FYI the road between Zion and Bryce just closed due to a mudslide. Fingers crossed this is a high priority fix, as the detour doubles the time to get to Bryce from Zion (we are also going for Spring Break).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! OP here. Still planning the trip.

Just wondering - did anyone get altitude sick in Bryce? Apparently it’s 8000-9000 feet there. I got very altitude sick in Cusco Peru (but that’s 11,100 ft).

Thank you!!

Hi OP. We were there last summer. None of us got sick at all but you definitely notice the altitude when you hike - have to pace yourself and not go as quickly or strenuously as you normally would without breaks. It was a minor annoyance at most. The lodge at Bryce is amazing - we stayed in several park lodges and it was by far the best, with a great restaurant. I HIGHLY recommend the horseback riding tour into the canyon. It was absolutely stunning and the guides were great (and the horses are very sure-footed so it was super safe).

Thank you!!! We are staying at the Lodge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi! OP here. Still planning the trip.

Just wondering - did anyone get altitude sick in Bryce? Apparently it’s 8000-9000 feet there. I got very altitude sick in Cusco Peru (but that’s 11,100 ft).

Thank you!!

Hi OP. We were there last summer. None of us got sick at all but you definitely notice the altitude when you hike - have to pace yourself and not go as quickly or strenuously as you normally would without breaks. It was a minor annoyance at most. The lodge at Bryce is amazing - we stayed in several park lodges and it was by far the best, with a great restaurant. I HIGHLY recommend the horseback riding tour into the canyon. It was absolutely stunning and the guides were great (and the horses are very sure-footed so it was super safe).

PP here - sorry, I just realized I also responded to your post in December! I believe you have to be 7 years old to ride but you could definitely split up.

Anonymous wrote:Hi! OP here. Still planning the trip.

Just wondering - did anyone get altitude sick in Bryce? Apparently it’s 8000-9000 feet there. I got very altitude sick in Cusco Peru (but that’s 11,100 ft).

Thank you!!

Hi OP. We were there last summer. None of us got sick at all but you definitely notice the altitude when you hike - have to pace yourself and not go as quickly or strenuously as you normally would without breaks. It was a minor annoyance at most. The lodge at Bryce is amazing - we stayed in several park lodges and it was by far the best, with a great restaurant. I HIGHLY recommend the horseback riding tour into the canyon. It was absolutely stunning and the guides were great (and the horses are very sure-footed so it was super safe).

Hi! OP here. Still planning the trip.

Just wondering - did anyone get altitude sick in Bryce? Apparently it’s 8000-9000 feet there. I got very altitude sick in Cusco Peru (but that’s 11,100 ft).

Thank you!!

We went to Zion with our family over Thanksgiving. Kids are ages 9, 7, and 6. There are several great hikes that even young kids can manage. We didn't attempt The Narrows although we did the easy hike that ends at the start of the Narrows. We did see kids doing it, but after talking to the park rangers, we decided it just would've been way too challenging for our kids. Plus, the rental gear is easily $50/person so $250+ for all 5 of us to just go in and then potentially have to turn back after a short time didn't seem worth it to me.

We stayed in Springdale at the Hampton Inn & Suites, which was great. Kids were in the heated outdoor pool every night, even in late November. Parking in Springdale is a little bit tricky but there is a shuttle that runs up and down the main road and we used that to get to the park and also to get to restaurants at night. There's another shuttle that takes you around the park.

We did find a cool slot canyon called Kanarra Creek Slot Canyon. It's outside of Zion, probably about 40 miles from Springdale. The water never got much higher than 6-8 inches deep, which might be different in the spring/summer. There are waterfalls and a ladder to climb. Water shoes or waterproof shoes are still a good idea because the water is really cold but it's gorgeous! It's also 3.5 miles round trip and at least half of that is the (dry and somewhat uninteresting) trail that takes you to where the slot canyon starts and then WOW! It was manageable for our kids and still a thrill for adults, too!

http://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/kanarra_creek/canyon.html

Thanks again!

