So many people have asked me for this itinerary- and I don't blame them! Zion National Park is one of my favorite National Parks and with the parks opening back up fully again more people are ready to go!
Keep reading for the perfect road trip itinerary for Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park & Zion National Park.
Getting There: Cedar Rapids, IA to Las Vegas, NV
From the midwest, flying to Las Vegas is the most convenient option to start off the road trip. The flight is generally pretty cheap, Las Vegas is one of the closest airports to Grand Canyon National Park (Phoenix is technically closer to GCNP, but farther away from Zion & Bryce), and that allowed us to spend a few days in Las Vegas before and after the parks.
As you can see on the map, it make a loops but you could hit these parks in reverse order if you wanted to! We started at Grand Canyon NP, then went to Bryce Canyon NP, and ended with Zion NP. There are also a few other NPs in the area that could be added to the road trip, like Arches NP, Capital Reef NP & Glen Canyon NP, but we did not have time to do them.
Note: You probably want to visit the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. If you wanted to visit the less-popular North Rim, it would not take you in a loop down and around. You would drive by Zion National Park and then head down to be on the other side of the canyon.
Getting Around:
This road trip requires renting your own vehicle for the week! You will be doing quite a bit of driving, but I promise it is all worth it to see these amazing parks. We took this trip back in 2019, before rental vehicles were super expensive.
If I were taking this trip now, I would definitely look into renting a vehicle with Turo. With Turo you rent a vehicle from the car owner, similar to AirBnb. I used it on my recent trip to Denver and it was great. I saved so much money!
Las Vegas, Nevada
We spent one night in Las Vegas to start and one night to end our trip. We spent these days by the pool, drinking expensive drinks, & eating dinner at fun restaurants. We had already been to Vegas a few times prior to this trip, so we did not feel the need to do all of the Vegas-y things on this trip. We wanted to relax before and after all of the hiking we would do.
Grand Canyon National Park
Getting There:
From Las Vegas, it is about a 4 hour, 15 minute drive. We left Las Vegas early, around 7:30 a.m. to get to Grand Canyon National Park around 1:00 p.m. This still gave us plenty of time in the park for Day 1 of our itinerary.
Where We Stayed:
We stayed in Tusayan, Arizona. This is the closest town to the South entrance of the National Park. It is about a 20 minute drive from the hotels there to the park entrance. In Tusayan there are a few different hotels, a few different restaurants, and one store that has groceries. It is somewhat sparse, but is enough to get by!
Itinerary:
Day 1: Bright Angel Trail, Dinner in the Park, & Canyon Sunset
We got to GCNP around 1:00 p.m. from Las Vegas. It probably is not the best idea to begin desert hiking in the afternoon, but we are a bit crazy sometimes!
We entered the park and as usual, it was pretty busy, especially at the top of the canyon where the Rim Trail is. This is where most visitors are because the Rim Trail does not require any hiking. Here, we took in our first views of the magnificent canyon and ate a late lunch. We ate lunch meat & PBJ sandwiches and tried to avoid the little squirrels that nearly attack you for your food!
After fueling up, we set off toward the Bright Angel Trailhead. This trailhead is where most people finish if they are hiking the Rim to Rim on the same side of the canyon. Someday I plan to go back and at least hike Rim to Rim from South Kaibab to Bright Angel- we practically did it, just in two separate hikes/days.
We hiked for about 3 hours and went about 3 miles down into the canyon & back- a total of 6.43 miles hiked! Not too shabby for a late start to the day & having to make it back up to the top by sundown.
After hiking we made our way over to the Bright Angel Lodge, which has restaurants & bars. While we were there, there was a brewery pop-up, so we got to sample some delicious craft beers before we had dinner at the Arizona Steakhouse. Craft beer & eating a delicious meal after a long, strenuous hike in the heat always hits the spot!
One of my favorite things to do in any National Park is to stay in the park until dark and watch the sunset. In GCNP, this is a very popular thing to do and good spots to watch the sun go down fill up fast! We hopped on the shuttle and went all the way to one far side of the park at Hopi Point to hopefully get a good spot.
After a long day of driving, hiking, & taking the views, we were pooped! We headed back to the hotel & hit the hay, knowing we'd be up bright & early the next morning to do it all again.
