zion: January 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

expenses and lodging

Fees

private shuttle to trailhead for observation point $25/person. Runs at 6:15 and 9:30. Does it make the hike shorter? http://www.zionadventures.com/zionshuttles/zion-eastern-region-trailheads/

Entry for Zion National Park costs $25 per vehicle or $12 per person (pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc.); these are the highest NPS fee, the same as other top locations like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
Bryce Canyon National Park Vehicle Permit - $30

ENTRANCE FEES
The following Entrance Fees are charged for traveling the park's Scenic Drive beyond the Fruita Campground. Passes are good for 7 days.
Vehicles: $10.00
This fee applies to private vehicles, including motorcycles.

Budget: From Hawaii 2012: Food: $1016 for 4 people for 9 nights, not including luau and lunch on boat
Budget from Grand Canyon 2010: $2222 total of which $483 was food with 2 people for 5 nights

April 6, 2022:

weather: Zion: freezing overnight and 60-80 during the day, Torrey 22-60, Las Vegas 50-75, Bryce 21-53

Mandalay Bay, Vegas $161/night with a wave pool, aquarium, and lazy river ($529 on April 8 Fri) ($313 on April 7 Th) ($250 on 4/10 Sun)

Capital Reef Resort $179 ($147 on Sunday April 20, 2025) or The Noor $127 ($229 on Saturday)

Best Western Bryce $130 ($160 on Monday April 21, 2025)

Sleep Inn, Hurricane (near Zion) $156 ($124 Tuesday, April 22, 2025)

Homewood Suites by Las Vegas Airport $215 with a kitchen, or LaQuinta $145

$971 hotel (
Flights DCA to Vegas $460/person with one checked bag, or $358 with 1 carry on, $1840/family

Vegas hotel prices on the strip on Saturday April 19, 2024

Harrah's .4 mi from Bellagio $259, 7.7 stars

Tuscany 0.7 mi from Bellagio $273 8.6 stars

Mandalay Bay 1.8 mi from Bellagio $479 8.1 stars

May 28 - June 4, 2022:

Weather: Zion 50-90 n/d, Torrey 33/75, Las Vegas 67/91, Bryce 32-68

Through Salt Lake City: Flights $593/person unless we have a stop or a flight that goes overnight. $492/person for a flight that has a stop on the way home only.
Mandalay Bay, Vegas $416 May 28 or $281 on May 29

Capital Reef Resort $319 on Saturday, $184 on Friday, $299 on other days or Red Sands $167 at most

June 18, some year before 2022:

Mandalay Bay, Vegas $155/night with a wave pool, aquarium, and lazy river
Capitol Reef Resort $112/night
Bryce Canyon Villas $139/night only one room left, or
Best Western Plus Ruby's (Bryce)$192/night or
Ruby's Inn (Bryce) $145- $160
Desert Pearl Inn $259/night or Quality Inn at zion for $139/night with free breakfast
Homewood Suites by Las Vegas Airport $140

$ 977 hotel = $155+$112+$150+$140+$140+$140+$140

rental car $250 for a RAV-4 SUV from Alamo

$531 rental car at the airport or $278 rental car 2 miles from city center

$4768 = $1220 food, $531 car, $1840 flights, $977 hotel, $80 park fees, $120 parking

Total $4166 = $1016 food, $977 hotel, $1624/flights, $80 parking, $150 luggage, $254 rental car + $65 park fees

*******************************2019 airfare to Denver****************************
June 18 - July 07 airfare $1698

April 14:
In Vegas:
Mandalay bay: $200/night
Near Bryce:
Stone Canyon Inn: Bungalow for $175 separate living room and bedroom
Ruby's Best Western: 2 queen beds no breakfast for $95
Near Capitol Reef and Escalante is a town called Torrey, UT which has:
Austin's Chuckwagon Lodge and General Store: $107/night outdoor pool, breakfast not included
Broken Spur: $81-105 night with indoor pool and free breakfast that people rave about
Near Zion:
Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort: $195 for 2 brm cabin, $80 for conestoga wagon with communal bathhouse
Quality Inn At Zion Park: $112 with free breakfast
Near Vegas Airport:
Homewood Suites: $169/night with full kitchen

