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I'll be visiting Utah in mid-APril and will only have 1 night and 2 days to explore parks. I'll be leaving SLC in the morning and returning late the following night. After some online research, Arches + Canyonlands or Zion + Bryce look like viable options. I don't plan on rock climbing or canyoning, but do love strenuous hiking. I would also love extremely dark skies for stargazing. I'm a little concerned about weather, since Bryce has such a high elevation and I'd want to hike the Narrows in Zion if I go.
I've never been Utah, or the Southwest, and likely won't be back anytime soon.
Which option would you recommend? Any others I should consider?
Won't be back soon? You may change your mind once you visit Utah...it's an amazingly beautiful state. Wife and I visited Utah for a few days March 7-9. Went to Arches, Zion and Sugar house park in SLC. Wife hiked all over Zion and she loved it. Of course Moab is like the outdoor capital of the world. We live in Austin TX.... I think you'll find a lot of fun in Utah...so enjoy it while you can. I hope to get back out there again next March 2016
I'll be visiting Utah in mid-APril and will only have 1 night and 2 days to explore parks. I'll be leaving SLC in the morning and returning late the following night. After some online research, Arches + Canyonlands or Zion + Bryce look like viable options. I don't plan on rock climbing or canyoning, but do love strenuous hiking. I would also love extremely dark skies for stargazing. I'm a little concerned about weather, since Bryce has such a high elevation and I'd want to hike the Narrows in Zion if I go.
I've never been Utah, or the Southwest, and likely won't be back anytime soon.
Which option would you recommend? Any others I should consider?
Wow! Do you have any idea what an exhausting trip this is going to be? You're going to need a good 4 1/5 hours to drive to any of those parks. You'll be rushing through them so quickly that I don't know how you can really enjoy them. Having said that, it's really not my intention to discourage you from visiting. I just want you to know what you're getting into.
My first suggestion would be to skip Canyonlands completely. It's not that great. You could easily spend the better part of two full days at Arches. Arches, however, isn't my personal favorite, though I love it. I prefer Bryce and Zion. They are about an hour and a half drive apart. You could leave Salt Lake City early and drive to Zion. See what you can see of it and spend the night. Drive the next day to Bryce and see what you can of it, and then head back to Salt Lake. If you're interested in hiking, there are more hikes available in Zion than in Bryce, but they are both incredible.
Thanks for the replies so far! Utah definitely looks beautiful from photos. I'm leaning towards Bryce/Zion since I think the two of them offer better diversity of landscape than Arches/Canyonlands...and per Katzpur's point I feel like I would be better able to take in a park like Zion in a day rather than Arches. However, I think we'll (forgot to mention, will be going with my girlfriend) have to pay close attention to weather. Bryce could be pretty cold in April, right? If Bryce is 40 degrees in mid-afternoon, then Arches will probably win out.
I acknowledge it'll be a tiring trip...but we're in our 20s and really excited to see as much as possible. And honestly, I don't find driving too tiring.
Tentative plan:
1) Get up early and leave from Sandy (where we will be staying) to Bryce. I've heard Bryce has more to see from easy to moderate hikes or from the car. The Navajo trail looks great. This will be the day after skiing, so we don't want to go too hard. We also want to catch a nice sunset somewhere in Bryce and to do some stargazing.
2) Head to Zion in the morning. We haven't worked out exactly which hikes yet, but I'm thinking 2 would be a reasonable goal. Angel's Landing, Narrows, or maybe Observation Point. We'll leave in late afternoon or early evening and drive back to Sandy.
Some more questions...
Any idea how crowded the respective parks will be in April?
Any hike recommendations in Zion or Bryce?
Stargazing recommendations? Sunset?
Katzpur, can you elaborate on why Canyonlands isn't that great? What don't you like about it?
Additional complication (or opportunity):
If the snow quality/amount isn't great, we'll have an extra day to explore the parks. This is a definite concern. If this is the case, would you advise spending more time in the parks we choose, visiting Arches, or going down to Monument Valley?
Thanks again!
Also, any lodging recommendations near Zion or Bryce? I know that Moab would offer a lot of good options, but don't know about SW Utah. We're on a budget and would like to keep it under $100. The more "under" the better..
Thanks for the replies so far! Utah definitely looks beautiful from photos. I'm leaning towards Bryce/Zion since I think the two of them offer better diversity of landscape than Arches/Canyonlands...and per Katzpur's point I feel like I would be better able to take in a park like Zion in a day rather than Arches. However, I think we'll (forgot to mention, will be going with my girlfriend) have to pay close attention to weather. Bryce could be pretty cold in April, right? If Bryce is 40 degrees in mid-afternoon, then Arches will probably win out.
Actually, Zion is not really any more doable in a single day (and you'll have even less than that) than Arches. Both really require a couple of days to see and do what's available. Bryce is much smaller and you can enjoy it in one day if that's all you have. Bryce is much higher than Zion, so yes, it could be cold. Utah has had the warmest winter on record this year, though, so I'm guessing Bryce will probably be in the mid-50s when you're there. Zion will be considerably warmer (as would Arches).
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I acknowledge it'll be a tiring trip...but we're in our 20s and really excited to see as much as possible. And honestly, I don't find driving too tiring.
You should be fine then. Get as early a start as you can and plan on getting back as late as you can without getting overly tired.
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Tentative plan:
1) Get up early and leave from Sandy (where we will be staying) to Bryce. I've heard Bryce has more to see from easy to moderate hikes or from the car. The Navajo trail looks great. This will be the day after skiing, so we don't want to go too hard. We also want to catch a nice sunset somewhere in Bryce and to do some stargazing.
