Travel advice/partner scoping in mid Oct

Hey there! I'm going to be traveling in N AZ/SW UT from 10/17-10/24 and was looking for a bit of advice and maybe picking up a partner as well. 

I'm going to be staying in Mesquite with friends for a couple of days climbing in St. George/The Grail, and then looking to head towards Zion and Bryce since I've never been to Utah. I definitely would love to also hike and was wondering if I should even hit Bryce or just focus exclusively on Zion? I'll most likely be camping outside of the parks on BLM land but I haven't completely sussed it out yet since my schedule is pretty fluid. I'll also be bringing a full single rack, rope, draws, etc. 

Also for locals, are there any good rest day spots (swimming holes, cool spots, restaurants and the like) in between those areas and Las Vegas that would be cool to hit? I'm flying into Vegas but won't be climbing in Red Rock since I just took a trip there this past March. Loved every second of it, but I've never been to Utah and really would love to go somewhere I haven't before.

Any advice or places I should look up would be awesome, and if anyone is going to be in or around Zion and wants to climb, I'm a confident 5.8/9 trad leader who will always keep the stoke high and love hanging out with people in new places

Katherine

Zion has some amazing trad climbing and great hiking all in one package.   Some other fun places around the local area for climbing would Lime Kiln, The Soul Asylum, Prophecy Wall, Graveside Matters(if you go that far north), Lambs Knoll(super soft ratings), Bluff street Cracks, and Kelly's Rock.  Bryce only has hiking but it is truly world class gorgeous sandstone worth the view but it's totally up to you.  Ashtar Command in Zion is a classic easy route with great protection but nice exposure to keep you on your toes.     For swimming spots, Sand Hollow state park has nice swimming and small cliff jumps. A more free option to cool off is quail creek or just jump in one the rivers near the shuttles in Zion.  The night life in Utah is a rather dull situation (excluding Moab) but the nature makes up for it tenfold.  If I'm free I may be able to climb.  

Happy climbing and Best of luck.

Great mixed climbing over in Snow canyon state park as well.  That's a gem.

James, you're a Gem 

Thanks for all the great info James! I've spent a couple hours at LimeKiln once and can't wait to get back out there! Excited to explore some of the swimming spots you mentioned as well. 

I definitely want to hit up some of the areas you mentioned as well

Super stoked!