Hi! My female cousin and I (female) are taking a 10-day tour through southern Utah Oct 1-11, starting and finishing in Vegas.

We will have a car, so no camp sites, but does anyone have recs for hotels / spots to sleep? Primary concerns are safety, cleanliness, location/convenience and then cost - in that order.

Appreciate any recs - because right now I'm throwing darts on a map.

SUMMARY OF SLEEP SUGGESTIONS based on positive personal experiences

Escalante
- Escalante Yurts

Kanab
- Hampton Inn

Moab
- Hyatt Place
- Moab Springs Ranch
- Gonzo Inn
- Mornkopi Yurts in Dead Horse State Park
- Sunflower Hill Inn
- Bryce Glamp and Camp (yurt or cabin)
- Red Cliffs Lodge

Page, AZ
- Holiday Inn Express

Zion
- Holiday Inn Express St. George North-Zion
- Sevier River Farmhouse Airbnb

Great time to go. Other than maybe early spring this would be when i would go back again.

Quite a few places will be booked but do you have a general route you plan on taking?

Dont skip Dead Horse State Park if you have a chance.

Lodging is plentiful in those areas. There are tons of chain hotels in Springdale and Moab which are close to restaurants. That said, I usually stay at Zion Lodge inside the park, but venture into town for dinner. I'll stay at the Hyatt Place in Moab. It's about 10 minutes to the entrance to Arches. Marriott has properties in Zion and Moab areas, as well. Kanab isn't really part of the big 5 but there are some Wyndham properties there if you are looping that way.

We also like the Escalante Yurts in Escalante.

Sure, call it big 5+ - we're also going to Page, AZ.

Thanks for the recs! I'm amazed at how even the chains are $275+/night. Yikes.

We do have a route we're taking. My first order of business is getting hotels nailed down before I think about what to do. I'm a bit further ahead with that!

We've stayed in Kanab twice in the past 6 months, driving up from the Phoenix area (through Page).

Kanab isn't a large town, first of all. But for us it was a perfect place to stay in order to visit both Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Zion is the closer of the two parks from Kanab (maybe 1 hour to the visitor center, and 1.5 hrs to the Bryce Canyon visitor center).

The first time, we stayed in an AirBnB that was perfect for us (two couples). Older home, but funky and eclectic, and reflected the old Hollywood cowboy films that were made in the area back in the old days.

The second time we just passed through Kanab, as a halfway point from Phoenix to Park City. We stayed at the Hampton Inn there, across from a pretty good BBQ place called the Iron Horse.

Page is also a small town, but with far more hotel choices. Horseshoe Bend is 2 miles away from town. I'd also recommend a slot canyon visit. We skipped Antelope Canyon due to crowds, but did Secret Canyon instead. To visit slot canyons, you have to use Navajo guides, as they're all on their land. And the tour we did included their own private viewpoint of Horseshoe Bend as well, so you're not going to fight crowds for pictures there like you will at the main overlook.

Moab Springs Ranch https://www.moabspringsranch.com/

713nervy said:

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We do have a route we're taking. My first order of business is getting hotels nailed down before I think about what to do. I'm a bit further ahead with that!

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Route helps a bit with hotels as you can drive a bit then goto a national park and drive for a bit to next place. The cost of hotels arent near as much if not located near a national park entrance

For example to me there is not a need to get a hotel near zion entrance for first day at say $225 night when you can leave from Vegas a couple of hours earlier and then after a day or two at zion travel midway to next destination.

But this is my thought process. I hate to spend a ton of money on accomodations if I really only am using for bed and shower. Would rather spend the money elsewhere. I would rather spend more money for accomdations at an all inclusive place where the hotel/ resort is the primary place I am spending time

I know I saved about $1000 on the trip last time by driving early and late to next destination rather than stay close to entrances to nor even inside a national park.

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To visit slot canyons, you have to use Navajo guides, as they're all on their land.

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just want to chime in and say this is not entirely true.

We accessed antelope canyon from the lake on our raft (launching it at the antelope boat ramp), and you can raft into antelope canyon until the water ends, then get out and hike in the canyon without a guide or any fees for that matter.