Day 2: South Kaibab Trail & Recovery, & Dinner in Tusayan
We got an early start on our day, arriving at the South Kaibab Trailhead at 9:30 a.m. to hike as much as we could before sun down. We hiked for 6 hours going down into the canyon 4.25 miles and back for a total of 9.43 miles hiked!
On the way down we saw the very popular Ooh Ahh Point. This is a popular part of the trail leading down to this famous sign. It is very busy because it is not very far down into the canyon and even the most novice hiker can get to it. Many people start this part of the hike and turn back at Ooh Ahh Point. From there, the crowd definitely thinned out.
We were pooped and very hot after that hike! Our bodies needed some serious recovery at the hotel hot tub. Later on we ate dinner in Tusayan at Big E Steakhouse & Saloon.
Hiking:
Hiking in the Grand Canyon is unlike any hiking that I have done in my life. It. Is. Challenging. This is because when canyoning hiking, you are doing the 'easier' part of the hike first. You go down into the canyon and by the time you get down to the bottom, you're still feeling pretty good. What you don't realize is that you have to go all the way back up to the top. The hard part is still yet to come.
Hiking in the Grand Canyon is also very hot and dangerous. I mean, it is the dessert and there is almost no shade! It is very important if you are planning to hike down into the canyon that you do proper research ahead of time and prepare yourself fully.
This means looking into:
The weather for when you plan to go.
The trails that you plan to do and how long they take to hike. It is important that you are out of the canyon by the time the sun sets and this can be difficult to gauge if you have never canyon hiked before.
Whether the trails you are planning to hike have water on them or not, and if so, hard far into the hike they are.
What you need to bring in order to be prepared: snacks, how much water, what type of shoes, hiking poles, etc.
Tips & Recommendations for GCNP:
Plan ahead! GCNP is one of the most visited NPs in the U.S. Lodging fills up fast & some parts are only open seasonally.
If you are a go-getter and want to hike Rim to Rim on the South Rim (it is not technically Rim to Rim but a lot of people do it because it is more efficient), look into staying at Phantom Ranch in the bottom of the canyon. You can find the information here! Someday I plan to do this.
Mentally prepare for it to be crowded and filled with tourists. Like I said above, the best way to get way from the annoyance of the tourists is to hike down in the canyon and personally I think the best view of the canyon is within it!
Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend
On the way to Bryce Canyon, the route passes right through Page, Arizona. This is where the very famous Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are and they are MUST SEE stops along the way!
Getting There:
It is literally on the route to Bryce Canyon and takes less than 2 hours to get to. I recommend stopping to stay at least one night in Page, Arizona. We stayed there for 2. There is quite a lot to do in the area, like Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam.
Where We Stayed:
We stayed at the coolest hotel ever! The views from the pool were outstanding and the aesthetic of the hotel was great. We stayed at the Lake Powell Resort and they offer so many amenities like boat tours, kayaking, & fishing, allowing you to get the most out of seeing Lake Powell.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hiking Recovery by the Pool, Horseshoe Bend, Dinner in Page
After two full days of hiking in the Grand Canyon, a rest day was much needed. Since our hotel had an awesome pool with a bar, we decided to have a pool day before setting out on our next adventure.
After relaxing all day, we decided to go see Horseshoe Bend during the sunset hours in the evening before we went to dinner at one of the many restaurants in the area. This was a great time to see the view, but maybe not the most ideal for pictures! Because of this we decided to come back again before leaving Page, just to see if that would make a difference!
*Note: this attraction is very popular and gets packed with many people. It is important to stay vigilant and be very careful when taking photos with your back turned to the edge. Always watch your footing and stay a comfortable distance from the edge.
Also, do not expect to get photographer-worthy photos without people in the background easily! Patience is definitely a requirement for that.
Day 2: Antelope Canyon, Kayaking in Lake Powell, Dinner in Page
The very famous Antelope Canyon tour is a must do if you are in the area! The slot canyons are so unique to see, fun to walk through, & amazing for unique photos. On the tour, the guide shows different views along the canyon, takes photos for you, & explains the history of the slot canyons. I highly recommend this tour company.
