SZ,

You have anice amount of time for this trip. Good for you!

How much do you plan to hike? The reason I ask is I think you can easily shorten your stay at Bryce by 1 day and still see it all.

I would spend a night in Escalante and look into doing a canyon trip with a guide if you are fit and adventurous! There are some really great places to do if you go with experienced people.

If not, I would get an early start from Bryce and allow time for the hike to Calf Creek Falls. It's a real treat, although the falls might be small this year by Sept. It's a severe drought year. Check with the ranger station on the water flow before doing th hike. Otherwise, there are some other good hikes you can do along the way.

If you don't want to hike, you will have plenty of time for lots of photo ops, driving a section of the Burr Trail and continuing on to Torrey, the town nearest Capitol Reef.

I would stay a night each in Escalante or Boulder (Boulder Mtn Lodge with the excellent Hell's Backbone Grill) and in Torrey. You will have enough time to enjoy both areas before driving up to SLC.

When I drive between Torrey and SLC, I take about 4.5 hours. The good news is the major expansion road project on I-15 in the Provo area is nearly done!!! No more monster delays!

Hope this helps. Come back with more questions.

Boulder Mtn Lodge requires res in advance. Not very big and very popular - and it's the only lodging in the microscopic town of Boulder (just a wide spot).

PS - if you do end up having an "extra" night to spend on the way to SLC, about my best suggestion would be RR's Sundance in Provo Canyon. Also, stop and see the Timpanogas Cave, it's really beautiful. You tour with the ranger, so advance tickets are required for this very popular State Monument site.

Or, you could spend the evening in Park City which is 30 min. to the airport, but that's almost a whole trip of its own.

I would take all your time for the parks, they are worth every minute you've got.

Dayle, this is fantastic info. Thanks so much. I should have said up there that my husband and I are avid day hikers, so the more time we spend on the trail (or in the canyons!), the better.

Staying in Park City is a great idea.

We might do a little camping to save money (it IS a long trip, after all), so if you have any recommendations in that regard, I'm all ears. Thanks again.

Capitol Reef in Sept. You can probably pick the fruit there. They don't charge you for what you eat while picking, but they do charge if you take some with you(a small fee).
While there stop at the Gifford House in the morning and buy one or several of their pies. Consume them right next door in the picnic area(almost guaranteed to be dining with the deer. I like sitting under the two huge trees(not sure what kind of trees these are).

I would see Devils Garden in Escalante. It's down an easy dirt road. Also stop at the Kiva Coffee house place. Hell's Backbone Grill is also a good place to stop and eat.



If you have never been to Goblin Valley. DO NOT MISS IT. It is an hour or so north of Cap Reef. Two other really good things to do while there are hike Little Wildhorse Canyon(don't confuse with wildhorse, you want Little Wildhorse). Also, not far from there, but you do have to travel on a dirt road for an hour-Is Horseshoe Canyon/The Great Gallery. This is considered the best indian Petroglyph/Pictographs in the world by most people. This is also about a mile from the canyon where Aaron Ralston amputated his own arm when he got stuck in a rock(if your familiar with that story or movie). Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse, and Great Gallery are all super isolated and you would need to take drinks and meals for the day. I don't think you could do all 3 in one day, unless you were very ambitious.

I would probably cut out one day between 2 and 7 and add them to the area I mentioned above. It won't take you long to drive from Bryce to Zion really. Oh, you could see Cedar National Monument though.

I've stayed at Austin's Chuckwagon in Torrey twice. It isn't anything great, but is probably about as good as you will get, unless you want a B&B. They also have a nice store and deli next door that they own too.

Timpanogos is a National Monument isn't it Dayle???? It was super in the fall when we went. It is one heck of an effort to get to the top of it though. We didn't have reservations.

Spiro,

You may be right. I don't pay much attention to what the "monuments" are, exactly!

I just know it's an amazing, gorgeous cave, and it's really cold inside! But that feels great after the hike up.

SZ, the drive between Zion Canyon and Bryce is only about 1.5 hours. You can do some nice hikes in Bryce and still have a day or two to see at bit of the Escalante and Capitol Reef areas.

If you do decide to visit Goblin Valley and hike Little Wildhorse, you will be going a bit out of the way on the route back to SLC, but not too much. Last time I was in Capitol Reef, I drove out to GV and it took almost 2 hours one way.

Just that there is no lodging anywhere near GV so plan time to get there and on to your next destination. There is a campground there, but you should have res.

The road out to the Great Gallery is a long drive on a dirt road. You cannot do this road at all (even in a 4x4)if it's raining or recently rained.

Lots of wonderful options. You need to start planning trip #2 now

Haha, Dayle, I know! There was a temptation to try to cram Arches and Canyonlands into the trip, too, but that would just be too much. Next time. Thanks again to you and spirobulldog -- this is all so very helpful.

OK, another question for you Utah experts. My husband is now leery of going to Zion in early September. He's spooked by the average 91-degree high temperatures. Since we're planning to hike, is this a reasonable fear? Is it cooler in the canyons? Traveling in early September is much easier for me, work-wise and frequent flyer mile-wise. I'm also concerned that if it's cooler in Zion in late September, Bryce etc. are gonna be freezing. Thoughts? Thanks again for all the great advice.