Total hotel $995 = $200 + $200 + $95 + 107 + 112 + 112 + 169

flights Fri April 14-Fri April 21 (STEM Saturday on April 22 can't be missed): $530 nonstop

Rental Car: $205 for SUV from Hertz (Jeep Compass or similar, 5 passenger, 4 bags)

Total $4601 = $1016 food, $995 hotel, $2120/flights, $80 parking, $150 luggage, $205 rental car + $35 park fees

April 14-21 in Salt Lake City:
rental car SUV 5 people 4 bags, Hertz: $338
flights : $519/person nonstop on Delta

Hotel: University Guest House is #2 hotel for $146/night, great breakfast, beautiful view

Hampton Inn Downtown $110/night indoor pool and hot tub, free breakfast

Little America $89, #3 hotel for families. Indoor and outdoor Pool. breakfast.

Hampton Inn and Suites Airport $123

Total hotel $728 = $89 + 89 + 107 + 96 +112 + 112 + 123

Total $4423 = $1016 food, $728 hotel, $2076/flights, $80 parking, $150 luggage, $338 rental car + $35 park fees

RV

RV rentals: approx. $180/night. Buying an RV and selling it when we get home: $50k * 0.06 sales tax = $3k just in tax plus $4-500/month loan payment.

iMoovA and Jucy offer one-way super low rate RV rentals because they allow a family to use the RV for 5-17 days while relocating the RV from one city to another city. The family pays for the gas and saves the RV company from having to pay an employee to relocate the RV. Win-win.

http://www.imoova.com/imoova/relocations
http://www.imoova.com/imoova/relocations

A couple who RV's 3000 miles Chicago to CA for $2400 including gas, food, propane, supplies, park entrance fees, campsites, etc. https://www.drinkteatravel.com/cost-road-trip-usa-2-weeks/
https://www.drinkteatravel.com/cost-road-trip-usa-2-weeks/

zion top attractions

Canyon Overlook Trail:
"This hike is short and sweet with a great viewpoint! If this is your first visit to Zion, do this hike; you will love the experience! Even after all of the times I have visited Zion, I still enjoy this great little trail." - http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/canyonoverlook.cfm

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Observation Point is a safer hike than Angels Landing. OP is much less traveled. Is longer and steeper. AL has a 1000 foot drop off on both sides and is not for small children and is a problem for people with a fear of heights. .Both are excellent hikes with incredible views, and have amazing scenery.Observation Point is 8 miles round trip, AL is 5 miles.If you get dropped off for OP, I believe its around 7 miles top to bottom. " We started at 8 am so the way up was mostly in the shade which helped a lot. Start early, bring lots of water (I brought 1.5L and husband 3L and we finished it all) and snacks, and take breaks when needed (we spent 4 hr 45 min total on this hike). " http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/observation-point-trail-zion-national-park

If your goal is to get away from people,Observation Point sees only a fraction of visitors of Angels Landing.You actually look down on Angels Landing across the canyon.If you continue further up the west rim trail past Scouts Lookout, you will get away from the masses that flock there to start the final push to the top of the Landing.

switchbacks at the top

looking down on Angels Landing

For hike with more of a thrill factor,Angels Landing wins, for the fact you walk right on the edge.

The shuttle is a good idea if you don't like the idea of a steep slog out of the canyon.

On the Angles Landing hike "Everyone in your group can get to Scouts Lookout, which is just before the last section to Angels Landing.That is easy." " hike to Scout Lookout which is about 3/4 of the way up. All of the treacherous stuff is after Scout Lookout. "

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Many Pools: 2.3 miles 544 feet Out & Back "This trail is a hidden treasure of Zion National Park. Not really a trail it's more of an open canyon made of sandstone. Therefore there's a decent amount of rock scrambling, but nothing dangerous about it. That being said, the kids loved this hike more than any other in Zion. The rock scrambling was more like a playground than a hike for the kids.

