Zion Help!

[bennyblues]

Hi everybody! Got a trip to Zion planned for Sept. 3 or 4 of us our hiking from La Verkin Creek to the Grotto, and then an overnight in the narrows. As of now, we only have 1 rental car booked. My plan was to park as close to the grotto as permitted, so when we come out of the West Rim and the Narrows, our car will be there for resupply/gear dump. My problem is that most of the companies I've talked to only offer the shuttles at certain times of the day. From where we are parked to the La Verkin trailhead is $40 a person and departs at 7am. It's another $40 when we get the shuttle to chamberlain at 630am or 930am. Here are my questions:

1) Where can/should we park the rental car
2) Should we stay in Vegas our first night and plan on leaving super duper early to meet our 7am shuttle time or drive to Springdale after our last flight lands at midnight and sleep in the car at the shuttle point for a few hours
3) Is there a hotel in the Springdale area that we could stay at our 1st night that offers week long parking and trailhead shuttle service
4) How reliable is hitch hiking in the area.
5) How long will it take us to get from the campsites on the West Rim to the grotto, and to our parking spot

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[erial]

4 people times 2 shuttles times $40 equals $320. You should be able to rent a second car in Vegas for less than that especially if you keep monitoring rental prices. Rates tend to go down a week or two before a planned departure date. You can always leave a car at the ZNP visitor center and use the free shuttle that makes stops at the center as well as the grotto and the riverwalk. Alternatively in lieu of a second car, one peep volunteer to drop off the other three at the TH and then that peep will rejoin the threesome at the campsite by schlepping uphill or upstream.