The tour only lasts for 1-1.5 hours, so it is definitely a quick activity to add to a fun-filled day. After our tour we decided to go on a kayaking touring on Lake Powell. My family loves kayaking & our guides were incredible! Unfortunately I cannot remember which company we went with, but there are many to choose from and I am sure they are all great.
After kayaking & exploring the lake, we hit up some BBQ at Big John's Texas BBQ because it had great reviews on TripAdvisor. It has outdoor seating and I believe they had a live band playing while we were there.
Page, Arizona was a perfect little break from hiking and National Parks during our trip and offered so much to do and incredible views. Before leaving the area, we checked out Horseshoe Bend one more time and then set off for Bryce Canyon NP.
Tips & Recommendations for Page, Arizona:
Book your tours ahead of time, especially if you are traveling during the peak seasons of summer or spring break.
Wear decent walking shoes for Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. Horseshoe Bend requires walking in gravel for about .5 mile at an incline to see it. Antelope Canyon requires navigating ladders both up and down in order to get through it. Both would be more challenging without sturdy shoes.
Be careful of the time and your phone clocks. Page, Arizona is right on the edge of two times zones and depending on which time you visit will depend on what time it is there. It kept switching back and forth for me on my phone when we were there in June.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Getting There:
From Page, Arizona it is about a 2.5 hour drive to BCNP. If you went directly from GCNP, it would be an almost 5 hour drive! Just another great reason to stop and spend some time in Page.
Where We Stayed:
We only spent the day at BCNP and did not stay the night in the area. Instead, after exploring BCNP we ate dinner and then drove on another 2 hours to Springdale, Utah. This is the town that is located right outside of Zion National Park.
You could definitely extend your time in Bryce Canyon National Park and stay overnight in the area, but there is not much for a town nearby and since it was so close to Zion anyways, we figured this would allow us to get an earlier start on Zion National Park the next day.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Hiking the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park
Like I said, we only spent a portion of one day here. Bryce Canyon National Park is not super huge and there is not a ton of hiking in the main part of the park where the hoodoos are.
Hoodoo: /ˈho͞oˌdo͞o/ (noun) a column or pinnacle of weathered rock.
At BCNP, make sure to hike the Navajo Loop. It is a 1.3 mile loop that takes you down and around the hoodoos and back up to the top. Even though it is short, it is mildly challenging toward the end due to the incline and the switchbacks.
After hiking we had a little picnic in the park and drove up to the highest part of the park to look down on the view of the hoodoos and the mountains in the distance.
*Note: You can kind of see the switchbacks down below here where the tiny people are. I was not joking when I said it was a tough incline!
Overall, Bryce Canyon National Park is so cool and is very beautiful. I am sure that we could have spent so much more time exploring the other trails through the forests, camping, or in the Visitor's Center. But, it always was a good stop for a quick break in our driving, too.
Before moving on we ate at Bryce Canyon Pines, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet type of restaurant and is one of the only options that was nearby.
Tips & Recommendations for BCNP:
Wear good, closed toe shoes! This park is DUSTY and the orange dust will get all up in your grill and even inside your shoes. There is also quite a bit of incline and decline that can be slippery on the dusty trails.
Do more research on what is around there because I am sure there is so much more for restaurants, etc. We just did not look into them ahead of time!
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is on my list of Top 5 Favorite National Parks. It is breathtakingly beautiful and I am a sucker for dangerous hikes. I also love Springdale, the cute town that is outside of Zion National Park. And overall, I found Zion Park to be well-organized and easy to navigate. Some NPs are less so, just depending on their location and how popular they are.
Getting There:
We drove the 2 hours from BCNP the night before and got to Springdale late in the evening to check into our hotel. From Zion NP, it is about 3 hours back to Las Vegas to complete the road trip loop.
Where We Stayed:
We stayed in Springdale at the Bumbleberry Inn. We found the price to be reasonable and the location to be great. It had a pool and a café attached, as well as other restaurants and shops nearby. There is even a shuttle bus in town that takes you to the National Park!
Itinerary:
Day 1: The Narrows & Dinner in Springdale
Our itinerary ended up having to be weather-dependent with flexibility to swap these two days if needed. The weather ended up being great and the water levels were not too high to hike the Narrows. Sometimes the Narrows does close if there is a risk of flooding or the water levels are too high.