I was going to suggest the Navajo Loop. It's about an hour and a half hike that you will absolutely love! Once you do a drive-through the park and stop at all of the lookouts, one hike is probably all you'll have time to do. Sunset Point and Inspiration point are my favorites. Keep in mind that Bryce is more spectacular in the morning or late afternoon than it is right at noonday.
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2) Head to Zion in the morning. We haven't worked out exactly which hikes yet, but I'm thinking 2 would be a reasonable goal. Angel's Landing, Narrows, or maybe Observation Point. We'll leave in late afternoon or early evening and drive back to Sandy.
Yes, I think two would be reasonable. I've never actually done Angel's Landing, because I can never find anyone to do it with me. Everybody I know is afraid of heights! The Narrows is way cool, but since you're actually hiking in the water, it might be really, really cold in April. The water is on the chilly side even in the summer. The Emerald Pools is another good hike.
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Some more questions...
Any idea how crowded the respective parks will be in April?
Zion will be more crowded than Bryce, but it's still off-season. You should be fine.
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Any hike recommendations in Zion or Bryce?
You already mentioned the ones I'd do.
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Stargazing recommendations? Sunset?
Any of the lookouts at Bryce would be spectacular at sunset. Chilly though. And Bryce has been designated a dark-sky park. I don't know exactly when you'll be there, but unless there is a full moon, you may see more stars in the night sky at Bryce can you can possibly comprehend exist. Wait till it's good and dark, though.
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Katzpur, can you elaborate on why Canyonlands isn't that great? What don't you like about it?
Well, for one thing, it's huge and to me, there isn't as much variety as in the other parks. You have to go deep, deep into the canyon to really see much. You know that movie, "127 Hours" where the hiker ends up cutting off his own arm when it gets trapped in between the wall of a slot canyon and a boulder that fell on it? Well, that took place in that area, just outside of the park limits. If you had a couple of weeks to explore Southern Utah, I'd say it was worth a visit, but I'd definitely skip it this time around.
My sister and I go to at least one of the parks every year. Last year, we decided to come up with one-word descriptions for each one. Here's our list:
Additional complication (or opportunity):
If the snow quality/amount isn't great, we'll have an extra day to explore the parks. This is a definite concern. If this is the case, would you advise spending more time in the parks we choose, visiting Arches, or going down to Monument Valley?
I don't kind of conditions you're used to, but I can pretty much guarantee that the snow quality and amount are going to be very atypical of what you could expect most years here. A lot of the resorts are closing early this year. (It was about three years ago that at least one resort stayed open through the July 4th weekend.) Anyway, if you do ski, keep in mind that the snow won't be the snow we're famous for. Actually, I'd probably skip the skiing entirely, but that's just me. If you end up having an extra day, I'd still spend it in Bryce and Zion or Arches. The drive between Bryce and Arches (Route 12) is spectacular, but it wouldn't leave you any real time to see Arches once you got there. I definitely wouldn't waste my time on Monument Valley with such limited time.
If you do end up doing Arches, let us know and we can recommend some hikes, etc. to do there.
Also, any lodging recommendations near Zion or Bryce? I know that Moab would offer a lot of good options, but don't know about SW Utah. We're on a budget and would like to keep it under $100. The more "under" the better..
If you stay in Bryce, I'd stay at either Ruby's Inn (tell them you want to be in the main lodge) It's right outside the park entrance. Ruby's has been around forever. That's where I always stay. There are other motels a bit further away that you could probably get in for less money. I don't know how good they'd be, though.
You'd want to stay in Springdale if you were to spend the night near Zion. Springdale is literally on the edge of the park. My absolute favorite hotel ever is the Desert Pearl. Again, kind of pricey but definitely worth every penny. There are a number of other options in Springdale, most of them reasonably priced, especially in off-season.
I don't kind of conditions you're used to, but I can pretty much guarantee that the snow quality and amount are going to be very atypical of what you could expect most years here. A lot of the resorts are closing early this year. (It was about three years ago that at least one resort stayed open through the July 4th weekend.) Anyway, if you do ski, keep in mind that the snow won't be the snow we're famous for. Actually, I'd probably skip the skiing entirely, but that's just me. If you end up having an extra day, I'd still spend it in Bryce and Zion or Arches. The drive between Bryce and Arches (Route 12) is spectacular, but it wouldn't leave you any real time to see Arches once you got there. I definitely wouldn't waste my time on Monument Valley with such limited time.
If you do end up doing Arches, let us know and we can recommend some hikes, etc. to do there.
I've never skied out West. I've mostly skied in WV. Last year, I went to NC in March - it was terrible. Well, it was mostly a social trip. From what I've heard, the Cottonwood canyon resorts will be open, but if it's just going to be slush it won't be worth it. So not the famous powder eh?
I've never skied out West. I've mostly skied in WV. Last year, I went to NC in March - it was terrible. Well, it was mostly a social trip. From what I've heard, the Cottonwood canyon resorts will be open, but if it's just going to be slush it won't be worth it. So not the famous powder eh?
Absolutely not. This is probably the worst winter in that regard that we have ever had.
Depending on weather you may want to try Brian Head Ski Resort between Bryce and Zion. Base is at an elevation of 9000+ They have received 202" of snow to date. Fun little mountain with great snow! When we go to Bryce we like staying right in the park at the Lodge. Good thing is you will be there during spring season so the rates are considerably lower than in the summer. A little more expensive than Ruby's or the really nice Best Western, but you can walk over towards the canyon at night, find a place to sit, and have SPECTACULAR views of the evening skies. You will see things in the sky that you never knew existed. WHen you are at Zion, have a bite to eat at Oscar's in Springdale. Fun place and good food at a good price.
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The Narrows is way cool, but since you're actually hiking in the water, it might be really, really cold in April. The water is on the chilly side even in the summer. The Emerald Pools is another good hike. 
