Grand Canyon to Zion National Park

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

TexasH

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Posts
10
We are planing a Trip thru Grand Canyon and Utah next summer.  Anyone know the best route to get from Grand Canyon to Zion?  We don't want to go all the way to Las Vegas.  My maps show some secondary roads from Fredonia to Zion (thru the Kaibab Indian Reservation), and there is the tunnel entrance from the east side of the park.  Has anyone used either of these routes?  We are in a 37' motor home with a dingy.  Also, any comments on the Campground in Zion will be appreciated.  Can they handle big rigs?
 
TexasH,

I will need to verify what I am getting ready to tell you with DH as my memory for what roads we have taken is really bad.

We did the Grand Canyon (Williams, AZ) to Zion area a few months ago in a 40' DP MH.

I believe we took 40 from Williams to Flagstaff and then 89 from Flagstaff through Kanab to Glendale, UT.

You go through an Indian reservations that has some beautiful scenery.

You will encounter grades - just keep the old RPM's up to cool the engine.

If you don't already have one, I would strongly suggest getting the "Mountain Directory West".  It sure saved us on making wrong decisions on which road to take.  It also allows you to prepare for grades you will encounter.

The area you are going to is beautiful and you will enjoy it.

I can't help you on the Zion Park CG.  While in the area, you may want to visit Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks NM both of which I enjoyed more than Zion.

Also, between Kanab and Zion is a state park - Coral Pink Sands State Park - which has interesting coral pink sand dunes.

Enjoy your trip and let us know if you need help with any other information!!!

When DH gets back from shopping, I will verify that it was 89 we took.


 
Also, Fernando's Hideway in Kanab has excellent mexican food.? Clark's near Bryce has excellent trout but is a little pricey.

Depending on time and you tow vehicle you have, Escalante NM has some beautiful areas but check with the ranger station as some roads need 4WD.? The Devil's Garden has unusual rock formations.

Kodachrome State Park is also interesting and in the Bryce area.

I have started a spreadsheet that contains information on what to do and see, RV Parks, etc.? Look for the "Sticky" topic entitled Travel Recommendations in this forum.
 
DH back from shopping and I did verify that it was 89 to Zion from Grand Canyon area.
 
If you're talking the south rim of Grand Canyon, you need to head east to Hwy 89 then north. You can hit North Rim of Grand Canyon if it's before mid-October. Or up to Page and Glen Canyon and Grand Staircase Escalante. Then on to Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, Kodachrome, and more. This is awesome country that you can get lost in for months. If you're a member of AAA, get the Indian Country map....if you're not, buy one.

Enjoy!
 
wendycoke said:
.... If you're a member of AAA, get the Indian Country map....if you're not, buy one...
I went to the AAA website and could not figure out how to get a specific map named "Indian Country".  Could you please point me in the right direction?  Thanks!
 
We saw the Indian Country maps at just about every visitor center in Utah last spring.  I don't think it's a AAA map.
 
mfa,

If you are a AAA member, you may have to contact them and ask for the map.  I believe they have a service for members which will route your trips, send you maps and other information for areas you will be visiting.
 
Indian Country is a AAA map. They discovered that there was a HUGE demand for the map, realized there was a lot of money to be made, and started selling them to visitor centers, national parks, etc. If you are a member of AAA, you can get it free at a AAA office. If you're not a AAA member, you can buy it at just about any NPS site in the west. It used to be $3.95 but I think it has gone up. No matter what the cost, it's a great map to have if you're traveling in this part of the country.
 
Wendy, I didn't realize it was from AAA, I think we got ours at a visitors center, but Lorna may have gotten it at AAA with our annual map replacement.  It is a good map for that part of the country.
 
It's California AAA...great map makers. We pick one up every year. I have visions of spending most of our travels on that map. Sad part is that they have removed many, many ruins that used to be on the map. It's one of those good news/bad news things....too many people weren't treating the ruins with respect so now they don't show up on the map.
 
