Zion & Bryce Canyon: Beautiful Drive Tour Through Parks – Checkerboard Mesa, Utah

EXPERIENCE

Don’t miss a thing as your favorite audio tour narrator guides you throughout Zion, Bryce Canyon and along Highway 89 to not-to-be-missed points of interest, with fascinating stories, tips and directions along the way. Follow the suggested itineraries, or divide the commentary and create your own half, full or multi day sightseeing trips.

Tour Zion with its steep sandstone walls, slot canyons and green oasis’s created by water and Bryce Canyon with thousands of hoodoos towers densely packed into a spectacular amphitheatre.

Major Highlights:

La Verkin Overlook
Temple of Sinawava
Checkerboard Mesa
Inspiration Point
Grafton Ghost Town
Emerald Pools
Zion Mt Carmel Tunnel
Sunrise & Sunset Points
Zion Human History Museum*
Weeping Wall
Rainbow & Yovimpa Points
Red Rock Canyon
Great Arch Zion Overlook
Big Bend
Fairyland Point

Includes:

Zion National Park

The scenic drive will take you along towering sheer cliffs of red rock and twisting canyons cut by the Virgin River. But in amongst this stark landscape you’ll find surprising grottos of lush ferns, waterfalls and Emerald Pools.

For many, the bucket list hikes are the main draw and you’ll find many, from family friendly Riverside Walk, to the classic slot canyon adventure The Narrows to the strenuous and vertigo inducing Angels Landing. To enjoy these hikes safely, plan ahead and be prepared. Lots of water, snacks, check trail conditions and monitor changing weather conditions.

Looking for a place to escape the crowds? Perhaps the short drive to the ghost town of Grafton, a historic Mormon settlement with a small group of ageing wooden buildings and well preserved cemetery will peak your interest. It certainly inspired the moviemakers of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to use it as one of the filming locations.

Highway 89

Hear stories along the 1.5 drive between the two parks. You can drive much more directly to Bryce Canyon National Park thanks to the construction of the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway (RT 9 connector) in 1930. It’s a highly scenic stretch of road with its switchbacks and sweeping views back to Zion’s towering cliffs and the Great Arch. Its most impressive features however are the 2 tunnels, the longest being 1.1 miles. Gallery “windows” were created inside the tunnel to provide peekaboo views through to the stunning landscape.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Whether you call them hoodoos, goblins or fairy chimneys, you’ll be amazed at the sheer number of these formations in Bryce Canyon National Park. As you scan the amphitheatre suddenly you’ll start seeing shapes, faces and figures come to life in the rocks.

Get a closer glimpse by hiking one of the many trails that descend into the canyon. Queen’s Garden and Navajo Loop are two of the most popular.

HIGHLIGHTS

Includes commentary for Zion, Bryce Canyon and Highway 12 & 89 connectors
Gaze up at towering sheer cliffs along Zion Scenic Drive
Hear stories along the 1.5 hour Highway 89 drive that connects the two parks
See thousands of hoodoos densely packed along Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

Discover more exciting & fun things to do in Checkerboard Mesa