The range can be great throughout the day though. Like it could start out at 55 or 60 and then be 90 by the end of the day. I am from Oklahoma and our humidity is much higher here, so Utah heat doesn't bother me nearly as much, as it is usually drier. If you buy some wicking underwear (Ex Officio or Patagonia), shorts, shirts(the good kind-like Mountain Hardware Wicked Lite, Patagoina, Montbell, Icebreaker, etc). then you will be much more comfortable too. Synthetic is lighter and wicks slightly better. Merino Wool is a tiny bit heavier, wicks a tiny bit less effective, but doesn't have the odor after a day. You can wear Merino Wool for several days. Buy the good super merino wool and it won't be scratchy. Some of the Columbia brand stuff is good, but a lot of it at places like Academy or Dicks Sporting is the lower end of their products. I like REI stores for gear. For Utah, I always pack convertible pants/shorts. Layering and have a bit of clothing to layer is nice to have. I love Montbell and Patagonia Down and Synthetic coats. Some of them weigh only 10oz and are amazingly warm. So, they are super easy to pack.

It depends on which hikes your are doing.
If you are hiking River Walk or The Narrows, then you are going to be in lots of shade and in water, so no big deal.

If I were hiking Angels Landing, I would start at dawn/first light in the morning.

Emerald Pools trail isn't as hot, but still could be, if you do it in the middle of the day.

As for Bryce, it could be cold in the mornings, and then perfect in the afternoon. We actually got a little sleet there at the end of May a year ago.
I would for sure hike Navajo loop/Queens Garden combination trail. Taking a horse on Peek A Boo loop is also a great way to see Bryce.

Devils Garden in Escalante region isn't really a hike, but you just wander around a few acres of the odd shaped rocks. Same goes for Goblin Valley.

You can expect 25-50 degree difference in highs and lows during the day at most places across the Colorado Plateau/high desert area. The has been my experience on my several visits there.

Don't miss Bryce or Zion, cold or hot. Both are spectacular!!!

What hikes do you plan on doing?

Thanks, Spirobulldog! It will be layers, for sure. We're gonna be on East Coast for a day or two, I imagine, so hiking at dawn is definitely do-able. We would like to do the Narrows (part of it, anyway) and Angels Landing -- is it dangerous, heights-wise, or just scary if that kind of thing scares you? Haven't yet sorted out the Bryce Canyon hikes.

All things considered -- would it be more enjoyable to visit Zion and/or Bryce in early September or mid-October?

(East Coast time, I meant.)

Mid-October would get my vote. You'll see some fall colors, and I always prefer hiking in cooler weather. If it's cold you can always put more clothes on, but when it's hot there's only so much you can take off to stay cool.....but if early September works better than you'll be ok, just do the tough/exposed hikes in the morning and easier/shady hikes in the afternoon.

I would definitely cut one day from Bryce, possibly even two days. Your original itinerary has you spending more time at Bryce than Zion which is the reverse of what you should be doing. I would say on day 4 at least hike in Zion in the morning, then drive to Bryce and hike/sightsee. Day 5 hike all day, then leave on day 6. That gives you enough time to see a lot of Bryce but also 2 more days elsewhere, and there is so much to see/do in that area that you could really use those 2 extra days for something else.

Are you sure that you are not paying a big drop off fee in SLC?
If you have any interest in dinosaurs, check out this museum in Price. http://www.castlecountry.com/what_to_do/ceu_prehistoric_museum.html
If your air tickets are already purchased, there is not much you can do about the drop off fee.

I wanted to see that museum in Price. Nearby, in Helper, there is a small historical type museum that looked small, but interesting. ( I was with my family and they were more interested in getting to SLC than going to any museums).

Mid October, but probably more the third week of October would get my vote too.

Day 1
Get to Zion. I hope you can stay at Zion Lodge
Have dinner at the lodge.

Day 2
Up early and hike Angels Landing
A strenuous hike up. I don't consider it dangerous, but people have died there. The last 20 minutes will get your attention and the trail is very narrow in a couple of spots. They provide a chain and you will want to hold on to it.
Lunch in Springdale.
Get your shoes and you will probably won't pants from Zion Adventure Co for your hike tomorrow in The Narrows.
Perhaps a drive thru the tunnel to Checkerboard Mesa in the afternoon. You could also hike Canyon Overlook Trail here, if you have energy left.
Dinner @ Whiptail Grill in Springdale. Specifically, get the spaghetti squash enchiladas. This is in an old gas station, but the food is really good.

Day 3
Hike The Narrows . Go as far as you can on a dayhike and this will take 1/2 day or so.
Lunch under the Big Tree in front of the Lodge. Everyone does this or at least has a snack/ice cream there.
You could also hike Emerald Pools trail on this day. A short easy option would be to see Weeping Rock.

