National, state Parks in Southern Utah
GETTING THERE:
Las Vegas, with tons of car rental agencies, is the handiest and cheapest gateway for southern Utah. It's a 2 1/2- to 3-hour drive to Zion National Park.
LODGING:
Bryce Canyon (Bryce Canyon Lodge), Zion (Zion Lodge) and the Grand Canyon North Rim (Grand Canyon Lodge) have lodging inside the parks. But these lodges are extremely popular, so unless you plan months in advance, it's doubtful you'll get into any of them.
All three are run by Xanterra Parks and Resorts: 1-888-297-2757 or at www.xanterra.com online.
There are plenty of hotels in nearby towns.
FOOD:
Most of what you're going to find is pretty basic. One major exception: Cafe Diablo, a fine-dining experience where shorts and jeans are the costume of the day, located in Torrey (population 171), near Capitol Reef National Park. It's great food with a Southwestern flair. Reservations can be a must. Call 1-435-425-3070 or go to www.cafediablo.net online.
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PRACTICALITIES:
Much of this trip is through desert, so in summer months the temperature can be well over 100. However, super-low humidity makes it feel more like 80. Nights can be cool in the higher elevations; Bryce, for instance, is at about 8,000 feet. The individual parks' Web sites (see below) give temperature ranges throughout the year.
PARKS AND PLACES:
National parks charge variable fees. A good choice is to buy a National Parks Pass for $50 - good for all parks and many other National Park Service sites for a year.
State parks also charge variable fees and sometimes rely on self-registration.
Below is contact information for specific parks on the route.
Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah: 1-435-719-2313 or www.nps.gov/cany
Arches National Park in Moab, Utah: 1-435-719-2299 or www.nps.gov/arch
Capitol Reef National Park, near Torrey, Utah: 1-435-425-3791 or www.nps.gov/care
Anasazi State Park, Boulder, Utah: 1-435-335-7308 or www.stateparks.utah.gov (Info on all Utah state parks can be found at this Web site.)
Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, Utah: 1-435-834-5322 or www.nps.gov/brca
Kodachrome Basin State Park, near Cannonville, Utah: 1-435-679-8562
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, headquarters at Kanab, Utah: 1-435-644-4300 or www.ut.blm.gov/monument
Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah: 1-435-772-3256 or www.nps.gov/zion
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, near Kanab: 1-435-648-2800
INFORMATION:
Pick up a guidebook or two to help plan your trip. Moon Handbooks' "Zion & Bryce" - which also includes information on Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Escalante and Moab - is a good one. You can also contact the following organizations:
The Moab Information Site: www.moab-utah.com
Utah Travel Council: 1-800-200-1160 or www.utah.com
Outdoor Utah: www.outdoorutah.com
Garfield County Tourism Office: 1-800-444-6689 or www.brycecanyoncountry.com
