Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drive either early or late in the day, when there's less traffic—the best times to ex-
plore the parks anyway.
If you'll be traveling in the parks in your RV and want to make it obvious that
your campsite is occupied, carry something to leave in it, such as a cardboard box
with “Site Taken” clearly written on it.
Because many of the national park campsites are not level, carry four or five
short boards, or leveling blocks, to place under the RV's wheels. You can buy inex-
pensive levels at RV and hardware stores.
Elsewhere in this topic you'll ind information on camping in Zion and Bryce
Canyon national parks, on nearby federal and state lands, and in the parks' gate-
way towns. Those planning to camp elsewhere in the state can get information on
Utah's national forests from the
U.S.ForestServiceIntermountainRegionOfice,
324 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401 (
&
801/625-5306;
www.fs.fed.us/r4). The Utah State
Office of the
U.S.BureauofLandManagement
is at 440 W. 200 South, Ste. 500, Salt
Lake City, UT 84145-0155 (
&
801/539-4001;
www.blm.gov/ut). For information on
Utah's state parks, contact
UtahStateParks,
1594 W. North Temple, Ste. 116, Salt
Lake City, UT 84116 (
&
877/887-2757
or 801/538-7220; www.stateparks.utah.gov).
Members of the
American Automobile Association (AAA)
can request the
club's free
SouthwesternCampBook,
which includes campgrounds and RV parks in
Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico; and several good national and region-
al campground guides are also available.
Renting an
rv
for Your National Park Trek
If you own an RV, you're all set for a trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks; but if you don't,
you might want to consider renting one.
But first, let's get one thing straight: You probably won't save a lot of money. It is possible to travel
fairly cheaply if you limit your equipment to a tent, a pop-up tent trailer, or a small pickup truck
camper, but renting a motor home will probably end up costing almost as much as driving a com-
pact car, staying in moderately priced motels, and eating in family-style restaurants and cafes.
That's because the motor home will go only one-third as far on a gallon of gas or diesel as your
car, and they're expensive to rent (generally $1,000-$1,500 per week in midsummer, when rates
are highest).
But carrying your house with you gives you the opportunity to stay in relative comfort in the na-
tional park campgrounds, which many park visitors feel is one of the highlights of their trip. It also
lets you stop for meals anytime and anywhere you choose, and you won't spend time searching
for a restroom.
If you're planning to fly into the area and rent an RV when you arrive, choose your starting point
carefully. Rental rates vary depending on where you pick up your RV. Rental rates are usually less
