Oh @NJSue - you will have a blast. We go through that area about every other year on our way to Colorado and we’ve never not had fun. The drive from Vegas is super easy. We’ve done the Belagio stopover too - very nice. Head over to Page to do the Antelope Canyon tours - they’re incredibly scenic walks in hidden canyons. Not strenuous, mostly for photos but what photos! I hope you aren’t only staying at the N. Rim? There are super nice places in Springfield. Edited - I see you aren’t! You will have a blast.
I can help on food - food at the N Rim is mostly just the lodge, ditto Bryce. But Moab and Springdale have lots of great options. The Moab Brewery is our favorite - even if you don’t like beer, the food is great. Many places in Utah brew rootbeer, btw and it’s way better than canned! In Springdale, Zion Pizza and Pasta is a great stop for casual dinner and the Spotted Dog is perfect for a “nicer” evening out. If/when you go through Kanab, the Rocking V Cafe is awesome - maybe a good stop on your way to the N Rim.
@CaMom13 thanks. We made dinner reservations at the North Rim lodge already. Thanks for the Moab and Springdale recs. We are kind of foodies and I grew up in the Midwest and know that rural local restaurant food is not all that great. We don’t have super high expectations of food outside metro areas but it’s good to know what is solid.
If you are a Facebook user, you could follow the national parks on your newsfeed. For example, today I got an update from Zion on the crowds trying to hike the Angel’s Landing trail. You’ll get updates on weather, trail conditions, etc. Plus lots of nice photos of things to see.
We Have been to some of those places on various trips. I remember going to Moab in the late 90s. A highlight of that trip was a white water rafting trip on the Colorado. We loved Zion, and hope to go back. We were only there 2 days, and we took several great hikes.
If you have any time while in LV, Valley of Fire state park and/or RedrockCanyon are worth a trip for hiking.
If Zion Canyon is packed, try the Kolob Canyons section of the park. It’s gorgeous and gets a fraction of the visitors.
I second the Rocking V in Kanab as a great dinner in the middle of nowhere. If you go through at the wrong time for dinner, Kanab Creek Coffee is a nice coffee stop.
@NJSue - we are total foodies from LA and I do not like settling for bad food anywhere! SW Utah is a mix of standard American mediocre and posh foodie fabulous. If you take the time to choose where you eat, you will eat well! Springdale in particular has so many good restaurants that we can’t hit them all in one trip.
We loved our trip there but underestimated the crowds (We visited with our RV 2 summers ago.) We expected Zion to be the highlight but rainy weather and the overwhelming crowds made it unpleasant. I don’t remember what time the first bus goes to the Narrows but we were on it and it was packed. With the high water level it was strenuous hiking- rocks slippery and cold water. We’re in our late 50’s not in excellent shape but can easily hike for 4 to 5 hours.
Bryce was probably our favorite park. It wasn’t as crowded and the formations were beautiful. The elevations changes were challenging. I want to visit again but may opt for the horse ride next time.
At the North Rim, we enjoyed the North Kaibab Trail. Very peaceful trail and beautiful views.
We didn’t go to Moab but loved hiking a slot canyon close to there. It’s right outside Goblin State Park and I think it’s called Little Wild Horse Canyon.
If you want a breath taking, long drive, travel on 95 from Hite to Natural Bridges. (I am usually sick of seeing rocks and scenic views after 2 weeks, I found this area stunning and my husband absolutely loved driving it.)
We enjoyed Antelope Canyon but Page itself is not very appealing. Depending on your itinerary, National Park tours at Mesa Verde are wonderful. We also loved hiking in the Sedona area.
There are some incredibly knowledgeable people on tripadvisor forum that gave us excellent advice. Best advice was to avoid driving at night and the estimated drive times are probably much longer than what google maps indicate.
Do get to Canyonlands too.
In the future, the best way to avoid the crowds and the necessity of using the shuttle bus to enter Zion, is to book at the Lodge. Lodge guests can drive into the park. When we visited the best hours were in the evening after the shuttle crowds had left. We walked the deserted road, saw the elk grazing and enjoyed the peace and quiet.
I follow Zion NP on Instagram, and there have been several trail & road updates recently.
You can download Google maps to use offline, they work great even with no service if you phone has GPS.
If you like rocks, Utah has great roadside shops selling tons of pretty rocks for very reasonable prices.
Dead Horse Park is very nice, you don’t really need a lot of time there, just to take in an amazing view.
