Out West, USA: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas in 3 Days
Do you have a long weekend and want to go out West? This itinerary is the perfect amount of time split between hiking, camping, wining, dining, lounging, and gambling. Keep in mind, this trip happened in July 2019, so all experiences outside of this time of year might be different!
Tips to Begin:
- Rent a car – this is key, because this requires a lot of driving. This might sound boring or like you are wasting your time, but the time passes quickly with the amount of amazing views you will see and if you have good friends!
- Pick up snacks – with all the hiking, driving, and budgeting happening, you will be wanting snacks to help you stay active and not have to eat a bunch of big, expensive meals!
- Hydrate – the altitude change can really get to you, and drinking water helps you to not get sick from that altitude change. The other reason is because in the desert, it’s extremely hot, yet dry. This means that when you sweat, it dries up so fast you don’t even realize you are sweating and losing water, so drink up!
Day 1: Zion National Park & Bryce Canyon National Park
Fly into Las Vegas in order to make this work. You can fly in the night before, or you can fly in early on the morning of Day 1. We flew in to Las Vegas late Friday night, got In-N-Out, and drove to Saint George, Utah to stay the night. Either way, you will have enough time.
On the morning of Day 1, we hit the road early to head to Zion National Park, stopping at River Rock Roasting Co for breakfast to fuel up for our long day of being outdoors. Go sit on the back patio to enjoy a beautiful view while enjoying a delicious breakfast.
After eating, we drove up to Zion. We actually parked outside of the park for cheap, and then we walked in to take the shuttle. The shuttle at the entrance of the park can get pretty crowded, so if you want a shorter wait and don’t mind walking a little, you can walk up to the Zion Museum and get on there. This just saves a little bit of time.
Once you are on the shuttle, depending on what trail you are hiking, get off at the appropriate stop. For time, we chose to do the Kayenta Trail which is supposed to go to the Upper Emerald Pools. The Kayenta Trail is on Stop #6 which is the This hike was moderate, and it had incredible views of the whole canyon. It was, and I think still is, closed after about 1 mile in, but that gave us the perfect amount of time to be able to go on a scenic hike and also get to make another stop in Zion.
After that hike, make sure you fill up your water bottle at the designated area at the shuttle stop! Next, take the bus further up the mountain to the last stop. Get off here, and start your trek to the Narrows. Now, first the trail starts as a paved route along the river, but then it ends. Once the trail ends, you will notice a couple different small stone staircases that lead you down to the rocks surrounding the river.
Don’t be afraid to get in! Change your shoes if you want to, or just wear your tennis shoes if you have to, but don’t miss the chance to wade through the water to see the canyon walls rise around you as you go further down the river through the water. Be careful, because the current might be strong, but also make sure you don’t miss out on this experience solely because you are afraid to fall and get wet. As long as you come prepared with a way to keep your valuables dry, you will be okay.
Keep walking through the water until it gets too high, and take plenty of pictures. This experience is something that can’t be missed at Zion.
After you get done with this hike, fill up your water bottle and drink up to hydrate! You might now feel like you need it since you’ve been wading in cold water, but do it anyways. Then take the bus back all the way down to the Visitor’s Center, the last stop. If you wanted a souvenir or a picture with a sign that says Zion National Park, here is the place to do it before heading out!
Next up, about a 2 hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, or a nearby campsite like we did. This is where the snacks come in handy. You don’t want to waste any time stopping and getting lunch, but you can for sure eat some good snacks (chips and salsa in the car anyone?) to re-fuel you after hiking.
That night we were going to camp out at Bryce Canyon Pines Campground. With this comes a campfire and delicious food cooked over the fire. So, about halfway through our drive, we stopped at a grocery store and picked up the food we wanted to eat that night – for us, that meant pizza and burritos (sounds like a typical campfire meal, right?). We checked in to our campsite and got to work on our campfire, tent, and meal prep. After making a hilariously burnt dinner, it was evening and we decided to hit the park.
We drove over to Bryce Canyon National Park and got to see the almost alien structures that form from the ground up. It is truly something that I haven’t seen anywhere else, and the glow of a rainbow combined with a sunset as you walk through the carved out winding paths is one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve had. I highly recommend taking the time to go to this national park, even if only for a short time!
That night, we spent the night catching up on our lives, drinking local beer by the fire, and talking about our highs, lows, and God moments of the day.
Day 2: Grand Canyon National Park (North Rim)
Boy oh boy, let me start this day off by saying HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE.
Okay, on to this day. We woke up early, took showers at the campsite (yes, showers, and they aren’t bad at all!), and hit the road for the Grand Canyon. Our breakfast was comprised of food we had picked up at the grocery store the day before, and we drove a little more than 3 hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. SIDE NOTE: the North Rim has significantly less visitors each visitors each year than the more popular and well-known South Rim. While this has to do with the amount of lodging, amenities, and activities offered, it still creates a quieter and less touristy feel that you will not get at the South Rim.
