sando1

I have booked Enchantment Lodge for 1 night, in Sedona, then 2 nights at El Tovar,have booked Zion National Park for last night, so we are wondering if we should head to Salt Lake City, (how long a drive), would also like to see Powell Lake. and Bryce Canyon. On a wim I checked the Amami resort at Lake Powell, $1000.00 for 1 night, NO breakfast! Yikes

emalloy

What time of year are you going? Where are you flying in/out of?

If it is not snowy, I would head up to Page from GC and check out Antelope Canyon, walk out to Horseshoe bend, check out the best dam view, visit the dam, take one of the boat tours on lake Powell, so plan on a couple of days in the Page area. There are many places to stay for less than $1000.

Then head to Bryce then Zion. If you hike much, you might want to do 1 or 2 nights and a day in Bryce then 1 or 2 in Zion before heading back.

sando1

Going mid May, flying into Phoenix, out of Las Vegas. Thanks for Info, I will check out Page...any hotel recomendations?

spirobulldog

The Grand Canyon is amazing, but I really like Zion and Bryce far far better(I have even rafted the GC). There is just so much more to do in Zion and Bryce than "just look" How much hiking and adventure do you like? I would stick with just Southern Utah and I would not head up to Salt Lake as a side trip. If you have time(and if lodging is available), you might consider a trip to the North Rim of the GC as well. The north rim opens May 15 usually.

Unless you plan on hiking down into the canyon, riding a horse/mule, then 1 night might be enough for you at the GC. You can take a helicopter ride and there are some historical sights to see, but unless you are doing a lot of hiking or riding there isn't that much to do. Catch a sunrise and sunset at the GC. Some people like to really relax and two days would be great if you just want to kick back for a bit.

Myer

Of all the places in the area, GC is my least favorite.

SLC is a 5 hour drive each way from and to Zion.

From GC to Zion you will be passing right by Page. Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe bend are calling.

While Zion is beautiful Bryce Canyon is one of a kind and doesn't require much time to get a good feel for it.

Sleep over, get up very early for sunrise at Bryce Point, grab a byte to each and spend several hours doing a hike such as Navajo Loop going down and Queen's Garden coming back up.

The elevation is over 8,000ft so you might feel it.

After that stop at Natural Bridge which is the only viewpoint that actyally different as you will have already been to Bryce Point (sunrise), Sunset Point to start the hike and Sunrise Point to end the point. Then you will have walked a half mile along the rim back to Sunset Point to get your car.

You could easily be finished by early / mid-afternoon.

InSandy

Amangiri ! If I win a lottery maybe I can stay there and find out if it is worth that much.


Salt Lake City is out of your way. I live here and like it, but stay longer in the parks if you have the time.


Page is on the way between South Rim and Zion so makes sense for a night or three there, lots to see and explore.


Two nights at Grand Canyon would not be enough for me, but then I'd do three in Zion as well as bare minimum. Love them all, you don't have to hike to enjoy the views, but it does help if you can do some hiking so you get to some of the best views.

mouseRD

We stayed at the Courtyard Marriot Lake Powell for 1 night earlier this month. Nice accomodation. Quite a few business travelers & fewer families when we visited. They let us check in early which was great so we wouldn't have to leave our luggage in the car while we did the raft trip from Page to Lee's Ferry (raftthecanyon.com). The next morning, I actually did our laundry since I was up early anyway & we were running low on clean clothes. Since our other accomodations were B & B's in Sedona & El Tovar in GCNP, it was nice to have access to a washer/dryer.
We asked for & received a late check out & went on a tour of Antelope Canyon with Overland Canyon Tours (great guides!) & followed this with the short hike to the Horseshoe Bend overlook.

We agree with InSandy that 2 nights at the GC were not enough! We are looking forward to visiting Bryce/Zion on a future visit. I've only heard wonderful things about them. Anyone have recommendations on places to stay nearby?

sando1

Thank you all, so much great info...first time using this site, I love it. We booked 2 nights at Marriot Powell Lake, and 1 night Bryce Canyon, with our final at Zion....so I think we have covered all the important sites. Now will look into booking raft rides, helicopters, etc....

spirobulldog

Well, if you mean rafting the GC, most of those are several days.

spirobulldog

BTW, I like the cabins at Bryce and Zion better than the actual lodge. Probably isn't that big of a deal though.

emalloy

For a short raft trip, check the site that mouseRD gave for the half day trip from Page to Lees ferry. It is smooth water, but goes through the area you look down at from the Horseshoe bend overlook.

kansasmom

I really, really enjoyed the Grand Canyon. We stayed three nights and thought it was a great length of time. We went to two ranger talks, rode bikes along the rim (great way to get away from the crowds), went in all the gift shops, and did quite a bit of hiking, both along the rim and partway down into the canyon.

I haven't been to the other places you are planning on, but I think it sounds like a great trip. I would suggest looking on nps.gov to get ideas about what to do and see at the national parks you are going to.