Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park
My family and I recently set out on a road trip to visit two incredible national parks for Spring Break - Bryce Canyon and Zion. The 18 hours spent in the car (round trip with traffic) was well worth it for the hiking trails and amazing views.
We went to Bryce Canyon first and stayed at an Airbnb in Duck Creek Village. The drive from our cabin to the entrance of Bryce Canyon was a little over an hour. Bryce is the smaller park of the two and one or two days is plenty of time to cover most of the main trails and points of interest. The unique terrain and Hoodoos make this park special.
While in Bryce, we hiked the Queens Garden and Navajo trails which are connecting trails between Sunrise Point and Sunset Point, near the Bryce Canyon Lodge. We suggest starting at Sunset Point and descending the Navajo trail then finish by ascending the Queens Garden trail as it made for an easier hike, especially with children. Be warned - it can get very windy here with sand blowing everywhere at certain spots on the trail.
As we headed to Zion for the latter part of our vacation, we stopped at the Belly of the Dragon near Mount Carmel (see photo below). This is a short tunnel with a path that leads to a rock cairn garden on the opposite side of the parking lot. You may want to bring a headlamp as it gets a little dark in the middle of the tunnel.
Before reaching our hotel in Springdale, near the Zion Visitor Center, we were planning on hiking the Canyon Overlook trail which is a short one mile hike with great views but unfortunately it was closed due to a rockfall. Apparently, this is quite common as there were a couple of other trails closed for this same issue. It is always a good idea to check ahead of your trip to avoid any disappointing surprises.
We were planning on hiking the popular Narrows trail but skipped it due to weather conditions - the river was very cold (42˚F), a little high, and the flow rate was fast (near 100 cubic feet per second). This was a little too much for our eight year old daughter to safely enjoy so we decided to save this hike for a future visit when the conditions are better. You can check the current river conditions at the USGS website.
Zion Outfitters, near the Zion Visitor Center and bus stop 1, offers equipment rentals for hiking the Narrows which include neoprene socks, canyoneering boots, dry pants, and a wooden hiking stick that is recommended for the cooler months. This Dry Pants Package costs $50/day to rent. If you go during the Summer months, I’ve been told you can get by with your own gear. Just make sure you have hiking poles for balance while walking in the river.
While in Zion, we hiked the Watchman trail and the first part of Angels Landing heading up to Scout Lookout. You will need a permit through a lottery if you want to hike Angels Landing from Scout Lookout. This part of the hike is technical with a very narrow and steep trail. Because of the crowds and risks, the park has recently implemented the permit application process.
For dining in Springdale, we enjoyed dinner at Oscar’s Cafe near bus stop 5 and breakfast at Park House Cafe near bus stop 8. We stayed at the Driftwood Lodge near bus stop 7 which was nice but it was not as close to most of the shops and restaurants as some of the other hotels. After a long day of hiking, we didn’t feel like walking so we hopped on the free shuttle. La Quinta Inn & Suites or the Best Western seemed like they were centrally located between the Zion Visitor Center and downtown Springdale but they were fully booked when I tried to make reservations.