Day 4
Sleep in a bit
Breakfast at Zion Lodge
Drive to Bryce
Lunch and see Ruby's just before you enter the park
Drive the entire length of the park drive and stop at as many overlooks as possible
Dinner @ Bryce Lodge and overnight there
perhaps take in a ranger-led "night sky" event/walk
Catch Sunset

Day 5
Up early for Sunrise-it's worth it!!
Take a horseback ride in the morning
Hike Navajo Loop/Queens Garden
Perhaps take in a ranger-led Night Sky
Dinner @ Bryce Lodge

Day 6
Again up early for sunrise from a different viewpoint.
Drive to Torrey, UT
Option along the way are
Devils Garden
Hike Calf Creek Falls
Hell's Backbone Grill for dinner
Kiva Koffee House for coffee and snack
Overnight in Torrey

Day 7
Capitol Reef
Get pie for breakfast @ The Gifford House
Hike Hickman Bridge
Hike The Grand Wash
Have a burger @ Slackers for lunch
Hike Frying Pan to Cassidy Arch
Dinner @ Cafe Diablo

Day 8
Goblin Valley
Little Wildhorse Canyon
perhaps Great Gallery/Horseshoe Canyon
overnight in Green River

Day 9
Drive to Salt Lake
could tour tabernacle there

Day 10 Home

Links to our photos

Zion Oct 17-21, 2008
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0IatW7FqybsWZ6

Capitol Reef, Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse, Great Gallery
Oct 15-18, 2009 with my neighbor
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0IatW7FqybsWaU

Arches, Goblin Valley, Little Wildhorse, Capitol Reef, Escalante, Calf Creek Falls, Bryce, Zion Kolob Canyon
Memorial Day Weekend 2011
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0IatW7FqybsWan

So, I was wrong on the dates. Fall Colors were good on the dates listed above.

Also, on the trip with my Neighbor is Timpanogoes Cave, you could do this on your day at Salt Lake too.

We traveled in Utah and Arizona during the month of August. We did our strenuous hiking in the early am. But, being from the humid Northest, we were able to be active most of the day. It was hot, but we were not too bothered by it. We carried large quantities of water - several bladders filled each morning before we left our lodgings, refilled at lunch breaks, and regarded as our most precious possessions on the trip!

Our favorites at Zion were hiking the Narrows and climbing Angels Landing. (I don't recall other trails/hikes.) I didn't care for the very last stretch of Angels Landing, but the rest of our group, which included three children under the age of 12, eagerly pulled themselves up by the chains to the very top.

At Bryce we walked the Fairyland Loop. Beautiful. We would have liked to walk additional trails, but had just one day at Bryce.

I am continually amazed at how helpful this forum is. Thank you, WhereAreWe, tomfuller, karens, spirobulldog, and portiaperu.

tomfuller, thanks for the heads up on one-way car rentals. I called Fox and they said the fee would be $19.95 (not per day -- overall). So we can handle that.

spirobulldog, thanks for planning the whole darn trip for us! And thank you also for sharing your photos -- just gorgeous.

Ultimately, we would have more time for our trip if we went the first week in September (two extra days). I'm just wondering if it's worth trading cooler temps for more time. I'm also a little worried about flash flooding in Zion in September -- seems less likely to happen in October.

You don't want to be in any slot canyon with Flash Flooding. Just check with visitor cntr before you head into one.

I would probably go with the two extra days, unless the fall color(which is no guarantee)is of great importance. September in Capitol Reef is probably prime time to see the orchards and pick fruit there. I was suprised at how large and how many orchards they have there. Everything from apricots, apples, pears, to almond trees even.

Sorry for all the posts. Since you mentioned Angels Landing and The Narrows, you must be a bit adventurous.

The absolute best thing I've done in Utah is Canyoneering in Moab with www.deserthighlights.com
I do know that Zion Adventure Co. does this and a couple of others in zion and escalante/cap reef area too. It is safe and fantastic!!! The more rappelling the better.

If you can get two more days in early September then that is a no-brainer. The more time you can get the better.

Does that mean you're including Labor Day weekend? You will want to work on lodging asap if that's the case.

OK, we have decided: Sept. 2-11 it is! We're hydrating already. We figured the extra two days would be good, and since we live in the Northeast, we already get all the fall foliage we can handle. So excited about this trip!

Have a great trip!! I think that gives you ample time to visit that area too.

SZ,

You will have a great time and I love Spiro's itinerary plan.

Get your lodging res immediately! All the holiday weekends for the natl parks in UT are extremely popular.

I booked the first three nights at the Best Western Zion Park Inn, and the last night at an airport hotel in SLC. Not sure what to do in between -- we want some flexibility, but we don't want to be stuck sleeping on the side of the road. Really hoping there are cancellations at Bryce Canyon Lodge.

Ruby's would be your second best bet at Bryce.

The night before heading to SLC could be spent in Green River.
We enjoyed staying at the Robbers Roost motel near the west end of town.
Be very careful with any vehicle you rent from Fox. I have rented from Fox in both LV and SLC. Both places rented vehicles that had tire pressure problems.
I arrived mid afternoon in LV and all of the small cars had been rented out. I got a Jeep CJ ragtop for the same price.
When I got to Barstow, I found that one of the tire pressures was at 20psi.
The car I rented at SLC had 90psi in one tire. Wouldn't have noticed except the tire pressure light came on on the dash.
The light stayed on through the rental and I checked the tires in Green River. The gas gague was at half tank when I pulled out of the lot at SLC but the rental paper said it was full.
I like spiro's itinerary.
Make sure everything is right before you leave the lot.

OMG, Ruby's.

We stayed at Ruby's when we visited Bryce.

A truly unique experience in all of my travels!

Don't miss the chuck wagon and hoe down, if you enjoy kitschy western-themed entertainment. We had a great time!

The rooms are clean, there are laundry facilities, and it's very convenient to the park.

SZ,

I would try to make some reservations to make sure you are covered during the holiday weekend.

There is another motel now at Bryce besides Ruby's. I think Ruby's is horrible, but that's just my opinion. It's where all the tour bus groups stay.

In Bryce, Torrey, Escalante and Boulder, there are few lodging choices. They are always full for holiday weekends.

