Zion national park in July... Campgrounds ??

[dryadi]

We will be taking our new TM across country in July . Any advice on how to select campgrounds as you go ? I know Zion and Bryce are popular so I wanted to reserve in advance . Any suggestions ? I saw the thread on Bryce but was wondering about Zion.

[Redtail Cruiser]

Hi Dryadi, Last summer we went to the North Rim campground, Zion's Watchman campground and then on into Colorado to visit friends. The Watchman is nice with water and power, no sewer hookups, but nice bathrooms, you won't be disappointed, but make your reservations quickly, they fill up fast.

Safe travels,

[dryadi]

Hi Tim,
If I was to choose between Zion and Bryce for camping two nights ( we are coming from Grand Canyon) which one would you recommend better ?
Thanks !!
Dryadi

[Bill]

I'm not sure what you are trying to do. Bryce and Zion are not particularly near each other, so if you choose to stay at one, you will spend a lot of time driving to and from the other. The amount of time depends on where you stay, of course, but this is especially true if you find yourself behind a line of RVs and gawkers in Zion.

For example, Google maps says that from South Campground in Zion to the Visitor's Center at the entrance to Bryce is a bit more than 85 miles, 1 hour 45 minutes without traffic. But Zion, at least, is never without traffic. You should plan on more than two hours each way, which takes a big chunk out of your day

To cut down the amount of "commuting time", you might consider spending one night at each destination. If you can't get a campsite within the parks, there are private campgrounds at each end which make a good base of operations. Maybe spend the first night at Zion, explore Zion most of the next day, and then make the run up to Ruby's at Bryce at the end of the day. A night at Ruby's, and the next day exploring Bryce.

Or you might consider a campground halfway between them. This would make the commute tolerable on both days, and would save you one setup / teardown operation.

Whatever you decide, let us know your experience. A lot of folks want to make this trip.

Bill

[dryadi]

Thanks Bill for your suggestions.. As I am starting to plan this thing, I realize I need to look at a map more. Didn't realize the commute between the two. We are coming from the Grand Canyon and were thinking of maybe staying at Zion and just driving to Bryce without the trailer. I will keep this in mind!

[Lesherp]

The first time we went to Utah’s national parks we planned on spending a week at each it was our first big TM trip. Zion was our first stop and we ended up spending 10 days before moving on. We hiked most every hike. We spent from 3 to 7 days at the other parks.

If you like to hike try and give yourself more time. I would take Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef and Canyonlands Needles over the Grand Canyon every time. We went to the North Rim in 20014 and liked it but we felt limited in what we could see from the rim. We did one hike into the canyon but the experience was nothing compared to hiking Zion, Bryce, Capital Reef and Canyonlands Needles.

If you don’t or can’t hike I would recommend Zion, Bryce and Arches. Utah's National Parks are all nothing short of spectacular. Yellowstone & Tetons are probably still our favorite but all of the ones in Utah are a close second. You should be able to use my flickr link below if you have not seen pictures of these parks.

[MarkoPolo]

We camped at Bryce last fall and took one day to drive to Zion. Did the shuttle and drove around a little. It was a very long day and was dark by the time we got back. Not a trivial trip!

[Redtail Cruiser]

Originally Posted by dryadi

Hi Tim,
If I was to choose between Zion and Bryce for camping two nights ( we are coming from Grand Canyon) which one would you recommend better ?
Thanks !!
Dryadi

We really enjoyed Zion. Spent three days there and easily could have spent one or two more. Their shuttles make it easy to get around and there's plenty to see and do. We will definitely be going back. A day trip to Bryce from Zion might not be enough time to do Bryce justice.

Enjoy!

[kempert]

For Bryce - I think the best place is Red Canyon (in the Dixie NF) just 15 minutes from the BCNP entrance and I hosted at BCNP. People flock to the NPs and often bypass other good public campgrounds. I heard many peoples' stories of trying to get a reservation right after ReserveAmerica opened it and all sights were gone within 5 minutes. Also, be aware that only a small percentage of the sites are reserved but all fill up by 3 PM at the latest.

To visit BCNP, park at the VC near the entrance and ride the free shuttle bus. You will not find a parking spot along the way unless you go very early in the morning.

FWIW - SR-12 from Bryce to Torrey (Capitol Reef NP) is a MUST SEE drive. I've driven it well over a dozen times and still can't drive straight thru without making multiple stops. Kodachrome Basin SP is a great CG north of Bryce.

[scrubjaysnest]

Originally Posted by kempert

For Bryce - I think the best place is Red Canyon (in the Dixie NF) just 15 minutes from the BCNP entrance and I hosted at BCNP. People flock to the NPs and often bypass other good public campgrounds. I heard many peoples' stories of trying to get a reservation right after ReserveAmerica opened it and all sights were gone within 5 minutes. Also, be aware that only a small percentage of the sites are reserved but all fill up by 3 PM at the latest.

To visit BCNP, park at the VC near the entrance and ride the free shuttle bus. You will not find a parking spot along the way unless you go very early in the morning.

FWIW - SR-12 from Bryce to Torrey (Capitol Reef NP) is a MUST SEE drive. I've driven it well over a dozen times and still can't drive straight thru without making multiple stops. Kodachrome Basin SP is a great CG north of Bryce.

+1 on all the above. We also liked Calf Creek which is along SR-12, nice hike to the falls.

We did not like Zion; it was to crowded. Buses were filled both seats and standing and people were very impolite.