Zion & Bryce March 14-20. Trail suggestions?

Zion is great – you basically can't go wrong. That's early – it could be great or it could be snowy/cold. Don't miss the hike to Angel's Landing – certainly one of the best short hikes in the world (but not for the acrophobic). Subway is another great, standard canyoneering route if it's passably warm.

Bryce is higher – might be snowy. The standard Fairyland Loop is a must-do. The Under The Rim Trail provides a backpacking opportunity or further day hiking opportunities (with easy thumb shuttle), and is nice high desert hiking, but not as spectacular as Fairyland or much of Zion.

I'd recommend spending a day to do Buckskin – Paria, a little ways east of Zion:
http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm
While you're there see if you can draw a permit to do Coyote Buttes / The Wave (another day hike).

I was in Zion last March with my 9-year-old daughter. Yes, Angel's Landing is a spectacular hike. Like a lot of iconic hikes (Half Dome, Grand Canyon), wear an extra sweater and get a really early start and you'll have it almost to yourself (until you start back down). And like HD or GCNP, I mean REALLY early. Like using a headlamp for the flat part from the car to the start of the climb. Time it right and you'll see sunrise from the top.

While it is college Spring Break, it is a totally different scene than Daytona Beach. I had to smile at the two BYU students guiltily comparing notes about the time they'd tried Mountain Dew.

We also did the Narrows – I have a pretty adventurous 9-year-old – we had really thick wool (neoprene socks would be good, too), with running shoes over that, and had wet-suit bottoms on with synthetic puffy tops. For us (coming from Alaska) that was much better than the people we saw in rental dry suits. We didn't bother with hiking poles, but a lot of people like them. Or consider buying just a broom stick and attaching a strap handle. Something a little longer and stronger than a hiking pole is nice in a deep creek.

I've liked the hike from Kolobs Canyon Road off of I-15 in the NW corner of Zion. Enough so that I've done it the last 3 times I've been there.

Zion has so much more to do, from its various entrances and trailheads, than Bryce does. And while Zion is cool in March, Bryce is a noticeable higher and colder. I'd do 4-5 days in Zion and 1-2 days in Bryce, especially in this season. By mid summer, the elevation difference would push me more towards Bryce.

I've been to Bryce, and twice to Zion in the first week of March, and will say it depends on the snow. With the weather they're having now, I wouldn't expect any problems at Zion, except maybe not being able to do the Narrows if they keep getting rain.
That's a long trip up Kolob Terrace Road if you don't get picked up while hitchhiking. I use Zion Adventure Company's shuttle for that.

If you can't do the Narrows, going up the East Rim Trail from Weeping Rock to Observation Point, or heading up the East Rim to overnight at the top of Echo Canyon or further to Deertrap or Cable Mountain, and a side hike of Hidden Canyon are nice. Hopefully the crowds won't be too bad for you. Lots of people when I took my dad there in April a few years ago..

Bryce is at 9000 feet. I did backpack there one March, and was disappointed. It was extremely cold at night. Even if it weren't for the cold, I found that the trail network where overnight backpacking is allowed, is not in a particularly interesting part of the park.

Just go there for a day – not even overnight – and play around with a dayhike or two along the trails mentioned by others above.

You could spend your whole week in Zion. (Sounds a bit rushed as it is.) Zion is an extraordinary park. If you do have more time beyond Zion, I'd do an overnight either in the Escalante; or else a point-to-point where you start at Buckskin Gulch and end at the Paria River trailhead.

Either of those overnights will be a more memorable trip than strolling around Bryce.

I guess I've never really gotten the appeal of Bryce, compared to Utah's other truly magnificent national parks and places like Buckskin Gulch.

– Elizabeth

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It's been helpful in planning the trip, though some details will need to be figured out on the fly (pending permits).

We got wetsuits for the narrows and will pick up some broom sticks as suggested. Also, we got permits for Buckskin Gulch, but today the shuttle people and BLM staff recommended not doing the trip, as water is very high and cold.

Current plans are to arrive in Zion early Sat, try to get walk-in permits for La Vernin Creek (Sat) and West Rim Trail (Sun) campsites, returning to the valley on Mon. If no permits are available, we'll head out to the East Rim trail and hike back to the valley by Saturday evening. Sunday morning we'll line up early to get a permit for West Rim Trail for Monday before beginning an overnight hike of the Narrows. Upon completing the narrows, we'd then begin the West Rim trail from Wildcat Canyon, returning to the valley Tuesday. The rest of Tuesday will be day hiking and car camping in Zion Valley and Wednesday will be day hiking and car camping in Bryce. Thursday is TBD, maybe renting some mountain bikes :)