What have you decided for an itinerary?

tomfuller, I am reading awful things about Fox! I wonder if it's worth the cheaper-by-far rate.

We've got our hotel booked for the holiday weekend. Maybe I should set up the rest of the reservations just in case, and cancel as necessary.

Dayle, here's the tentative itinerary:

1 JFK - LAS - Zion
2 Zion
3 Zion
4 Zion - Bryce Canyon
5 Bryce Canyon
6 Bryce Canyon - Escalante
7 Escalante - Capitol Reef
8 Capitol Reef - Goblin Valley/Little Wildhorse
9 Goblin Valley/Little Wildhorse - SLC
10 SLC - DFW - LGA

We might scale back days 7-9 if we feel we're bouncing around too much.

Thanks, everyone, for all the great advice.

SZ,

Just want to make sure you know there is no lodging anywhere near Goblin Valley. You would need to drive on to the junction with I-70 then go west and stay somehwere along the way, or go a ways east (out of your way) to Green River and stay there (not worth the drive out of your way).

Green River is fine if you want to drive US 191/6 through Price.
If you take my advice about checking the tire pressures and the gas gauge you should survive your Fox rental. Last time I rented in LV it was with Alamo/National.
The Jeep from Fox was fun to drive in the Mojave Desert where I was not expecting to drive a car.

tomfuller, I think I figured out a hack with the car rental -- long story short, it involves renting a car from a reputable agency in Vegas and dropping it off in St. George, and then renting another car in St. George and dropping it off in SLC. A bit of a hassle, but will likely save at least $500, and avoids the nightmare that could be Fox.

SZ - your itinerary looks good. And you've gotten some excellent advice. We did a similar trip a few years ago and our trip report may be helpful to you. Here's a link:

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/utah_tr&page=1

We will be in the area at the same time as you. Although this trip we are more focused on southeastern Utah. We may run into you along the way!

Bryce is awesome and the Navajo/Queens Garden is a great hike, as is the Fairyland Loop. We camped at Bryce and it was nice. We plan to camp in Capitol Reef (and other places) on this trip. We are sending our camping gear to our first night's lodging since checking luggage is so expensive.

Capitol Reef is one of our favorite's - incredible colors, fascinating geologic features and no crowds. Torrey is a really neat little western town - great place to spend a night or two. I would not recommend the Grand Wash hike though; thought it was boring. We plan to finish the Cohab Canyon hike on this trip since we got cut short last time due to storms. From what we saw though, it was stunning - great views and lots of crazy melting rocks, etc. Can't wait!

You'll want to stop many times along scenic route 12 - some great views and a few places to dip your feet in the Escalante River as well as Calf Creek Falls. You may want to end up in Boulder for the night - Boulder Mtn Lodge is a nice place. We had no trouble getting a room for that same week but Sept is popular. Stop at the Vistors Center at Grand Staircase Escalante for lots of great info on the area.

The drive from Boulder out to Long Canyon on the Burr Trail is really gorgeous and worth the time. Also, the Devils Garden on Hole in the Rock Rd in Escalante is also worth the time. Also enjoyed the drive on Hells Backbone in Escalante.

I don't think you're running around too much day 7-9 but you might want to leave a night or two open just in case you want to change plans due to rainstorms, etc. Its nice to have some flexibility built in. Goblin is a fun place to spend a few hours but you may find it's too far out of your way since there's no where to stay nearby. There is so much to see - you won't have any trouble filling the time.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. The planning is lots of fun and everyone has so much great info to share.

Sharondi, your trip report was fantastic (I read the whole thing!). Thanks so much for sharing it. I think we have similar traveling styles so we'll probably steal a lot of your ideas. You also answered one of my everything-I-wanted-to-know-but-was-too-afraid-to-ask questions: can you get good beer in southern Utah? (Gotta try that Polygamy Porter.)

Your races against the weather were harrowing! As a NYer, what did you think of hiking in the heat? It's been in the mid-90s in NYC this week and it's pretty miserable -- I really want to believe the dry heat is, as they say, different.

Another question: are we gonna need a Jeep or a four-wheel drive or whatever? And what's the driving like, generally? Lots of twisty roads or...? My husband will probably do most of it since I'm a city girl who prefers trains!

SZ,

I'm so glad Sharon directed you to their trip report, as their Utah trips are always well planned and adventurous!

There is a company called St. George Shuttle that specializes in shuttling (imagine!) people to/from LV for flights. You might want to check into their prices for a good comparision vs. 2 diff car rentals.

You don't need a 4x4 unless you plan to do a lot of dirt/gravel roads. I do understand however, that the rental companies do not allow their 4x4s off road. Go figure.

The portion of the Burr Trail Sharon mentioned is paved out to Long Canyon (a mini slot). Hole in the Rock road and Hell's Backbone are not. The road out past Goblin Valley to Little Wildhorse is not either.

The scenic roads in Utah vary greatly. Some I would call twisty and very steep. Some are flat. It's very subjective!

Don't worry about it. You will have a great time and lots of wonderful memories and pictures.

Thanks, Dayle. I needed someone to tell me not to worry! (I am a very talented worrier.) I looked into the Vegas-St. George shuttle first, and while renting a car will be a bit more expensive, it seems easier and faster than taking the shuttle to St. George and then a taxi to SGU. Plus, God help me, my husband wants to see a little of Vegas before we head into Utah.

