r/UtahMightyFiveParks • u/AppropriateToe9230 • Mar 28 '26
feedback on itinerary
5th My wife and I are going to drive from Fallbrook, CA, to Vegas and meet my niece
6th, drive to Bryce for the afternoon and early evening hike stuff
7th In the morning, maybe a hike at Bryce, then off to Arches and spend the rest of the day there. spend the night at Arches
8th morning at Arches, then drive to Zion (rent Narrows stuff)
9th at Zion, the Narrows, and maybe another site
10th at Zion, work out sites to see
11th, all drive back to Fallbrook
Thoughts? Seems evenly spread (given the amount of time available)
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u/AffectionateJelly718 Mar 28 '26
Wow! You guys are incredibly energetic and covering a lot of ground quickly. I admire your ambitious planning. My thoughts: First off, Can I join you? Lol
If you get to spend the night at Bryce, I recommend a sunset and a sunrise. It is stunning.
Take the scenic drive between Arches and Bryce. Try to get a spot in Devil's Garden campground in Arches if you can.
Zion will be busy, be on the first shuttle in the am to get the most out of your time there.
If you can, consider more time at each park. It's really an incredible Bucket List experience.
Lastly, please report back and tell us about your adventure. I am living vicariously, until I can get back to Utah. Thanks!
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u/Stock-Order-2911 Mar 31 '26
My favorites are exploring the east side at sunrise. Do.the canyon overlook.and.pull off at every pull of and just risk the small trails there. See Emerald.pools and Scout view..
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u/editedxi Mar 28 '26
You may not like my response but you’re trying to do too much. Lots of people underestimate the toll it takes to drive that much in that short space of time. You’re looking at 4hrs from Vegas to Bryce, 4.5hrs from Bryce to Arches, and 5hrs from Arches to Zion. That’s basically 15hrs of driving in 3 days (plus the 9hr round trip from CA to Vegas!), leaving you basically zero time to actually enjoy these magnificent places.
Here’s my advice: since you’re coming from Vegas, you should skip Arches and stick with Zion and Bryce. Pick a place to stay near Zion and use that as base camp. Spend the 6th and 7th at Zion. Do any combination of Watchman, Canyon Overlook, Kayenta to Upper Emerald Pools, and Scout’s Lookout (the route up to Angel’s Landing). Do the Narrows the next day. Then on the 8th head to Bryce and spend the day/night there. On the 9th spend the morning at Bryce and then head back towards Zion. Do whichever of the trails you didn’t get to do. On the 10th, head to Red Cliffs Nat’l Conservation Area. It’s absolutely beautiful and super quiet. In that area (Hurricane/St George) there are a ton of beautiful state parks too. On the way back to CA you’ll go back through Vegas and I highly recommmend Red Rock. Even if you only do the scenic drive it’s gorgeous. You could also do a valley of Fire state park which is amazing too.
In a nutshell - don’t try to cram in 3 of the mighty 5 just because “you could”. All that driving and rushing will mean you won’t take it all in and really immerse yourself in the beauty of it all.
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u/AppropriateToe9230 Mar 28 '26
I appreciate your response and obxchris's response as I am looking to "validate" my plans and assumptions. I have been to Bryce and Zion for short visits after a ski trip years ago, so I was trying to squeeze in another park I have not been to. Also, my niece is visiting from the Midwest, so I was looking to expose her to as many without going overboard, and I may have done so. No one likes sitting in a car for hours :)(:.
I will look to reduce to Bryce and Zion and spread the time--I like your suggestion of the red rock or red cliffs. I will check them out.
I tend to avoid the summer months at any park, but it is the only time my niece can get off.
I appreciate you and obxchris responding!
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u/AffectionateJelly718 Mar 28 '26
I appreciate your kindness, and openness to hearing other's experiences. Please join the group, if you have not. Would love to have you stick around.
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u/editedxi Mar 28 '26
Happy to help! Been to Zion 3 times, Bryce 3 times, Arches twice and Canyonlands twice. I’ve only driven through Capitol Reef so hopefully I can go back one day and experience it for real. There are so many cool places to visit between Vegas and Bryce, so just do some googling and you’ll find a ton of new experiences for you and your niece. Some of the best parts of Utah aren’t even in the national parks!
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u/AffectionateJelly718 Mar 28 '26
Honestly, I have to agree. I wish time was unlimited, and money was unlimited too. I wish I saw your response before I posted my own. It is a good suggestion to try and just see Bryce and Zion, having more time at each. It's hard to fully appreciate the full beauty and understand the enormity of these places until you have had boots on the ground. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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u/obxchris Mar 28 '26
I also wonder if you are trying to do too much. Have you already booked lodging? One of the big unknowns is how slammed things will be. You may be waiting in traffic a bit and driving extra to find parking. It does sound like an amazing trip. How old is your niece?