Vehicles that required a permit had to exit via the tunnel by 4:30 p.m. that day, hours before the sun set. If we didn’t exit by this time we would have to make a two-hour detour. If we had known we could’ve booked an RV park on the other side of the tunnel, allowing us to enjoy the whole day in Zion, but no harm done.
The next day, we drove an hour and twenty minutes to Bryce Canyon. With so many stunning and unique features, this ended up being our favorite National Park. There are so many hiking trails here that you can do, even with young children.
In our research, we saw conflicting information on whether RV campsite reservations were necessary. As planners we wanted to make our reservations in advance to avoid any hiccups—and we’re so glad we did! For instance, a campsite near Bryce Canyon came well-recommended, but if we’d just shown up, we’d have found it closed. With spotty cell service in the area, we would’ve had no idea where to go next, but thanks to a little preparation we had a solid place to camp for the night.
Our next stop was Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. You can easily do both in one day with their close proximity. We first visited Horseshoe Bend, and while there was plenty of RV parking, we quickly learned throughout the rest of our trip that regular vehicles often disregard these signs. We learned to adjust our plan on the fly and that we may need to park further away than we’d expected.
Antelope Canyon is on the private land of the Navajo Tribe and you can’t drive here yourself, you’ll need to book a tour to visit. The company we booked through had plenty of RV parking. We chose Upper Antelope Canyon as it looked easier to navigate with kids. The natural beauty left us all speechless. There are a few RV parks to choose from in the area, but if you’re looking for an amazing view, definitely book the Lake Powell Wahweap RV & Campground.
From Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, we made our way to Monument Valley. You cannot travel through the valley with an RV. Your options are to go on a guided tour or explore on a four-wheeler. There is plenty of RV parking on-site, however, if you just want to look out into the valley or leave your RV while you take a tour.
We made our final stop at the Grand Canyon. It was here we learned that you should really know how to check the amount of propane you have left in your tank. It’s just as important to know the nearest place to get propane and their hours of operation. After a full day exploring the canyon, we began cooking dinner. Midway through, the stove shut off. Next, we lost the heat. With temperatures supposed to drop into the 20s overnight, we needed to refill our propane tank, but the station nearby had already closed for the evening.
Thankfully, the RV owner we rented from had a space heater tucked away that we used to stay warm through the night. Even though the next day was Thanksgiving, we lucked out and the nearby station was open so we could refill our tank.
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