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Originally Posted by noraoconnor
I have been looking at a road atlas (hard copy -- I'm not doing so well using the online map directions ... since it often asks the address of the Grand Canyon ???? ). What am I supposed to put in as an address for the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park? I have gone to website suggested and seem to be doing something wrong ...
Which one are you trying to use? In Mapquest, If I put Grand Canyon in the line for city, it routes to Page just fine. You don't need a street address. Hope that helps.
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Okay, so here's the route that looks reasonable to the South Rim from SF ....
HWY 580 to the 5 to the 99, cut over in Bakersfield (to the 58) then to the 40, and then the 40 the Mather South Rim Campsite. Sound right?
Then should I stay the night in Barstow or Needles, before heading on to the Grand Canyon?
Yes, from I-40 you can go to the South Rim either via 64/180 which merges with I-40 just west of Flagstaff, or if you are going into Flagstaff itself first, you can take 180 all the way from Flagstaff.
I can't remember if you have kids with you or not. If you do, they might enjoy a stop at the ticky-tacky, kitschy and fun "Bedrock City" in Valle (where 64 and 180 merge) just south of the South Rim.
Barstow is 415 miles and roughly 7 hours driving without any stops. Needles is 560 miles and roughly 9 hours driving without any stops.
Now, you will be stopping (gas, bathroom, meals, stretching) and this also assumes that you won't hit any bad stretches of traffic. So, where to stop for the night, depends on how much driving you want to do each day.
As a new roadtripper, I have a gut feeling you shouldn't go any farther than Barstow. If you stop there, you have about 7 hours driving/430 miles to drive the next day. This roughly cuts your trip into two equal halves.
If you think you can drive farther that first day, You'll have a shorter day the second day by about 2 hours and quite a few miles. I always think it's nice to burn miles the first day. But that's me. YMMV (your mileage may vary).
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When I leave the GC, South Rim ... I'm not clear on the route to Zion, Watchman Campsite ... ??? The 64 to the 89? I think I need some help with that drive route. Thank you.
Yes, that's the route. You'll go past Watchman and will be traveling along the South Rim part of the way. It's a beautiful drive. It's about 140 miles from Grand Canyon Village to Page. Time to travel? Hard to say. Depends on how many stops you make at scenic viewpoints, at Tusayen Ruins, Watchtower, etc.
Page to Zion is along 89 and 9. About 116 miles/2 hours. However, plan for longer. There are stops along the way that are fun to explore and it's not unusual to get stuck behind slow traffic through here. Things to see: Navajo Bridge, Lee's Ferry, Kanab. And I really suggest touring the North Rim as well. It's a very different view of the GC.
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Then on the way back ... how long of a drive is it from Zion to Vegas? Then I'd get back on the 15 home to SF.
Zion to Vegas via 9 and I-15: 160 miles, 2.5 hours
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I'm open to driving suggestions (and to a website, where I know what address to insert). I do understand there are much better scenic routes (to and from SF), and if I had another few more days I would do that ... but, I think the direct routes are going to best, so I can get the most out of my first trip to the GC and Zion.
Like I already said, try the park name in the town line. I think it should route OK with that. At least Mapquest did. I didn't try the others. I usually use MS Streets & Trips (an inexpensive software program) for my planning. I think it's easier to use than the online versions and has more options for tweaking. If you're interested, I usually see it for about $15 after rebates.
Nothing wrong with using these routes. They are, in fact, quite scenic. You'll see some great stuff along the way. Well, except for the I-5 stretch. That's a bit of a bore unless you've never seen it before, in my opinion. But it's hard to do a roadtrip of any distance without some stretches like this. Just burn miles when the sights are less than intrigueing so you have more time to explore new, interesting areas.
Enjoy your trip and, please, give us a roadtrip report when you get home.
