Bryce, Zion reccomendations

[moab_cj5]

I am taking my wife to Southern Utah for our aniversary in October. Do any of you have MUST SEE / MUST DO activities in the areas of Cedar Breaks, Bryce, Zions, and the surrounding areas?

We are planning on taking the Jeep, but not wheeling (not her favorite activity).

We are staying the first night at Brian Head, then the rest of the time just to the East of Zions East enterance. We will be in all of the areas above, plus taking a trip to the Grand Canyon one day.

Thoughts on day trip stuff in each area? I have never been to any of these areas and I am excited., but looking for advice.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Kevin B.]

We loved the hiking in Kolob Canyon. We went up it in February, everything was frozen and there was plenty of snow higher up the canyon. The spring at Double Arch Alcove was frozen over like glass, it was great.

 

[RNandKT]

For Zion all the best hikes require permits, and you have to apply for them online. The Subway, and Orderville Gulch are tops on my list, but there is a lot of info online and a lot of different hikes. It all depends on how strenuous of a hike you wanna do. We were down there a couple months ago as a big family thing so it is all fresh for me. If you want some tips, PM me and let me know. Just let me know how mild or hard you wanna hike.

As for Bryce canyon, you can drive to all the major viewpoints (sunrise point, sunset point, inspiration point) and there are a couple loop trails that take you down into the hoodoos. Peek-a-Boo loop was my favorite. Again it all depends on how much you like to hike. Inspiration point is a must see.

Zion is far more spread out and has more than a dozen different hikes and they are all very different and some like Angels Landing are a bit scary. In Bryce it's not nearly as strenuous. Both are fun, but on my next trip I would spend more time in Zion as it takes more time to see things there. Bryce will be a little cooler especially in October.

Link to where to apply for permits in Zion - https://zionpermits.nps.gov/lastminutedrawingapply.cfm
Link to details about Orderville Gulch in Zion - http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-orderville-canyon.htm
Link to some basic details about most of the hikes in Zion - http://www.americaswonderlands.com/Hiking_Zion_National_Park.htm
Link to Joe's guide to Zion (one of the best Zion websites out there for details about Zion) - http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/
Link to KSL news article about things to do in Bryce - http://www.ksl.com/?sid=25388807&ni...e-canyon-this-week&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-7
Link to horse rides in Bryce - http://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/trailrides.htm
Link to Full Moon Hike in Bryce - http://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/fullmoonhikes.htm


That info should get you started. There is a lot of cool stuff to do down there. We spent a week and by my brother in laws pedometer we walked more than 30 miles during that week and I feel I could have spent a whole extra week in Zion. People who like hiking generally like Zion better and those who prefer to drive usually like Bryce better.

 

[moab_cj5]

Thanks for the info! I will look into Kolob Canyon and all the links provided. I will be sending a PM soon.