The trail is appropriately named. There are several dozen pools that all connect to each other and flow slowly from one pool into another. And they are all gorgeous. We also saw a herd of big horn sheep up on the bluffs above us.
FYI, I've only visited this trail once and it was in February when there was snow run-off in the mountains above to supply the pools. I've heard that in the summer the pools become dried up some what and full of pond scum (which doesn't sound as pretty)" - http://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/many-pools-zion-national-park

"Trailhead - Drive along the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, heading east from the small tunnel and look for the second drainage on the north side of the highway. Large white monoliths are visible landmarks from the road as well as the hiking route that passes between a small dome-like mountain and a larger mountain to the right. There is a pull-out .8 miles from the end of the small tunnel where you park, before continuing on foot 150 yards east, following the beaten path down into the bowl on the north side of SR-9. Stay in the drainage, going away from the 1930's built culvert. The terrain changes from soft sand to smooth washed stone and walls open up as northern travel leads to potholes, and big slabs of flat stone make a nice walking path. A big rock, that appears to be laying on its side, forms a short slot canyon on the right. Two large Ponderosa Pines and two large Juniper trees offer a momentary reprieve from the sun while a huge boulder provides a charming backdrop for a dwarf waterfall about a half-mile into this scenic stroll. Soon the "trail" gets steeper as water-gnawed receptacles become more common. To the east is a black-capped hoodoo and impressive views are revealed in all directions. Some distant slickrock is carved with crossbedding similar to that on Checkerboard Mesa and there are many water filled basins.

Alcove - You will approach a lovely alcove .7 miles into the hike where, in the wet conditions, you will find a waterfall and hanging garden. A Pinyon and two Juniper trees should help find the landmark. Navigate around this obstacle by taking the sandy path to the west. The canyon widens to expose a broad sandstone bowl and brilliant blue skies before shear rock walls close in. Towering slickrock begins to rise higher on both sides of the route. Streams of water have carved a winding path through the hard surface below, while above, red stains and striations steal the show. Prickly Pear and Yucca Cactus, Ponderosa and Pinyon Pines, Manzanitas, Junipers and Shrub Live Oak dot the landscape. One mile into the hike is the top of the pools sitting at an elevation of 6209 feet. Most hikers will turn around at this point." - http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-hike-manypools.htm

Emerald Pools: This hike is a perfect short and easy hike for tourists and first-timers to Zion, but be prepared for potential crowds. Also keep in mind that waterflow in Emerald Pools is usually quite light, so if you are expecting Yosemite-volume waterfalls, you will be disappointed unless you are visiting during the spring runoff or during a rainstorm.

HIdden Canyon: Hidden Canyon Trail is a 3.2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Springdale, UT that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Hidden Canyon is a strenuous 2.4 mile out and back trail that bears right opposite the Weeping Rock Trail and ascends steep switchbacks and along a cliff face into the mouth of a narrow canyon crevice between Cable Mountain and the Great White Throne. The trail offers some awesome views and provides steel chains set in the rock to assist with traversing a dangerous cliff. This trail is not recommended for children. Mosquitoes get bad once you actually enter the Hidden Canyon, Prepare accordingly

Narrows: Just to clarify, there are a couple ways to do the Narrows.The thru hike which is 16 miles and usually done as an overnight or an extremely long day.Also a shuttle is needed for a drop off at the trailhead.

Or, the bottom up hike, which starts at the end of the Riverside walk.This is the one most people do.You can walk upriver a little ways or go as far as the required turn around at Big Spring which is about 10 miles round trip.To get the most out of the hike, you should plan to see Wall Street andOrderville Canyon.

Trails: http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-zion-national-park

weather and climate: http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/weather-and-climate.htm

professional zion site with info about scenic drives: http://www.myzionpark.com/maps/driving-itineraries/scenic-drives-inside-zion-park/

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon near Goblin Valley State Park (between Escalante and Moab)

This website has a TON of info about Zion including hotels, trails, grocery stores, restaurants etc.: https://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/accommodations.cfm