Most visitors to our Southern Utah resort are planning to spend time in Zion National Park. One of the most popular national parks in the country, you could easily spend weeks exploring Zion and still not see all that the park has to offer.
But there’s more to see than just Zion during your stay at Flanigan’s Resort. The resort is one of the best places to stay near Zion National Park. But it’s also the perfect basecamp for exploring some of Southern Utah’s incredible state parks, museums, and other outdoor attractions. There’s even another national park located just a short drive away.
Bryce Canyon is an often-overlooked national park located just two hours from Springdale, Utah. This makes for a great day trip to enjoy during your stay at the best hotels Zion has to offer. Keep reading to learn more about this unique national park and how to plan a visit.
How to Get to Bryce Canyon
Visiting Bryce Canyon from our Southern Utah resort is easy—and is as much a part of the adventure as your time in the national park! You’ll start by driving into Zion. No need to hop on the shuttle. Instead, you’ll be driving into the Upper Canyon, by way of the famous, historic Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
Once you’ve left Zion, you’ll continue north towards US 89. Enjoy this historic highway with its incredible views, before connecting with Utah State Route 12, which will take you into the town of Bryce. Make one last turn onto Utah State Route 63 S to get to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Exploring Bryce Canyon National Park
You’ll want to leave our Southern Utah resort first thing in the morning to make the most of your day in Bryce Canyon. Upon arriving at the park’s entrance, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee or present a national park annual pass. Once in the park, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from for how to spend your day.
Getting Around
Much like Zion, Byrce Canyon also offers a shuttle system. But unlike Zion, this shuttle is optional. You can still drive all of the park’s roads when the shuttles are in operation. Instead, the shuttles can be a great option for visitors who want to hike multiple trails. Use the shuttle to hop between trailheads without having to search for a parking spot in the limited lots around the park.
Enjoying a Scenic Drive
One of the best ways to explore Bryce Canyon is by enjoying a scenic drive. The park’s main road, Southern Scenic Drive, travels 18 miles through Bryce. The road passes many of the park’s most famous features, including the stunning natural amphitheater that it is known for.
Hitting the Trails
While a scenic drive is a great way to see the sights quickly, if you want to experience more of those sights up close, you’ll want to do some hiking, too. Much like Zion, Bryce Canyon has tons of trails of every length and difficulty level to choose from.
One of the most popular is the Bryce Amphitheater Trail, also known as the Rim Trail. This moderately difficult trail circles the natural amphitheater, giving you an up-close look at the hundreds of unique rock formations, known as hoodoos, located there. While the full Rim Trail features some steep elevation changes, the section from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point is paved and relatively flat, making it one of the easiest in the park.
Another popular trail that’s a great choice for a quick and easy hike during your day trip from our Southern Utah resort is Mossy Cave. This trail is located at one of the park’s lowest elevations and takes hikers to Mossy Cave, a sheltered overhang that is covered in moss during the summer months.
Planning Your Stay at Our Southern Utah Resort
Whether you plan to spend all of your time in Zion National Park or want to see more of what Southern Utah has to offer, Flanigan’s Resort is the perfect base camp for your adventure.
If you’re thinking about planning a day trip to Bryce Canyon, you’ll still want to choose places to stay near Zion. While the town of Bryce offers little in the way of stores or restaurants, Springdale has everything you might need during your stay. The town is also perfectly located to allow you to enjoy all that Southern Utah has to offer during your stay.
Ready to start planning your next visit to Southern Utah? Now is the time to book your summer stay at Flanigan’s Resort! Book today to start planning your own Utah adventure.