Southern Utah National Parks

I am visiting the Southern Utah area in early October and would love to learn of any good jeep or other photo tours available for the Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef or other areas.

Is the ski lift running at Brian Head? Is it photographically worth going up the lift? Additionally is the Bryce Canyon Wildlife Park worth visiting? I want photos of animals that are not obviously in fenced or caged enclosures.

I was quite disappointed in the Kenai Peninsula Wildlife Park in Alaska. It was rough to get pictures of the animals without showing fences in the foreground or background. Equally disappointing, from a photographer's point of view was the tags that many of the animals wore on their ears. Actually, the San Diego Zoo provides better photo ops than that wildlife center. I will admit however, that the reason for the Kenai Park is primarily to provide a safe refuge for injured wildlife that cannot be reintegrated back into the wild; not to provide photo ops for tourists.

That rehab center is NOT on the Kenai Peninsula, but is in Portage at the head of Turnagin Arm. It is just before you get onto the Kenai Peninsula.

rpcrow,

I have been to both Zion and Bryce - but have never taken a jeep or photo tour at either park. Both places are well suited for both short and long hikes for photographs; I am not sure if they have jeep tours.

You cannot drive into most of Zion -rather there is a pretty good bus system. If you are not able to hike, one of the best photo ideas in Zion is to catch the first morning bus out of Springdale (last month it left at 5:20 am) into Zion park and get out at one of the several stops above the lodge. You can get there easily before sunrise and catch the light coming up on the canyons. The first bus of the day is the only one that goes all the way to the end without needing to change busses.

Hope that helps a little. Sorry I do not know of photo tours.

Dave