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TexasCamper · 01-10-2010, 08:31 PM

Last July & Aug, we spent two weeks at Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon (north & south rims).

Some thoughts:
(1) re: dog; Zion doesn't allow vehicles in one of their scenic sections. Instead you rely on a shuttle system. The shuttle system works great but they don't allow dogs. And you DON'T want to skip this section of the park! This was the main reason we decided to leave our dog with a friend while we were away.
(2) re: Grand Canyon: we enjoyed the North Rim better than the South. Can't say you can skip the south rim, but it is much more crowded (including a few rude encounters). We spent more time at the North Rim and were glad we did....much quieter and easy-going.
(3) re: weather...hot days (90-95F); recommend electrical hook-ups so you can run your A/C. At night, things cool off. I actually used the HEATER one August evening at the North Rim when it dropped to the 30's (keep in mind, I'm from TX).
(4) re: Bryce: our favorite highlight of our trip was a 2-hr horse ride in Bryce with the kids (ages 7 & 9). You ride into the valley and the view is spectacular.
(5) re: campgrounds to consider: we stayed at the Ponderosa outside Zion for a few days (they have great activities there). The campsites themselves aren't very campy, but the facilities and activities are top notch. While at the North Rim, we stayed at the Kaibab Camper Village. Here the sites were very campy; but the laundry facilities couldn't be used after 7PM, you paid for showers, and bathrooms were outhouses. While at Bryce, we stayed at the Bryce Canyon Pines campground. This campground was campy but had similar laundry restrictions and had well-used shower facilities.
(6) we regret not taking one of the Lake Powell boat tours that provide close-up views of some beautiful landscapes that can only be viewed by boat.
(7) we were disappointed with our campground selection while visiting the south rim. If we did it again, we'd try to get into the campground within the park itself.
(8) while at Bryce, we made a day-trip to Grand Staircase NM (via Cannonville) and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Beautiful & unique. Didn't have enough time to do it justice.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!!!
John

01-10-2010, 08:31 PM	#18
TexasCamper Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 153	TM'ing in Southern UT and GC Last July & Aug, we spent two weeks at Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon (north & south rims). Some thoughts: (1) re: dog; Zion doesn't allow vehicles in one of their scenic sections. Instead you rely on a shuttle system. The shuttle system works great but they don't allow dogs. And you DON'T want to skip this section of the park! This was the main reason we decided to leave our dog with a friend while we were away. (2) re: Grand Canyon: we enjoyed the North Rim better than the South. Can't say you can skip the south rim, but it is much more crowded (including a few rude encounters). We spent more time at the North Rim and were glad we did....much quieter and easy-going. (3) re: weather...hot days (90-95F); recommend electrical hook-ups so you can run your A/C. At night, things cool off. I actually used the HEATER one August evening at the North Rim when it dropped to the 30's (keep in mind, I'm from TX). (4) re: Bryce: our favorite highlight of our trip was a 2-hr horse ride in Bryce with the kids (ages 7 & 9). You ride into the valley and the view is spectacular. (5) re: campgrounds to consider: we stayed at the Ponderosa outside Zion for a few days (they have great activities there). The campsites themselves aren't very campy, but the facilities and activities are top notch. While at the North Rim, we stayed at the Kaibab Camper Village. Here the sites were very campy; but the laundry facilities couldn't be used after 7PM, you paid for showers, and bathrooms were outhouses. While at Bryce, we stayed at the Bryce Canyon Pines campground. This campground was campy but had similar laundry restrictions and had well-used shower facilities. (6) we regret not taking one of the Lake Powell boat tours that provide close-up views of some beautiful landscapes that can only be viewed by boat. (7) we were disappointed with our campground selection while visiting the south rim. If we did it again, we'd try to get into the campground within the park itself. (8) while at Bryce, we made a day-trip to Grand Staircase NM (via Cannonville) and Kodachrome Basin State Park. Beautiful & unique. Didn't have enough time to do it justice. HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! John __________________ 2008 TM3023 TV#1: 2008 Chrysler Town & Country (3.8L Touring w/ tow package, WDH) (retired 2018) TV#2: 2015 Nissan Pathfinder (w/ tow package, WDH) TV#3: 2018 Ford F150 (w/ tow package, WDH)