We had a great trip to Utah last summer. Yes it was hot but no hotter than NYC at 90F. Sounds like you are doing a lot of the things we did.

A couple of thoughts: we loved Escalante you would have no problem there on a holiday weekend. We saw very few people in the Devil's Garden or Peek-a-Boo Canyon. There are few slot canyons where you can hike alone! Also if you are in Bryce long enough go to Willis Creek Slot Canyon. After the crowds on the Navajo Loop it was amazing to be all alone.

The Chuck Wagon in Torrey was nicer than I expected.

There were about 100 people on the shuttle bus in Zion who got off at the Angel's Landing hike. We went on to Observation point which actually looks down on Angel's Landing. Wonderful hike. One of the best things we did and no crowds.

If you want to reading my trip reoprot is here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/summer-in-utah-w-the-kids-capitol-reef-escalante-bryce-gcnr-zion.cfm

Enjoy your trip!

I haven't been to Willis Creek Slot. For photos and details look at Myers posts for some details. I still imagine that Little Wildhorse is probably better(now I have been to Willis, so I really shouldn't say that). However, I do know that LW can be crowded.

www.toddshikingguide.com Little Wildhorse and Great Gallery is one of the few that he gives 4 or 5 stars for.

www.climb-utah.com is another good place for info.

haven't been*

Thanks for the trip report, Hang20. I am so impressed by all that you and your kids did! I'm not nearly as daring.

Thanks for the hiking links, spirobulldog.

Now, about lodging at Bryce -- Ruby's doesn't seem like my cup of tea. Dayle, you mentioned another motel -- which one did you mean? We want to be very close to the park (actually, we'd prefer to be IN the park, but the lodge is full). Thanks for any tips.

SZ - so glad you enjoyed the trip report and found it helpful. I ended up reading through it again for the first time in a long time and got all fired up for our fall trip!

Up until this past weekend, it has been very hot here in the Capital District area. The humidity is the culprit. That is the wonderful thing about the weather out in Utah - no humidity! The dry air does require lots of hydrating, especially when hiking or engaging in other physical activities. We buy gallon jugs of water to fill smaller bottles that we carry in our packs. And we always carry more water than we can possibly drink. We also used a misting gadget to spritz ourselves while hiking - that helped a lot on our hike into the Great Gallery. Other than that hike, I've never had any problem with the heat (or altitude) out in Utah.

The question about 4WD is one that we always struggle with, particularly since we know that we'll be traveling on some backroads. Some of our greatest adventures have been on backroads and having a 4WD vehicle with decent clearance was pretty helpful. In our 2004 trip, we had some pretty major flash floods in Valley of the Gods/Natural Bridges area. The Moki Dugway washed out and was closed for weeks! The dirt road at VOG B&B washed out and looked like a river for awhile.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/21346486

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/21362497

For our upcoming trip, I first rented a van that we could sleep in if necessary since we are planning to do some camping. We decided to switch to a 4WD SUV though since we want to check out some remote places in the southeast corner of Utah. We just feel better having more clearance and 4WD if needed. We aren't doing any crazy 4-wheeling, but we like having it for the dirt roads and rainstorms. Plus we got a great price from Dollar!

As Dayle mentioned, 4WD isn't necessary for most places although Sept can bring some rainstorms and even places like Capitol Reef and Calf Creek had us crossing moving water (only a few inches but...) So we appreciate the added clearance and 4WD.

Don't worry about the roads - some places are twisty and steep while others are straight. But most are so scenic that we never notice the scary parts. As my husband always says, how often does your vehicle just drive off the road? Even if the road is scary, just get through it and then pull off at an overlook and marvel at the incredible views. You'll be glad you took the scary road and you'll realize it wasn't so scary afterall.

About lodging at Bryce, keep calling for a reservation in the park. Try a few times a week - but you have to call. You can't do it online. I bet you'll get one. There are not many choices at Bryce. I'd grab a room at Ruby's if you can't get one in the park. I've never stayed there, but its the next closest option. If you can call everyday, then do it. Chances are really good that you'll get a room.

I'm getting pretty fired up for my trip now!! Hope you're enjoying the planning!

Thanks, Sharondi! Those post-flash-flood photos are pretty astonishing. I'm going to look into a misting thingie.

We've got a room at Ruby's booked but I'll keep calling Bryce Canyon Lodge. Fingers crossed.

I love planning for trips. It's like frontloading two extra months of fun to the adventure. Hope your planning is going well.

One of the posters here on Fodor's recommended the misting thing years ago for hiking in the southwest, and my sister and her husband bought them for their honeymoon trip (that we planned for them). I borrowed it for our last trip, and it was really nice - kinda gives you a boost when you think you're just too hot to take another step. Really helped me get thru Horseshoe Canyon.

My husband always wears light colored clothes and a hat - that seems to help him. And we get moving really early - plus you get the nice, soft morning light for photos.

Our planning is going great - all of our rooms have been booked. We'll be camping some nights too. And enjoying the planning too. You're so right...two extra months of fun!

Buy good gear like

Montbell Synthetic or Super Merino Wool Shirts

Mountain Hardware-Wicked Lite T-shirts(these area amazing)

Ice Breaker-Super Merino Wool t-shirt

Have good socks and breathable hiking shoes. Merrell makes some really good shoes that breathe nicely. I don't like those hiking sandals.

SZ and Sharon,

It sounds like your trips are coming right along. Have a wonderful time!!

