Heading to Bryce Canyon National Park:
Since I recently started a new job, I haven’t been able to accumulate very many vacation days yet. And that means I’ve been trapped in Florida for months without taking a trip anywhere! So, since I was already getting 5 days off for the 4th of July holiday, I figured I should take advantage of the extra-long weekend and go on a vacation. The destination? Utah! More specifically, Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park with a day in Las Vegas since that’s where we were flying in and out of.
Flying to Vegas
I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Southwest Airlines (delayed/cancelled flights, not getting a good seat because I didn’t check in early, etc.), but we decided to give it another try because (1) cost, (2) free checked bags for our camping gear, and (3) flight times. Exactly 24 hours ahead, I checked us in allowing us to snag window seats and have ample room for carry-on luggage. The flight was on-time, the snacks were delicious, and the flight attendants were friendly. My only complaint (and I’m stretching for a complaint) was my drink was too strong. I think I’ll be flying with them again!
Driving to Bryce Canyon National Park
We landed in Vegas around 9am, rented a car, and hit the open road to our first destination, Bryce Canyon National Park.
Around lunch time, we happened to be near St. George, Utah. From research ahead of time, I knew it had 2 things we needed. In-N-Out Burger and a Walmart for supplies. It was also our first glimpse of the massive crowds that would ensue at the parks. Boy, was it crowded! But the burgers and animal style fries were so worth it. And we really did need to pick up a few supplies at Walmart including water and a fuel canister for our camp stove.
After energizing our jet-lagged bodies, we hit the road again. There are a few ways to get to Bryce Canyon National Park from St. George. You could drive through Zion and then head north, but we were going to do that drive on the way back. You could drive I-15 north and cut over on highway 20. That is probably the fastest. But, we drove north on I-15 and then cut through Dixie National Forest for a more scenic drive. I highly recommend it. It is absolutely beautiful with the lush forests, rivers, and lava rock fields. We pulled off at several pull-offs to absorb the views, but we didn’t have time for more than that. We were on a mission to get to Bryce!
Closer to Bryce Canyon National Park, we turned onto the famous Scenic Byway 12. And scenic it was! This was where we started to see all the stunning red rock formations and got our first tiny taste of what Bryce was going was going to be like.
Annual Pass
The first thing we did when we got to Bryce Canyon National Park was to buy an annual pass to the National Parks. It really is the way to go. Entry into Bryce Canyon National Park is $30, entry into Zion National park is $30, and the annual pass is only $80. If we only go to 1 more National Park this year, we will have already recouped the cost.
Sunset Campground
The next stop was Sunset Campground, our home for the next 2 nights. There are some first come first serve sites, and they were not full when we arrived though I think that might have just been a fluke. There are also reserved sites which fill up 6 months in advance, so reserve early! Or do what we did and check multiple times every day and snag one right when someone else cancels. The site was spacious with ample room between us and the next sites, and the nearby bathroom was clean and had hot water. There weren’t any showers at the campground, but the general store near Sunrise point had nice, hot showers. Something else to note, camp fires were allowed here! Because of the extreme dry heat this area was experiencing, a lot of places banned camp fires, including Zion National Park. 
Sunset Point
After setting up our tent, we headed across the street to Sunset Point. I can’t even begin to describe that initial feeling when you first lay eyes on Bryce Canyon. It is like nothing I’d ever seen before. And, since it was almost sunset, the rocks were glowing. To make it even more magical, the smoke from the nearby wildfires were creating a purple hue in the sky. Something to note, even though the name is Sunset Point, you can’t actually see the sun set here. Others who weren’t aware of this were disappointed. However, I think it is still worth the visit here at sunset to see the sky and rocks changing colors as the light disappeared. It is a completely different sight from what you see during the daytime.
