest service picnic area for lunch.