We will be staying in a rustic lodge outside of the park, which I'm hoping will reduce the up close bear encounters! I thought the recommended bike direction for going to the sun road was east to west, but that might have been an old website. I'm really excited about the trip, but it would just be my husband and I on the bikes. The teenage kids aren't into that, and they would have to wait for us somewhere while we bike, so I don't think there will be any long trips.