If you have never heard of the Narrows, it is a hike between the walls of the canyon where you walk through the water. It is highly recommended that you rent proper water shoes and hiking poles to do this. They are life savers because they are not only for the water, but they also kind of support your ankles as you walk on the rocks at the bottom of the water.
This was such a fun and unique hike with lots of challenges on where to walk and which side of the wall to walk by! It was very busy when we first started out but the further you go, the more the crowd thins.
We hiked for about 5.5 hours in the narrows. I don't have an accurate account of the distance that we did since my watch didn't track it properly, unfortunately. I wouldn't say this hike is super challenging, other than the fact that you are going against the current on the way out. On the way back you are moving with the current and are mostly just focusing on where to step!
We had a little picnic on a big rock about halfway through our hike to refuel. Luckily we also rented a waterproof backpack to carry our devices & our food.
After a long day of wading in the water, we needed a hot meal. PB&J sandwiches do tend to get a bit old on a long trip of hiking like this one! We set out for one of the many restaurants in Springdale and then rested up at our hotel for the big day tomorrow would bring... Angel's Landing!
Day 2: Angel's Landing
Angel's Landing... a hike straight from my Most Epic Bucket List. I could not have been more excited to get up super early, head to the park, & brave the adventurous hike.
Angel's Landing is famous for being a dangerous and is not something to be attempted if you are inexperienced in hiking or are afraid of heights. It is long, the incline is steep and the trail gets very very close to the edge. So close that they had to put up metal cables to allow people to grab onto. Oh, and not to mention that is gets very very crowded!
When I hiked it in 2019, it was completely open and anyone could hike it. Now, you have to win in the lottery to get a permit to hike Angel's Landing. You can enter into the lottery system here. If you win, take me with you!
We arrived to the park around 7:30 a.m. and by the time we hopped onto the shuttle and arrived at the trailhead to get started it was 8:30 a.m. The crowd was already starting to form for the hike- always make sure to set off for the hikes early!
It took us about 4 hours to conquer the hike, which includes the 45 minutes we spent at the top to eat our picnic lunch and take in the views. In total, I tracked about 6 miles out and back. As you can tell, the trail is not super long but it is narrow, steep, & overall a bit terrifying!
Don't let all of that scare you though! Not everyone can say that they have completed a hike like this. Conquering Angel's Landing will make you feel so exhilarated and proud of yourself. Hundreds of people do it everyday and you can do, just make sure you are vigilant and prepared.
After that huge accomplished we felt like we deserved to treat ourselves. We went out to eat in Springdale and I replenished my body with beer, steak, & ice cream! Then, I soaked my poor feet in the hot tub at our hotel. I will say, my Chaco sandals were great for hiking Angel's Landing because they are grippy and don't get super full of red dirt, but my toes were not looking very pretty afterward.
Tips & Recommendations for Zion NP:
Give yourself more than 2 days in the park, especially if you are hiking the Narrows & Angel's Landing! There are so many other, more tame hikes to do in Zion that we did not have time to do. I wish we would have had just more day.
Look into camping! Camping is very popular at Zion NP.
Watch the documentary, Free Solo, before you go. You'll see why when you watch it. (This also applies for Yosemite NP)
Bring both hiking sandals & hiking boots.
Be prepared to be patient using the shuttle system to get through the park. It runs on an out and back route, so you will have to wait as it stops to let people off and pick people up on the route.
Back to Vegas & Then Home
Our road trip came to an end as we drove the 4 hours back to Las Vegas from Zion NP for one last night. This time we stayed at the Delano, where we lounged in their VIP pool and enjoyed In & Out Burger (our fave West Coast fast food) for supper.
We were homeward bound the next morning & back in the midwest in the afternoon. As usual, my family always needs a vacation after taking a vacation because we hardly ever relax and hiking does take a toll on your body if you are not able to do it super frequently. We were pooped, but on a high from all of the amazing things we experienced as family during our trip.
Little did we know it would be our last vacation as a family of 4. Both, my sister & I brought our boyfriends (now husbands) on our family vacations in 2020 and 2021. It is so crazy to look back on this trip and realize that!
"Checkin' it off the bucket list!"
-Mackensie
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