U.S. Southwest Road Trip - Zion, Bryce, and Arches National Parks (2020)

LA to Moab

I planned an 8 day road trip that took my partner and I from Los Angeles to Aspen, CO in mid August 2020. On the way to Colorado we stopped in Zion, Bryce, and Arches National Parks and a made additional stops in between. This is part 1 of the adventure.

Quick Links:
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Hell’s Backbone Road
Goblin Valley State Park
Moab, Utah
Arches National Park

Zion

Zion Arrival and Canyon Overlook Trail

Zion was the first destination on the road trip. We drove the 7 hours from LA to Zion passing through 4 states and arrived around 5pm. I was startled to see that the car temperature read 115 degrees Fahrenheit. I knew it was supposed to be hot, but not that hot!

We entered through the southern entrance which is considered the main entrance with many hotels, restaurants, and shops lining the road. With a couple hours before sunset we opted for the Canyon Overlook trail which is just 1 mile round trip and has a great view of the canyon. There were a few groups dressed up for wedding and engagement photos, certainly a beautiful and convenient spot! Note – the parking lot is almost non-existent so most people park on the street.

Zion Accommodation

As the sun got lower in the sky we set out to find a camping spot a friend had shared that was on Beuro of Land Management (BLM) Land. If you are not familiar with BLM land, the general rule is that you can camp anywhere unless otherwise posted. Upon arrival we saw many private property and no camping signs, so we moved onto the next BLM camp spot. This next spot was great with flat ground and other campers, but long story short a ranger kicked everyone out at midnight because there was a technicality about being half a mile off the street (impossible with a car due to the landscape).

Our next move was to get a room at a hotel since it was late, but the nearest one was completely booked. We eventually set up camp off Dalton Wash road which the ranger had said would be okay.

We felt that the people of Zion are trying to shut down BLM camping. You’re best off getting an official campsite or hotel/ Airbnb.

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and The Narrows

After cooking breakfast on the camping stove and packing up, we drove into the park and parked in the lot next to the visitor center. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is a ~13 mile road (round trip) that runs through the canyon and connects all the top sites. Private vehicles are not allowed, so most people book a shuttle pass. We were unable to get a shuttle pass because they are limited due to COVID-19 (and I waited too long), but this was lucky because it encouraged us to bike the scenic route.

Along the scenic drive there are many stops including trailheads for Angels Landing, The Grotto, Weeping Rock, and the Zion Lodge. We enjoyed the ~6 miles of gradual uphill on our bikes and eventually made it to the trailhead for the Narrows.

The Narrows are the narrowest part of Zion Canyon and is an extremely popular trail where you are actually walking through the river for the majority of the hike. The nice thing is that you don’t have to go that far to get the full experience, unless you want to get further from the crowds. We hiked about 3-4 miles roundtrip starting from the Riverside Walk and stopping near the Narrows Alcove. Remember, hiking in the water against a current is much slower than on land!

Things to know about the Narrows

I highly recommend any sort of water shoes. The rocks are slippery and it would be easy to stub a toe.
I wore cheap, simple water shoes that I already had and was fine, they don’t have to be fancy. I saw many people wearing red and black shoes, so I assume there is a place in town where you can rent these.
Check for flood warnings
A walking stick could be helpful for wading through the water
At the time we hiked the Narrows there was a notice about a Toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom and it was advised to avoid contact with the river. We, along with hundreds of others, hiked the Narrows anyway, but dogs and babies should be especially careful.
You can do the narrows in the winter months! Just rent some waders and wear warm clothes.

After the Narrows we biked back to our car, and this was the most amazing bike ride and the highlight of Zion for me! The bike ride is 98% downhill on the way back and there are few vehicles on the road.

From there we drove from Zion to stop number two, Bryce Canyon.

Where to stay

If you can, book a campsite at South or Watchman campgrounds through recreation.gov. Otherwise book a hotel in Springdale or in one of the small towns along Highway 9.

What to do

Angel’s Landing – very famous hike, very narrow with drop offs on either side
The Narrows
The Subway – permit needed
Canyon Overlook trail
The Grotto
Weeping Rock
Hangout by the river
Picnic at the lodge
Observation Point
Ride bikes along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive – bike rentals available in town

Notes

Biking down the scenic drive is magical
Very little shade on the scenic drive
Zion is an extremely popular National Park
Zion gets very hot in the summer
Zion locals appear to be putting efforts toward eliminating legal, free camping
I would not have done Angel’s Landing even if the chains were open!
The shops and restaurants in Springdale looked fun
Despite toxic algal alerts there were kids swimming in the river

View looking south from Riverwalk Trailhead and lawn near Zion Lodge

Bryce Canyon National Park

The drive from Zion to Bryce is just 1.5 hours northeast. I had pre-booked a site at Sunset Campground in Bryce, so we headed straight there to set up camp. After setting up the tent and getting wood, we biked over to Sunset Point to get our first view of the canyon, which did in fact coincide with sunset.

Bryce Canyon is really neat because you start at the top looking down, and then can descend into the canyon if you want to. There are several lookout points along the rim for different views.

That night we were so happy to have an established campsite with a fire ring and enjoyed sausage, ‘cowboy’ vegetables, and roasted marshmallows over the fire.

The next day we hiked into the canyon taking the Navajo Loop Trail down and Wallstreet on the way back up for a total of ~1.5 miles. The canyon has very minimal shade and is pretty steep, but I think hiking in is a must. It’s really neat to get the different perspective with the hoodoos towering over you.

Views along the Navajo and Wallstreet trails

What is a hoodoo? Hoodoos are tall, skinny rock formations that resemble chess pieces (in my opinion). They form this unique shape because harder rock ends up on top of softer rock which erodes more easily. In Bryce the main cause of erosion is frost wedging – at 8000+ feet Bryce gets cold temperatures and snow.