I'm heading off to the southern OR coast for a little "humidity"

Woo-hoo! Y'all were right about cancellations at the National Park lodges -- I was just able to book a cabin at Zion for one night. Feeling optimistic about Bryce Canyon now, too.

Good job!!!

Call, call, call.

We got a cabin at Bryce Canyon, too. Cancellations worked for me. (I got the reservation through the web site -- called twice with no luck.)

Im suprised you got them that quickly, but great news for you!!

So, did you get just 1 night each at Zion and Bryce?
I don't think you will have as much problem in Torrey.
There are a couple other small towns on either side of Torrey that have lodging options too.

Did anyone mention Calf Creek Falls hike? It is a nice one, but I'm thinking since it is really dry this year, that the falls might be a trickle, but I have no idea.

The Great Gallery is another amazing hike that you might want to consider. It is on a dirt road that may or may not be suitable for regular cars. We made it fine with a rental, but I know that it can be really bad after a rain. The turnoff to it. is near Goblin Valley Turnoff. It is a 1/2 day deal. On saturdays there is a ranger-led hike to it.

We got one night at Zion and two at Bryce Canyon. I was surprised, too. September at the Bryce Lodge is almost totally booked (still dates in August if anyone is looking). We booked three nights at the Best Western in Torrey. My Utah-transplant friend said the views from the rooms are stunning, which sounds good to me.

Calf Creek Falls was on our itinerary. Is it not worth visiting if the falls are a trickle?

I was thinking about starting a new topic on this, but does anyone have experience with guides in Escalante? I'm a little leery of doing a slot canyon hike on our own. We're pretty fit but since we've never done it before, I want to be safe.

Alternatively -- has anyone rented a jeep in Escalante? If we go on our own down, say Hole-in-the-Rock Road I don't want our little rental car to get stuck. Thanks!

You could easily do Willis Creek (myer has done this one a couple of times, I haven't) on your own or Little Wildhorse on your own. I don't think you would need a guide unless it required technical or involved route finding skills. The only real danger is flash floods. Now, if you get to doing slots that have multiple paths that could be a bit confusing. the www.climb-utah.com website lists things as family friendly or weekend warrior. You would be fine with hike/slots/adventures like those, I would think. I have read about Excursions of Escalante, but I haven't used them. Hondoo Rivers is probably the oldest and most reputable
http://www.go-utah.com/Escalante/Outfitter/

I don't think you would find a jeep rental in Escalante, but I might be wrong. You can always call a day or two ahead and ask for road conditions from Visitor Center.

I think Devil's Garden was down Hole in the Rock and we didn't have any problem in our rental.

Some rental cars have very strict policies about taking cars off the main road. I don't know if there would be problems, should you breakdown, on a road like Hole in the Rock. I am really one to bo by the rules. However, when renting a car I tend to gamble on the dirt roads a bit. Iv'e been down many of them in Utah in rentals. The only place that I've see that does jeep rentals is in Moab.

I don't like to see any waterfall, when it is just a trickle. The hike was a bit harder than what I had expected, btw. It is fairly flat and doesn't involve much elevation gain/loss. A lot of it is in sand. Not much shade along the way and we got hot. I thought I would be able to swim in the swimming hole there. It was super super cold. I got in for 15 seconds.

If you want to do canyoneering(which is absolutely awesome), I would definately look at those guides though.

spirobulldog, excellent advice as always. Thanks!

There are different levels of slot canyon hikes. Some are very easy and can be done by anyone (Little Wild Horse and Willis Creek are definitely two of these). Some require a little more attention to route finding (Spooky and Peekaboo would fall into this category). None of those would require a guide. The roads to each of those are dirt and, while they are usually in good enough shape that a passenger car can navigate them with some caution, you do have to be aware of current conditions.


If you wanted to try something a little more off the beaten path, then hire a guide for a day who would be able to provide both navigation, transport and any support that might be needed.

Yes Devil's Garden is down Hole in the Rock. Spooky and Peekaboo are further down that road.

I like the Calf Creek Hike in the spring, but I don't know that I would go on it in the heat of the summer. The falls are never very big unless there has been rain.

I'm glad I did Calf Creek and I would do it again. That said, it is probably one of my least favorite things I've done in UT.

I thought the falls usually had a decent flow to them. All the photos or youtube i've seen are usually going nicely.

Well, they are falls so they will have water, but I guess I wouldn't compare them to Havasu or Multanomah in Oregon etc.

And the one nice thing about hiking it in the summer is you actually feel like getting into the pool, which is much too cold in the spring.

In my opinion the size of a waterfall has nothing to do with how much I like it.

I liked Vernal Falls in Yosemite. I didn't really like the very large falls that you couldn't see up close and looked like strings from a distance back.

I think Lower Calf Creek Falls is beautiful. The shape, how the water falls and how close you can get to it. I've done the hike twice in the heat of mid-day. It does feel long in that heat so lots of drinking water is in order.

I liked it better in mid-May (due to the angle of the sun) rather than mid-September.

The water there doesn't depend on snow melt so it has water all year.

Willis Creek isn't really much of a hike. It's more like a nice level walk in the park. The walls get taller with each progressive slot. Each slot is about a hundred yards long or so. So I would definitely do at least 4-5 of them if not more.