We just got back from the trip and had an amazing time. We benefited from the insights/advice in this thread. Some particulars: Zion is spectacularly gorgeous but very crowded. We got on the first shuttle at 6 a.m. to do Angel’s Landing. I could only make it to Scout’s Overlook but DH did the whole thing (I was nervous and questioning everyone who came down if they had seen him–I am still not sure he should have done it!). The Narrows was closed. We went to Kolob Canyons per @Hanna and it was wonderful, one of our favorites. We hiked Taylor Creek and basically had it all to ourselves (although it was cold, rainy, and at one point, sleeting). Another favorite trail was Tower Bridge at Bryce (the regular loop, Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop, was partially closed). Between Bryce and Moab, we drove Utah Route 12, which was incredible, and stopped for a late breakfast at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder. We went to Goblin Valley State Park en route from Bryce to Moab (thanks @taverngirl) and it was charming–like a meadow of little hoodoos. The ranger-guided tour of the Fiery Furnace made the trip to Arches for us. It was a great group experience; the ranger had us bond as a group and we helped each other through the more challenging parts. You have to wear good hiking shoes/boots for this because you are scrambling up big rocks and grip is important. Regular sneakers won’t cut it. Arches was super crowded so one day we just went to Utah state parks, which were outstanding (and IMHO better than the national parks in their information and displays on geological and cultural history). Dead Horse Point was spectacular. We hiked Fisher Towers, which was great. At the North Rim we did the Widforss trail (thanks @TatinG). I am so glad we went to the North Rim. We got a Western Cabin with a rim view (301) and it was spectacular. One of the waiters told us that the North Rim only allows 5 tour buses a day compared to the gajillion that go to the South Rim. @4kids4us, we did go down to the Coconino Overlook. It wasn’t muddy and it was early enough in the season that the mule poop wasn’t too much of a problem! Zion, Bryce, and the North Rim in late May were cold. I had a performance fabric hoodie, a hooded rain jacket, a fleece jacket, a fleece vest, gloves, and a hat. I needed them all. I will never forget this trip. Utah in particular is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Hand Made Goat Cheese Chili Relleno at the Whiptale Grill in Springdale. OH my–the best.
Have a great trip. We were there in what was suppose to be lovely weather and were hit with a snow storm at Zion.
Beautiful area.
NJSue - we stopped by Arches the last week May on our big road trip to San Diego from the midwest. I truly wish we could have stayed longer and done all of the other parks. We did the hike to delicate arch and were just floored. Right now that’s towards the top of my list of favorite natural places.
Moab was really hopping; I’d like to go back; and the park closed due to crowds right after we got in. We also spent a day hiking around the Grand Canyon; that was fun but I think I had more of a reaction to arches. We were too late to get fiery furnace tickets; hope you enjoyed! We will someday get back out to discover the other parks in Utah.
@oregon101, we ate at the Whiptail Grill twice! We had the goat cheese chile relleno and it was awesome. Our D played on a college ultimate frisbee team called the Whiptails so of course we had to go. We stayed at the Cable Mountain Lodge and the Whiptail Grill was easy walking distance. We also ate at the Spotted Dog and it was good (bison meatloaf).
@bgbg4us I know what you mean about crowded Moab. We spend a morning at Dead Horse Point and then drove into town for lunch. The northbound 191 was packed and crawling. We inched north and turned off onto 128 toward Fisher Towers. We stayed at Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab (12 miles away) and it was wonderful.
We ate at Zion lodge (lunch), Bryce lodge (lunch and dinner) and Grand Canyon Lodge (all meals). The concessionaire is Forever Resorts. I have to say that the food exceeded expectations at all of these places. There were water restrictions at the North Rim when we were there because a water main broke, and they were using bamboo plates and plastic cutlery in the dining room. But that was the only sign of the water problem.
@NJSue Your trip sounds amazing! Hope you guys had lots of fun! It’s too bad the Narrows were closed. That was one of my favorite hikes. I especially liked how the dry suits allow you to float along the river. You mentioned that you went to the North Rim. What is it like there? I’ve only been to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Also along the way, did you stop by Horseshoe Bend?
I wish we had the same advise like you did @NJSue . You had such a wonderful trip. We “went” there by joining a tour, yes we did visit the Antelop Valley in detail, but for Utah, we had just “drove by” and did not or could not see or do what you have done. Will try to follow your routes the next time.
@artloversplus If you’re going back to Utah, I suggest hiking the Narrows in Zion. That was an awesome place to hike. If you are driving, which state would you be coming from because I know a bunch of other amazing places around the area?