My preteen son and I did a momma-son trip this summer. It was a quick trip (I had a work conference) but our itinerary could be easily modified to add days and destinations. I felt safe everywhere we went and stayed but also kept my wits about me.
Here's what we did:
-Day 1- Arrived at LAS 7:55 am, picked up rental car (pre-booked economy car, asked for an upgrade- we got a Mustang convertible for $12 per day more.
-stopped at grocery store in Boulder City (we brought a softsided cooler with us) to get sandwich stuff, snacks, Gatorade, and a big jug of water then headed to Hoover Dam. It was crazy crowded and hot so we walked over the memorial bridge and drove around but didn't do any tours. Left there and took the Lake Mead Scenic Route to head to Valley of Fire State Park (must see!!!). Left VOF and drove to St. George. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express St. George North-Zion. Would stay there again.

It is close to 2 more state parks. If we had had more time, we would have explored them but we didn't.

Day 2- planned to go to the main entrance of Zion National Park but slept until 6:30 and knew we wouldn't beat the crowds at that point (this was July). We drove to the lesser visited part of Zion- Kolob Canyons. So glad we did!!! Taylor Creek Trail is a beautiful 5 mile (in and out) hike and not crowded. After that, we drove the scenic drive and did another small hike before driving to the main part of Zion. It was like Disney World crowds when we arrived. The boy was tired so we just drove through what we could then took the tunnel out the east side and make our way to our AirBnB in Hatch, UT (Sevier River Farmhouse). We stayed there 2 nights and would 100% stay there again! Wonderful hosts and good proximity to Bryce and Zion.
Day 3- up early to get to Bryce. We spent all day in the park.
Day 4- up early again for Bryce Canyon mule ride at 8 am (book through Canyon Trail Rides; it is the only outfitter inside the National Park). Highlight of the trip! We did the longer ride and had over 4 hours in the saddle. Hiked and drove around the rest of the day/evening. Dixie National Forest is nearby and is worth a stop.
We then traveled to Kanab for the evening (had dinner with friends who live there). Stayed at the Hampton Inn Kanab. Would stay there again. There are some good restaurants in Kanab.
Day 5- slept in then drove back to Vegas. Checked in at the Venetian, swam, ate, explored the shops, then walked down to see the Bellagio fountains and Volcano (now closed).
-Day 6- swam, then took my son to the airport. He flew home and I stayed for the work conference.

If we had more time, we would have gone to the Grand Canyon North Rim from Kanab. 1 more day would have allowed for that.

We loved having a cooler so we could eat anywhere at anytime though sandwiches get tiresome but we made up for it by eating good at supper time.

There are some good Facebook groups where people share itineraries and ideas.

No matter what route you take, you will love it out there!

I go out there a lot and in fact will be there at the same time you will be there. I'm lucky in that my best friend (also an Aggie) has a home on the back side of Bryce Canyon in Hatch, UT. I could ask if he would mind having two extra women stay with us there, but something tells me his wife will be not too keen on the idea. The answer's no until you ask, correct?

I have stayed a couple of times in the Holiday Inn Express in Page Arizona. It's safe, clean and cheap and all that. It's also very close to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, which I would definitely recommend checking out. Additionally, the east side of Zion is apparently always less crowded to access. As stated above, St. George (where my friend primarily lives) is very safe and clean and might be a nice stay over spot on your way into or out of the area.

It's definitely a great time to visit, crowds and temperatures will be down. Not sure what our itinerary will be this time, but if we are able to get permits to do the Subway in Zion or The Wave in AZ we're definitely doing that. Whatever you choose, you'll have a great time.

Moab is one of my favorite places.

I've stayed at the Gonzo Inn, a real quirky place. They have photos of tons of celebrities that have stayed there.

I've also stayed in a yurt/cabin in Dead Horse Point State Park, which is a couple minutes from the gate at the Island in the Sky zone of Canyonlands NP. Stargazing out there was MIND BLOWING, some of the darkest skies on earth. So I brought my big telescope along for the ride.

Moab is small, so wherever you stay is pretty convenient.

Ah, gotcha. My fear in sharing the route was suggestions on things to do instead of where to stay. I'm not opposed to the former, I just REALLY need help with the latter.

