We went over Spring Break. We did:

Flew into Vegas
Zion
Page
Kanab
Grand Canyon

Day trips to:
Sedona
Jerome

Flew out of Phoenix

My two teens hated Vegas. They thought it was sketchy but it’s probably where we stayed. We didn’t particularly like Page or Kanab. We all loved Zion and the Grand Canyon. We hiked in both. We did day trips to Sedona and Jerome which were fun.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen liked Zion much better than the Grand Canyon. She loved repelling down the slot canyons in Zion.

If you're not doing a multi day hike to the bottom, or a long day hike partially to the bottom, Grand Canyon nothing more than an amazing two hour photo op. Much more to do in Zion.

I was going to say this too. I really really didn't like the Grand Canyon. Zion was way more fun, especially with the different activities. Maybe stay at a luxury Vegas hotel after with great polls and shopping. That's what I would have enjoyed as a teen. Give some spending money.

Based on our trip a few years ago, my take was that the Grand Canyon is more scarily impressive, but Bryce and Zion are both much more beautiful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen liked Zion much better than the Grand Canyon. She loved repelling down the slot canyons in Zion.

If you're not doing a multi day hike to the bottom, or a long day hike partially to the bottom, Grand Canyon nothing more than an amazing two hour photo op. Much more to do in Zion.

Also I think "rappelling" is the word you want.

Thanks for clearing that up. It was so hard to determine what that poster meant. 🙄

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My teen liked Zion much better than the Grand Canyon. She loved repelling down the slot canyons in Zion.

If you're not doing a multi day hike to the bottom, or a long day hike partially to the bottom, Grand Canyon nothing more than an amazing two hour photo op. Much more to do in Zion.

Also I think "rappelling" is the word you want.

Anonymous wrote:My teen liked Zion much better than the Grand Canyon. She loved repelling down the slot canyons in Zion.

If you're not doing a multi day hike to the bottom, or a long day hike partially to the bottom, Grand Canyon nothing more than an amazing two hour photo op. Much more to do in Zion.

My teen liked Zion much better than the Grand Canyon. She loved repelling down the slot canyons in Zion.

Fly into Phoenix and out of Vegas. Add Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. In Vegas, Fire Valley State Park is Amazing. Zion's hikes are mostly difficult. Good for a night to see I suppose but it was super crowded and not nearly as amazing as other spots.

Anonymous wrote:Grand Canyon is a half day at best, unless you’re doing major hiking which isn’t recommended in summer anyway. It’s more of a look at it and leave thing.

We liked renting bikes to ride out the hermit point. Only add a half day so just a little longer than look and leave

Sedona: pink Jeep tour - broken arrow, water time at slide rock/grasshopper point/red rock state park, vineyards in cottonwood

Grand Canyon - do a rafting trip

Page - antelope canyon

Flagstaff - Lowell observatory new museum, outside flagstaff meteor crater museum

We flew into Vegas one spring break, then did hoover dam, grand canyon, sedona and tuscan. we are crazy so we ended up in Santa Monica with two days on the beach. It was a lot but very easy travel wise.

We did a trip like this but it was during spring break and temperatures were doable except it was snowing in Grand Canyon visitor center area, not down the canyon.
In the summer, the area would be very hot.

Phoenix
Drive north and there area lots of monuments for the kids to check out. Montezuma, Walnut Canyon, Tuzighoot, so many.
Sedona
Enter Grand Canyon from the south
Exit Grand Canyon to the east
Head north to Horshehoe Bend
Page - antelope canyon or some other cool canyon tour
South back to Phoenix airport and stop along other interesting monuments

Maybe Zion and Bryce would be a bit cooler in the summer with so more trees. Bryce is high elevation so it might be a breeze but the sun will be right there since it doesn't have alot of trees.

Check to see if you need to get tickets in advance for some of these national parks.

These are very different trips. If you want something more like Yellowstone you want a greener destination. Glacier National Park might work. Or one of the Canadian National Parks.