So, we drove to the Grand Canyon North Rim Visitors Center area, which includes lodging, a couple restaurants overlooking the grand canyon, bathrooms, souvenir shops, and even has a washing machine about a mile down the road if you need that! From there, we were able to secure a map and ask a park ranger suggestions on the best hikes to do. She suggested driving over to the Cape Royal Trail and the Cape Final Trail, because they were less crowded and have spectacular views.
Before doing those hikes though, we just had to go over by the Grand Canyon Lodge and take in those views. There is a short trail called Bright Angel Point that can stem from the lodge, and we were able to take this short trail and see the vast depths of this canyon up close for the first time. It probably took twice as long as it should have so we could stop and freak out a couple times as well as take 1,000 pictures.
After that, we got in our car and drove the ~20 minute drive to the Cape Royal Trail. There was hardly anyone there, and we were able to see Angel’s Window and have a fantastic lookout view of the Grand Canyon along with one or two other people. We then drove back to the Cape Final Trail, and although it was longer than expected and through the woods, which seemed strange, it all of a sudden opened up to the most beautiful view we had seen yet. There was not one other person at this view, and we were simply awestruck. We sat and talked about how beautiful this place was and how small we were. It was definitely the God moment of the day.
Going back, we checked into our little cabin that we booked through the North Rim Visitors Center beforehand. As we walked up, it truly looked like something I made from my childhood – it looked like a Lincoln Log cabin. Although it was very small, it was quaint, and it was just what we needed – beds, a shower, and close proximity to food. We took showers, got dressed in nicer clothes, and headed to dinner. Boy – what a view, but I recommend getting reservations when you first get there just in case it fills up.
We dined in the Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room. It has a diverse menu, and it has delicious drinks. We each got cocktails or wine, and I got the Grand Canyon Bison Burger with fries. It was so tasty, and the whole time we were eating, we were looking out over the Grand Canyon during sunset. While waiting for our food, we even got to take our drinks out to the veranda and enjoy the fresh air.
That is where the fun part of the night ends, because even though I had been drinking a lot of water the whole day and trying my best, the altitude got to me, and it was time to call it a night. I will spare you the details and leave it at that.
Day 3: Las Vegas, Nevada (The Palms Casino Resort)
We woke up that morning excited for the day of relaxing ahead. We got breakfast at the cutest cafe at the Grand Canyon Lodge – The Coffee Shop and Roughrider Saloon. It is a coffee shop by morning and a saloon by day and night. It had great breakfast options and eclectic furniture, but we had to hit the road since we had about a 4 hour drive to Las Vegas.
We spent the morning in the car jamming to old classics and eating chips and salsa some more, and we made it to Vegas around 12 (there was a time change in our favor, thank goodness!). After only a little bit of confusion, we checked into our gorgeous hotel – The Palms Casino Resort, went up to our room, and walked in to an amazing view of the city of Las Vegas – not the casinos and attractions, but the mountains and suburbs.
We then went down and ate at one of the restaurants in the massive hotel – the Lucky Penny. We each got an expensive cocktail (when in Vegas?) and I had the most delicious peanut butter and banana gluten free pancakes with acai jelly – swoon.
After eating, we headed out to the pool to soak in the sun and truly just relax after all the hiking and roughing it we were doing. It was a great end to a trip – especially with the pitcher of pina coladas we got.
We then got ready in our hotel room for a fun night spent in the casino that literally made up the entire first floor of the hotel. We drank beer that we got at the gas station to save money, and we hit the penny slots and other games we could actually figure out. I won $20! But that’s the best win of the night.
Even though we may not have had luck there, we certainly lucked out with the buffet right next to the slot machines. I always heard that Las Vegas is known for their buffets, but I kid you not, I have never been to a nicer, fancier one than that. Your typical buffet includes stale pizza, kids running around drinking out of the chocolate fountain, or dry mac and cheese.
No, this was a buffet from my dreams – cuisines from all over, the juiciest meats, a greens bar, and a mouth-watering line of desserts. I could go back there just for that buffet. This casino resort was no joke, and I highly recommend checking it out. It has everything you need right there – a pool, casino, restaurants, food court, movie theater, bars, rooms, etc. The rooms can also be really affordable if you take a look at the deals on their website. You don’t even need to leave the place except for maybe going sightseeing for a day on the strip!
After chowing down on all that food from the buffet, it was time for me to leave my friends and head to the airport around 11pm. I had fit in a whole day of the Vegas life even in just 11 hours! We stopped on our way at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, and then I said the saddest goodbye to my friends.
In the end, this trip was definitely one for the books, checking off so many bucket list items and spending time with my best friends while getting to rough it at times and live in luxury other times. This part of the United States is so unique, and it has so much to offer for every type of person. If you have ever dreamed of going to these places, it can be done even just on a long weekend, and for a pretty affordable price, you just have to make it happen!
