Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Zion & Bryce Canyon

As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule. Or you can use our trip planners for our suggestions on half, full or multi day itineraries. Some of the many highlights are listed below;

Inspiration Point is 3 different views combined into one. There are 3 tiers or platforms, each one climbing higher and opening new vistas down into what is called the Silent City. From this location, it's especially easy to clearly see the different colors of the bands or stratas in the hoodoos - ranging from white to pink to rust colored.

At Sunset Point, we are getting quite close to the hoodoos and can see details of the formation and erosion patterns. Individual formations have names like Thor's Hammer. Sunset Point is the trailhead for one of the favorite hikes into the Amphitheater - the Navajo Loop Trail. The hike descends down below the rim and hikes can walk through formations like Wall Street and Two Bridges. The loop is 1.3 miles, but the trail is steep in places.

The greatest star of the Bryce Canyon National Park is of course the Amphitheater where visitors enjoy superb views of the hoodoo formations. Past the Amphitheater is the 18-mile Scenic Drive, which continues all the way to Rainbow Point, the highest and southernmost location in the park. Along the drive there are at least 8 different pullouts and viewpoints that each share a different feature of the Park. You can choose to stop at some or all of them. Our favorites are Rainbow Point, Agua Canyon, Natural Bridge and Farview Point.

It's a subjective choice, but in our opinion this is the best place to take in your first views of the hoodoos, as it is located the furtherest away and provides the widest and grand views that captures the enormity of the Amphitheater. This is the southern end point of the Rim Trail. If you want to walk the rim which will provide you with every view, you can park and start here, and then later catch the free shuttle to get back to your vehicle.

Located on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Emerald Pools is a favourite hike that is not too strenuous, but walkers need to be capable of hiking roughly 60-90 minutes on an unpaved trail. The first major highlight of the hike is the Lower Emerald Pool. What is so enjoyable here is that we actually walk behind the spray of the waterfalls in a cave-like overhang. The mist is refreshing and cooling. Though subject to trail conditions, and the trail has been recently damaged and repaired, hikers can choose to continue on to the Middle and Upper Pools. The continuation of the hike is more strenuous than accessing the Lower Pool, so you can decide whether to continue or turn around. The trailhead is opposite Zion National Park Lodge, and that is the stop to use if the mandatory shuttle is in effect.

A short and fun diversion on Highway 9 between La Verkin and Springdale at the western entrance to Zion National Park, is to take the short drive to the Grafton Ghost Town. You can explore some of the old abandoned buildings, and visit the cemetery if you don't find that too creepy. The tour will let you know where to turn off in the small town of Rockville, and then cross to the southside of the Virgin River for the 15 minute drive to the ghost town site.

Perhaps the best-known and most photographed landmark in East Zion is the Checkerboard Mesa. This rock half-cone is characterized by horizontal and vertical cracks that give it that checkerboard appearance. There is a dedicated pullout and viewpoint for the best photos of this geological oddity.

Driving all the way across the park, between the East and South Entrances, follows Highway 9. Short switchbacks help the road quickly climb 1000 feet of vertical rise. At the top of those switchbacks, road engineers had nowhere else to go, and so the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel was created for through traffic. The tunnel is unusual in that it is only one lane wide, so it can only accommodate larger vehicles, like large RVs, in one direction at a time. Park Rangers have a system to get traffic through the tunnel - but you may need to exercise patience for this interesting part of the drive.

Most visitors to Zion will use the town of Springdale as their base for visiting the park. The town is located adjacent to the south entrance. Springdale is a full-service town with an excellent collection of hotels and accommodations, restaurants and cafes. Shoppers will enjoy the exploring the many galleries. If you are planning the wade in The Narrows, there are outfitters in town that will set you up with all the necessary gear - which is usually best to rent.

At the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, we come to an area where we can enjoy the riverside walk, completely surrounded by Zion's magnificent vertical red rock cliffs. It's also called the Temple of Sinawava. Once we reach the end of the Riverside Walk - that's where the fun really starts. This is where The Narrows begins. There's no reason to stop walking just because you've reached the Virgin River, from here the river itself become the trail. Hikers use the river to continue following the canyon, as the walls close in and become even more imposing. The water tends to be chilly, so to do the Narrows, you wear wading gear, canyoneering shoes for better grip as you walk through the river, and a drysack to keep your valuables safe. And a sturdy walking pole is not just to complete the look, but helps stabilize you as you wade. Most average hikers will go 3-4 miles before turning back. Most of the time the water is only ankle deep, but it can get waist deep in some places.

This is a great stop along the Zion Scenic Drive Road. Just a short 1/4 mile uphill walk gets you to a lovely hanging garden and this is another location where you will be on the "inside" of a fine waterfall. Its definitely worth the 30 minutes or so that it takes to enjoy the experience. There are 2 other popular hikes that require much more effort that depart from this location. Hidden Canyon is a 5-mile round trip to a hidden canyon - no surprise. The hike is quite exposed and iron chains are provided to help you stay on the trail in places. The toughest day hike in the Park also leaves from here, the 8-mile Observation Point hike climbs to the top of the mesa - rising 2150 vertical feet. Its a good workout!

Highway 12 joins Bryce Canyon National Park to Highway 89, which is the main route to connect Zion and Bryce. On 12, we will pass the Red Canyon. You have the choice to join some interesting hikes here, but for most road trippers, the highlight is to stop and take photos of two short tunnels that have been carved through rock fins that allow the highway to pass through.

The Grotto Trail is an easy flat walk that many people enjoy as a way to stretch their legs and access the Zion Lodge. But this location is far more famous as the starting point for the challenging Angel's Landing hike. That hike is only recommended for experienced and prepared hikers who are comfortable with heights. The most challenging section - mentally, is the crossing of a narrow ledge, 1,500 feet above the valley floor. The hike overall is 5-miles and requires significant elevation gain. It is so popular, that the trail can be downright crowded at times.

This is the viewpoint for the Amphitheater that is closest to the entrance for Bryce Canyon. Once again, we get to enjoy close up views of precariously balanced spires and formations that look ready to give up and collapse. Those who want to hike into the Amphitheater will join the the Queens Garden Trail. This hike can be done as an out-and-back trail for 1.8 miles, or can be combined with the Navajo Loop trail to finish at Sunset Point. There are countless amazing formations that you will enjoy on the hike, and you will want to stop for photos at some of the fairy-like doorways that take you right through some formations. The trail gets its name from a particular hoodoo that looks like Queen Victoria - that's no exaggeration!