The real challenge with Willis Creek is getting there. The road is a bit hilly with a few (not many) curves. The sand makes it a bit slippery going up. The good thing is that you'll encounter very few if any cars on the road so you can plan your ascents using both sides of the road. The downs are no problem.

I did it the last week of May. Mid-day in the heat. I was disappoint that the water was so cold.

When we went to Yosemite, the falls were really pumping. So much so that we got pretty soaked. Amazing, IMOP

I saw a book not too long ago at a local bookstore which documented every waterfall they could find in Utah. It really was rather fascinating since I don't think of waterfalls in Utah. Growing up here I don't recall any waterfalls except Bridal Veil Falls. But there are actually quite a few, many of which I have seen over the course of the years, and many of them very nice. But none on the scale of anything elsewhere.

Calf Creek I think is one of the tallest at 126 ft. The only others that I can think of that are taller would be Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon which is listed at over 600ft but I think that includes the cascades at the bottom. Stewart Falls is also fairly tall, and Upper Emerald Pools in Zion at about 300ft (and it can peter out fairly early in a dry year) and of course any of many at Zion that appear only after or during a rainstorm.

So in that regard Calf Creek is really an amazing place in the dry desert landscape.

I think Lower calf Creek Falls is beutiful. The shape and how the water tumbles down.

When it's warm enough you can go all the way in the water or just walk about a third of the way in up to your thighs. At this distance (which is only a few yards from the bottom of the falls) you won't even get soaked in the spray.

About Bridalveil Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. I did a search and it's amazing how many different waterfalls share the same name.

Wouldn't you think that once it's used they'd come up with something else.

And how about Devil's Garden. Both in southern Utah. One in Arches NP and the other in Escalante. What do they have to do with a devil or a garden?

""When it's warm enough you can go all the way in the water or just walk about a third of the way in up to your thighs."'

Myer, someday maybe I'll try it in the summer just so I can do that

I bet all the Bridal Veil falls were named before there was much communication between places. A hundred years or more ago it would have been difficult to imagine people getting around and traveling like they do now so it wouldn't have mattered if there was one in Utah and another in Calif.

I've often wondered if the Devil's Garden in Arches was a tongue in cheek response to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. And obviously the devil wouldn't have planted beautiful flowers in his/her garden... just fantastical dead rocks, right? It can certainly get hot enough at either of them in the summer.

Just about as common as Bridal Veil Falls is the name Horsetail Falls.

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/top-10-us-waterfalls.html
I've been to all of them but Havasu and Grand Falls.
I like this guys list and check out his SW list too.
I think CC would definately be the best in UT.

SZ, you might want to take a look at the waterfall list. The Freemont River Falls in Cap Reef is right by the road(although, it is very short and mand-made). I think it's one of the few man-made falls he lists.

I thought Mossy Cave Falls was ok. I didn't think the cave itself was much, but the waterfall that is about 1/4 mile away was pretty cool.

InSandy,
I went to Lower Calf Creek Falls in mid-May and the temp was about 95. When we got to the falls I walked in just above knee high and had to catch my balance as I slipped a bit. The water was fine. There were other swimming in there.

We stayed at Boulder Mtn Lodge not far. The next morning a front came thru. We drove to Cannonville and went to Willis Creek. After that on to Bryce for a quick hike. As we drove in the thermometer read 37 and there were snow flurries. I had on a windbraker, sweatshirt and jeans. That's about a 60 degree change from one day to the next.

I was also there on a hot day in mid-Sept. I didn't go in but quite a few others were running in and didn't appear to be cold.

We had such good times at the waterfall in Capitol Reef. Unfortunately they have closed off the parking for it and ask you not to go down. There were several close calls of drowning a year or so ago, maybe even one death, can't remember. You can still see it from the road, but hard to find a parking place. (that was of this May).

Myer that wasn't this May was it? We went down ready to do the Hell's backbone Road, which had been open for a month or so. The day we drove down it got a foot of snow. Still on the list.

No not this year. Does time fly.

The May visit to LCCF was in 2008 and the Sept was in 2010 with my daughter.

We're going to Glacier in Montana in a couple of weeks.

We did Willis Creek, too, and agree that the challenge is getting there. It's not a scary 4wd road, but you do have to go slow.

We loved it there - the slot canyons kept us walking to see what was ahead. We have some great pictures of our hike here.

spiro - thanks for that waterfall link. I'm a bit of a waterfall collector and I've been to all but Grand Falls. You really should go to Havasu - it is amazing!!

Myer, I love Glacier. Probably my favorite park really (though I keep Zion close to my heart). Glacier is just stock full of gorgeous views. I've never spent much time there, but each time I go I'm amazed.

InSandy,
Well, we leave for Glacier a week from Saturday.

karens,
Are your photos of willis Creek available for viewing somewhere?

Mine are at www.travelwalks.com

Obviously pick trips in Utah (2008 & 2010).

Hi Myer. I love looking at photos, so I will check yours out.

I can try to upload some of ours to photobucket. Right now they are only on FB.

InSandy - I feel just like you - Glacier is our favorite NP, with Zion in 2nd. Grand Canyon is pretty amazing, too.

Myer, looking forward to seeing your pics from Glacier, too!

Myer, great pics! Willis Creek looks awesome.

Great thread! Thanks, everyone!
I'm bookmarking it now.

Wow so many great replies here.
Thanks everyone!

