Red Canyon Cabins · Photo: Booking.comTwo of America's most visited national parks, and the towns between them
Zion and Bryce Canyon are about two hours apart by road in southern Utah, and the towns at their gates, Springdale and Bryce Canyon City, are small and expensive. Many visitors sleep a little further out. This guide compares three bases: Kanab, between Zion, Bryce, Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon's North Rim; Panguitch, near Bryce on Scenic Byway 12; and Hurricane, below Zion's south entrance. The places listed here are independent motels and cabins.
Zion is a deep canyon of red and cream sandstone cut by the Virgin River, with trails from easy riverside walks to the chains of Angels Landing and the river itself in the Narrows. Bryce Canyon, higher and cooler, is an amphitheatre of orange hoodoos you can see from the rim or walk down into.
The two parks are about two hours apart, and the country between them, along Highway 9, US-89 and Scenic Byway 12, is part of the trip. From Kanab you can add Lake Powell, the slot canyons near Page or, when it is open, the Grand Canyon's North Rim.
Zion National Park, from Springdale
The road up the main canyon, from the visitor centre to the Temple of Sinawava, served by the free park shuttle for most of the year. Riverside Walk, Emerald Pools and the start of the Narrows are along it.
Zion Canyon, from the Grotto stop
A steep trail ending on a narrow ridge with chains. Since 2022 hikers need a permit from a lottery run by the park; without one you can still walk as far as Scout Lookout.
End of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
Walking up the Virgin River between canyon walls, in the water most of the way. Check the flow and flash flood forecast at the visitor centre, and rent proper shoes in Springdale.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Points look over the largest group of hoodoos. The Navajo Loop and Queens Garden trails go down among them and back up in two to three hours.
Highway 12, east of Panguitch
Red rock hoodoos and short trails on Scenic Byway 12, in Dixie National Forest, with a paved bike path towards Bryce. Free to visit.
About 30 minutes from Kanab
A state park of pink sand dunes in the hills west of Kanab, popular for walking, sandboarding and off-road vehicles.
Each area suits a different kind of trip. Pick yours, then compare the hotels in it.
| If you… | Stay in | |
|---|---|---|
| If you want one base for Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon North Rim | Kanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim) | Kanab sits between all three, and also near Lake Powell and Page. |
| If you want sunrise at Bryce Canyon | Panguitch and Red Canyon (for Bryce Canyon) | Panguitch and Red Canyon are about 20 to 30 minutes from the Bryce visitor centre, and cheaper than the park gate. |
| If you want Zion Canyon itself, without Springdale prices | Hurricane (below Zion's south entrance) | Hurricane is about 35 minutes from Springdale and the south entrance, on the side of the park where the shuttle and the main canyon are. |
| If you are driving a large RV or towing | Hurricane (below Zion's south entrance) | Reaching Zion Canyon from Hurricane avoids the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway and its tunnel, which vehicles over the park's size limits have not been allowed to use since 7 June 2026. |
| If you are travelling with a dog | Kanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim) | Kanab is home to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and has pet-friendly rooms; remember that dogs are allowed on very few trails in Zion and Bryce. |
| If you are on a tight budget | Kanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim) | The cheapest room in this part of the guide was in Kanab, at about €37 a night when we checked. |
Red Canyon Cabins · Photo: Booking.comKanab is a small town on US-89 just north of the Arizona line, known as "Little Hollywood" for the westerns filmed around it. It is the most central base in the region: the east entrance of Zion is about half an hour away, Bryce Canyon about an hour and a half, Page and Lake Powell a little over an hour, and the Grand Canyon North Rim about an hour and a half.
The town has a visitor centre, restaurants, outfitters for the slot canyons and permit areas nearby, and more choice of rooms than Springdale or Bryce Canyon City. The trade-off is that every park is a drive, so it suits travellers who move around rather than those who want to hike in one park every day.
Check the North Rim before you plan on it: the Dragon Bravo fire of July 2025 destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge.
Photo: Booking.comKanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim)8.5
Photo: Booking.comKanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim)7.8
Bryce Gateway Inn & Cabins · Photo: Booking.comPanguitch is a small ranching town of red brick houses on US-89, at the start of Utah Scenic Byway 12. Red Canyon, with its own hoodoos and bike path, is on Byway 12 to the east, and the Bryce Canyon visitor centre is a further 20 minutes or so. The area is high: Panguitch is above 6,500 ft (about 2,000 m) and Bryce higher still, so nights are cold even in summer and snow is common in winter.
It is the place for sunrise and sunset at Bryce without the prices of Bryce Canyon City, at the park gate. Choice is limited, and many places close or cut hours in winter.
Hotel Zion Inn · Photo: Booking.comHurricane is a growing town on Highway 9 between St. George and Zion, about 25 miles (40 km) from Springdale and the park's south entrance, roughly 35 minutes by car. That is the side of the park with the visitor centre, the shuttle into Zion Canyon and trails such as the Narrows and Angels Landing.
Hurricane has supermarkets, restaurants and rooms at much lower prices than Springdale, and Sand Hollow State Park is just outside town. The drive in and out each day is the price, and parking in Springdale fills early in busy months, so plan to start early.
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photo: Booking.comKanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim)8.5Photo: Booking.comKanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim)7.8Photo: Booking.comPanguitch and Red Canyon (for Bryce Canyon)7.4Photo: Booking.comHurricane (below Zion's south entrance)7.4| Hotel | Area | Booking.com score | Price level | Approx. price, 2 people | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Canyon Cabins | Kanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim) | 8.5 (1,914) | €€ · Mid-range | €61 | Booking.com |
| Travelers Motel | Kanab (between Zion, Bryce and the North Rim) | 7.8 (45) | € · Budget | €37 | Booking.com |
| Bryce Gateway Inn & Cabins | Panguitch and Red Canyon (for Bryce Canyon) | 7.4 (902) | € · Budget | €50 | Booking.com |
| Hotel Zion Inn | Hurricane (below Zion's south entrance) | 7.4 (2,368) | € · Budget | €48 | Booking.com |
Price for 2 adults, 12–15 January 2027, as shown on Booking.com on 17 Oct 2026.
Zion's shuttle and tunnel. For most of the year, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is closed to private cars and served by the free park shuttle from the visitor centre in Springdale. Since 7 June 2026, vehicles over the park's size limits, for example longer than 35 ft 9 in (10.9 m), wider than 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) or taller than 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m), mirrors included, may not drive Highway 9 between Canyon Junction and the East Entrance, which includes the tunnel; they have to reach Zion Canyon from the south, through Springdale. Check the National Park Service pages for current shuttle dates and limits.
Fees in 2026. Zion and Bryce each charge a vehicle fee, and since 1 January 2026 visitors who are not US residents also pay $100 per person aged 16 and over at the busiest national parks, Zion and Bryce among them, unless they hold an annual pass such as the $250 America the Beautiful nonresident pass. Our Grand Canyon fees guide works out when the pass pays off, and the same pass covers these parks.
Prices. Prices here are the lowest Booking.com rate we saw for two adults in mid-January 2027, converted from US dollars to euros. Summer prices are higher.