I was wondering about horseback riding. I think my 4 y/o is too young but maybe we can split up and one person go with the older kids.

OP, don't skip the horseback riding at Bryce Canyon. Hands down the best thing I've done with my kids. It was incredible, and very safe. Bryce is stunning. I've been to many national parks and it is far and away my favorite. We also did Zion on the same trip last year - stayed at the lodges at both. Zion is great with many hiking choices if the trails are open, but it is more crowded than Bryce. Still, a beautiful place that you will remember forever.

FYI the food at the Bryce lodge is particularly good. Have a great time!

There is a nearby town named Kanab. If you go there, I’ve eaten at both Sego and The Rocking V. Both are great. If you love animals, set up a tour of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Zion is breathtaking and very easy to navigate with their maps and shuttles. Enjoy.

We went to Zion NP last Memorial Day on a side trip from visiting Snow Canyon State Park. We had so much fun! Between us and our friends with us, we have four kids ages 1-5 at the time. Only the 1 year old was in a carrier, the other three were troopers and did the hikes. The hikes we did were Weeping Rock, the Grotto, and Emerald Pools which I highly recommend. We hiked to Zion Lodge and ate a picnic lunch on the lawn and bought some ice cream for dessert in the Lodge. It was incredibly crowded, but we still had a great time. As others have stated, the views are amazing and otherworldly.

Hi! OP here. Thanks again for the ideas!

I would probably not want to pay whatever a helicopter tour costs, but I am too afraid to do it anyway so it’s a non issue but I appreciate all ideas. Still considering a Jeep tour.

We are going to be able to get the 4th grade free national park pass! On this kind of trip I’m more likely to pay for a few side things since the park will be free. I’ve been known to do the 3 night Disney cruise and pay for NOTHING EXTRA. Lol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's going to be a lot of driving on this trip.

It will either be hot/warm (vegas) or freezing (parks), so pack accordingly.

You'll probably get more out of doing a jeep tour or helicopter tour than doing "easy hikes" with kids that age.

You may not be able to stay on East Coast time if you're doing doing organized tours.

I love how people assume that people who are asking about hikes have the money to go on helicopter tours. Many of us probably go on hiking/national park vacations because we don't have or don't want to spend ludicrous amounts of money on our vacation.

OP is flying to Vegas, in April (spring break season), staying in a moderate - high hotel, renting a car, going to countless restaurants, thought about adding in Hoover Dam, and expressed some interest in a Jeep tour in her first OP. This is not the vacation that your parents dragged you on, car camping, picnics, and sleeping in a tent. This is going to be a spendy vacation for OP and her family.

Anonymous wrote:There's going to be a lot of driving on this trip.

It will either be hot/warm (vegas) or freezing (parks), so pack accordingly.

You'll probably get more out of doing a jeep tour or helicopter tour than doing "easy hikes" with kids that age.

You may not be able to stay on East Coast time if you're doing doing organized tours.

I love how people assume that people who are asking about hikes have the money to go on helicopter tours. Many of us probably go on hiking/national park vacations because we don't have or don't want to spend ludicrous amounts of money on our vacation.

We had a similar debate when we did Vegas/Utah last year. We decided that we'd just stay in Vegas, since we'd get plenty of outdoor time in Utah.

As for things we did in Vegas with our 11 year old, he enjoyed the "Bodies" exhibit at Luxor and the Atomic Testing Museum. (Husband and son are both science geeks.) We also spent a lot of time at the arcade at New York New York. While I felt a bit ill at how much money we spent, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to what we would have spent gambling! We saw the Michael Jackson One show, as well, and it was incredible.

Noted on the slot canyon and weather - it looks really cool, so I'll keep it down as an idea if weather is somehow ideal but I won't have my heart set on it at that time of year.

We fly in to Vegas on a Saturday and will leave on Monday to head to Zion. In general I want to relax at the hotel, pool, etc. and maybe see a few things like the Shark Reef, but I am wondering if it is worth it to go to Hoover Dam on Sunday.