So -- five months later, I figured I'd give a little report on our trip. Thanks again for all the tips; this forum was invaluable. Highlights:

Zion: Loved it. Yes, it was hot in early September, but we hiked early in the morning and later in the afternoon so it was tolerable. We preferred the Observation Point trail to the overcrowded Angels Landing (plus, we were too chicken and/or sane to go all the way to the top). The Narrows trail was fun but a bit frightening as it started to thunder while we were in the river. We spent two nights at the Best Western and one in a cabin in the park. The BW was better -- less expensive, cleaner, etc. I recommend staying in the cool little town of Springdale instead of in the park itself. It's just as convenient and you'll probably get a better deal. The bus system in Zion is genius, btw.

Bryce Canyon: Our reaction surprised us. We'd heard nothing but raves about the park, but when we first walked up to the rim, we both thought, "Is that all there is?" It wasn't until we got down into the canyon and hiked that we started to feel the magic. We spent two nights in a cabin, and while it smelled a little funny -- like animal pee, frankly -- we're very glad we did. We didn't like the looks of Ruby's, and waking up right on the rim of the canyon was fantastic. One major complaint: the celebrated "Dark Ranger" talk was a huge disappointment. Normally park ranger lectures are a highlight of our trips (the one at Zion about water was terrific), but this one was pretty bad -- weird, meandering, and at times factually inaccurate. The stargazing afterward was good, though.

Capitol Reef: I think we started to get jaded about all the natural beauty. It didn't have, for lack of a better term, the "wow factor" of Zion and Bryce. We liked picking apples but we can do that at home. We had planned to spend three nights here, but got bored after two and decided to go to Arches.

Arches: amazing. We wished we'd skipped Capitol Reef altogether and spent more time here. We only had one day, so only got to hike to the Double O Arch, but we'd like to come back and do the Fiery Furnace.

From Arches, we did the 7-hour drive to Vegas, which wasn't that bad. Actually, it was fun driving 85 (legally) on the straight desert highway with no other cars around. As for Vegas itself -- well, everyone should go there once. It's staggering.

Some notes on dining: in Springdale, the Whiptail Grill serves up some nice Mexican food with several vegetarian options, and the pizza at Flying Monkey was decent. Hell's Backbone Grill in Boulder was as great as we'd been promised. (If you like cats, get a seat outside and let the resident felines entertain you.) Cafe Diablo in Torrey was good as well. Kiva Koffeehouse in Escalante makes a nice stop along the way. During our brief stop in Moab, we ate at the Moab Brewery, which was fine. In Vegas, we ate at a tapas place at the Wynn (all the restaurants there have full vegan/vegetarian menus in addition to the meaty ones).

If we were to do the trip over, we'd probably get a four-wheel drive Jeep. The Prius was fun to drive but we weren't able to visit any of the really cool slot canyons. Although we love hiking, we wished there were more cultural things to do to break things up a bit. Not sure how to remedy that.

Thanks for coming back with your report. Several of the things you missed are Goblin Valley State Park, the Delicate Arch hike in Arches NP and the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands NP.
I believe there are more cultural things in SLC than in LV.
There is a pre-history museum in Price UT.
A couple of the places that I drove my high clearance rental car from SLC were on dirt roads. I just drove very slowly.
I drove from Green River (town) out to Crystal Geyser which is along the bank of the Green River. I also drove about 2 miles out a BLM dirt road to get close enough to walk to see some dinosaur tracks about 23 miles N of Moab.

SZ, Thanks for returning with the TR, sounds like a great trip. Utah is addicting, do try the Moab area again, we love Canyonlands too.

Is that why people aren't as impressed with Capitol Reef. They see if after the other parks and it doesn't compare. That does make some sense. The problem with Capitol Reef is that it looks deceptively simple. But there are hidden treasures there for sure.

Thanks for the trip report. Nice to hear how it turned out.

It does make sense InSandy. That's OK with me though. Perhaps Cap. Reef can escape the "Disneyland" crowd and remain the quiet refuge that it is.

I love hiking there since you can get a real sense of solitude...something very rare these days.

Thanks for the trip report SZ. I'm glad you had a good time!
Did you get to hike in Capitol Reef? I think CP is really for hikers, that's what makes it special. Similar to your experience with Bryce.

Do come back for a week long visit to Moab. You can do something different every day and still not do it all!

Dayle, we did hike in Capitol Reef, and it was nice, but it didn't really blow us away. As others have said, it's much less crowded than any of the other parks we visited, and there's something to be said for that. Again -- we were jaded! We will return someday to UT to see all the stuff we missed.

We hiked about 12-15 miles in Cap Reef. I am more of a destination hiker than a look as you go hiker. I like big payoffs at the end. A huge waterfall or a huge arch, etc. I've been there twice now. It is easily my least favorite in Utah. That said, I would gladly go again to it. I did enjoy it.
Heres where we hiked;
Hickman Bridge, Frying Pan, Grand Wash, Cassidy Arch, Cohab Canyon, Panorama Point. Did see the Orchards and Gifford House/pies too. Saw the petroglyphs.
I really like San Rafael better than Cap Reef.
I will say the Reef itself is stunning and really richly colored. Great as sunrise/sunset.

SZ, Did you stop at Goblin Valley? It might be my single favorite spot in UT.

I would like to go backpacking in Cap Reef. I like that type of isolation. Although, I think you could get that at most of the parks in UT. Only places that are really crowded is main strip in Zion and right around the lodge at Bryce. We've been twice at Memorial Day and didn't find it crowded at all really.