Wendy,

I have an OLD one from either the 60s or early 70s that I guard jealously!!  VBG  You are right a lot has been removed.  FWIW, that is true of all the US maps so the old ones are beginning to be priceless!!  :-((  Ghost towns and other interesting places as well as some things that might be targets for terrorists.
 
Jim, We've also kept a number of the older ones, Indian Country as well as Death Valley, Mojave Desert, and others. We toss the recent ones when we get the newest version but the old ones are priceless. I keep thinking we should trash all the old maps but, like my books, I just can't seem to part with them. If I was computer literate, I'd figure out a way to scan them and keep them on the laptop so I could take them with us.
 
We made the trip from Grand Canyon to Zion last year with our 40' motor home & toad. Our route was 89 all the way from  Cameron, via Page. Good road all the way. We stayed at a compground about 5 miles east of the east entrance to Zion and drove into the park with our toad. I would not have been afraid to have taken the MH all the way into the park from the east side, but actually liked the campgroud we stayed at better tnat those in the park.  Much lesss crowded.

If you go this way, be sure and allow yourself a stop in Page and visit Antalope Canyon. The best way is to drive to the entrance paring lot, right across the highway across from the power plant. Plenty of room for the RV to park. The guided tour of the canyon takes about 90 minutes. Even though the indians charge for the tour, it's well worth it. If you have a camera, be sure and take a tripod.

Chet18013
 
wendycoke said:
It's California AAA...great map makers. We pick one up every year. I have visions of spending most of our travels on that map. Sad part is that they have removed many, many ruins that used to be on the map. It's one of those good news/bad news things....too many people weren't treating the ruins with respect so now they don't show up on the map.

Actually Wendy, it is not a California AAA.    The California State Automobile Association (AAA) is the assocation for northern California.  The maps are made by the Southern California Automobile Club (AAA) the association for southern California.  I mention this quibble only because folks might knock on the wrong door.  Any case, as you say, the Indian Country map has been put on general distribution thru book stores and such.  However, a member if another state AAA if they are in So. Cal. can just drop in at a SCAC office and pick up a copy last time I heard.

 
D2 said:
mfa,

If you are a AAA member, you may have to contact them and ask for the map.? I believe they have a service for members which will route your trips, send you maps and other information for areas you will be visiting.

I am a AAA member.? I couldn't find any way to order an "Indian Country" map on their website.? I'll try calling them...

Thanks!

EDIT:  I found it.  It is under "order maps and tourbooks for home delivery."
 
TexasH,

You asked about the Zion tunnel.  It's a kick to go through because there are huge viewing "windows" so you can see across the canyon from the tunnel as you drive by them (no stopping however).  It's also interesting to drive because it was built before the days of big vehicles like ours.  The tunnel has a rounded ceiling which means you would be scraping the sides if you tried to drive in your designated lane.  When you want to drive through it in a large vehicle, they stop oncoming traffic and make it one-way so you can straddle both lanes and drive down the middle of the tunnel.  You pay a nominal fee for this service, but it helps you go east or west easily and is worth it.  If you drive through in your car you can park at the eastern end and hike out to a viewpoint where you can look down and see the road snake up the canyon to the tunnel.  You can tell when there's a big vehicle coming west because the eastbound traffic lines up at the tunnel entrance.

You can easily spend months in this area because there's so much to see.  Utah has wonderful national and state parks and fantastic scenery.  Enjoy your trip!

ArdraF
 
There are 2 campgrounds in Zion that you may be intersted in, South and Watchman.  Watchman has electric hookups, dump stations are available.  Watchman takes reservations 1-800-365-2267.
 
Watch your size if you plan on going through the Zion tunnel....vehicles over 40' are prohibited.
 
Last summer, they were letting all vehicles through the tunnel. They had rangers at each end who were stopping traffic. They would then let about 20-30 vehicles go through, driving in the center, thus making the tunnel one-way. The flow would then be reversed.  It seemed to be working very well. We had about a 5 minute wait when leaving the park in the afternoon.

Chet18013
 
Back
Top Bottom