Here it is: Vegas > Capitol Reef NP > Moab for Arches & Canyonlands NPs > Monument Valley NP > Page, AZ > Kanab > Cedar Breaks NP > Bryce Canyon NP > Zion NP > Vegas

Photos are amazing. I can only imagine how much joy it must bring to LIVE there!

Thanks for the offer - I can only imagine the conversation Hey bud, can my internet friend and her cousin stay with us? I've never met her but I hear she has a real big personality!

It was so nice of you to type all of this out - thank you! I will read every bit and glean from your experience.

The places you stayed in Kanab sound adorable! I may look them up, although suspect they are booked at this late in the research plan.

713nervy said:

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Photos are amazing. I can only imagine how much joy it must bring to LIVE there!

Thanks for the offer - I can only imagine the conversation Hey bud, can my internet friend and her cousin stay with us? I've never met her but I hear she has a real big personality!

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I've got a bajillion photos from hikes and rafting, etc. from trips there. My friend lives and works in Vegas for now. Their main house is in St. George Utah but they built a vacation house in Hatch, on the back side of Bryce. Not a bad setup altogether. Not a bad view form the main hacienda. His Chihulys dig the view too:



Nothing crazy with his family situation, and he isn't Mormon (although almost everybody in St. George is), it's just what works for him and his family. It's awesome to visit there and to do hikes, etc. His son and my son have become really good friends as well, so lots of boys' trips to ski, hike, etc. If you do stay in St. George, Snow Canyon is just around the corner and has some cool hiking and caving spots worth visiting. I will see if I can dig up a couple of pics





If you did a TexAgs Rule 1, that might either increase or decrease your chances of being able to stay with us a night or two . Women are so strange about other women sometimes.

713nervy said:

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Ah, gotcha. My fear in sharing the route was suggestions on things to do instead of where to stay. I'm not opposed to the former, I just REALLY need help with the latter.

Here it is: Vegas > Capitol Reef NP > Moab for Arches & Canyonlands NPs > Monument Valley NP > Page, AZ > Kanab > Cedar Breaks NP > Bryce Canyon NP > Zion NP > Vegas

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Just fyi, some of those aren't national parks. Not sure if that's what you're going for or if it matters, but to be specific there are only 5 nps in your list.

Don't know your timeline in Page, but we did the horseshoe bend overlook, like nearly everyone does, but we also did a guided rafting tour that starts at the dam and goes to lees ferry, so you get to raft through horseshoe bend and see it from the other perspective. It also stopped for 15-20 min on a little beach area where you can get in the river and walk around.

2wealfth Man said:

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Moab Springs Ranch https://www.moabspringsranch.com/

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Really- Check this place out. Their own, private park around the springs is an amazing oasis.

We just left that area this morning and flying home tomorrow. We did not go to Kanab. We stayed at Sunflower Hill Inn in Moab. It is a bed and breakfast. Just a couple blocks off the Main Street with all the shops and restaurants. We walked everywhere and it was very safe. There is a newer Hilton in the middle of town. There was also a new springhill suites and Fairfield inn a little bit down the road. Not walking distance but if you have a car that is ok. I also have a couple other recommendations you didn't ask for. Food -sweet cravings for lunch and desert bistro for dinner. Tours -Navtec.

We also stayed in Tropic near Bryce Canyon at Bryce Glamp and Camp. Really fun and nice domes. Family run. Really nice folks. Also enjoyed Stone Hearth Grille in Tropic for dinner. Rustlers was good for a traditional diner breakfast.

We just left Springdale this morning. We stayed at Red Rock Inn. Very small little place but rooms were nice. There were a lot of nice looking b&b's, inns and lodges. Springdale has a city shuttle that takes you to the Zion entrance. There are a lot of restaurants and shops clustered together in walking distance of the lodging. Cowboys and angels is a speakeasy with good and unique drinks we enjoyed. The town felt very safe to us.

The lodge in the park or the Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale outside the park for Zion.

Moab - Red Cliffs Lodge. Outside of Moab right on the Colorado River.

You can check out Trip Advisor for reviews.

You cant go wrong anywhere in Springdale. Everything is on the main road, and lots of people around. Its a very safe.

Last time I was there, I did an AirBNB about a quarter mile from the park entrance. It was a perfect location.

All of those were on my short list, they look amazing! I'm an idiot and waited too long to book them.