Scenic Drive through a narrow, winding canyon between St. George, UT and Mesquite, NV. Other popular stops include Las Vegas Strip, Hoover Dam, and Valley of Fire State Park. With the Zion Mount Carmel Highway offering a parallel experience to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and with so many unique sites to explore between the two, you will want to devote at least two days during your Utah national parks itinerary within Zion National Park. George. We had enjoyed our time in St George and the drive back to Vegas was easy with little traffic en-route.Our Yesnomads channel offers regular video updates from our travels and life. Spring and fall have the most moderate weather; April and October are the most popular months to visit, with highs between 60 and 90 degrees. Is There a Bus that Goes from Las Vegas to Zion National Park? March is still cold, but temperatures start to rise come April. St. George has many kid friendly museums. If youre arriving from Las Vegas, please note that Utah is one hour ahead of Nevada. Opportunities for heart pounding adventure and quiet reflection in nature will present themselves at every turn during this Utah national parks itinerary from Las Vegas. This drive also gives you some insight into Virgin River flooding and geologic challenges. Famous for its red rock landscapes and amazing trails, and you can take your pick from accessible 2-mile walks here to more challenging hikes through the wilderness. in our room at the St George Inn & Suites. If you dont mind a tour bus, there are many Zion National Park day trip options from the Las Vegas Strip. From there to Bryce, through drop-dead gorgeous scenery. The most popular hike, and a must-do for avid hikers, is Angels Landing, a 5.4-mile hike that involves chain-assisted rock scrambles, crazy heights, and scaling a narrow ridge. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Valley of Fire was one of the sleeper hits of our trip, totally worth a detour. Missionaries show you around the Brigham Young Winter Home, where the religious leader and politician spent winters between 1870 and 1877. Older kids wont want to miss this! There are no shortcuts between Las Vegas and Springdale. *Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Your next stop is Kamas. (Its just another hours drive from Zion to the wild red hoodoo rock formations of Bryce Canyon National Park, and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Kanab.). Keyword. Famous for its national parks, dubbed the Mighty Five, you'll enjoy outstanding scenic vistas as you travel between some of the country's most spectacular natural landmarks. The top stops along the way from St. George to Las Vegas (with short detours) are Bellagio Fountain, Fremont Street Experience, and Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. It's about 160 miles, and the drive usually takes between two and three hours. The Mighty 5 national parks in Utah are Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Zion National Park. Founded in 1935, the Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest state park. Day 5 (Bryce to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? However, there is often construction along the very narrow stretch of I-15 between Mesquite, Nevada and St. George, Utah, in the Virgin River Gorge, which passes through the northwestern corner of Arizona. Fairyland Canyon is a scenic overlook just north of the park entrance, allowing park guests to view the hoodoos up close. Pack a picnic and head out for the day to explore its red rock cliffs and waterfalls. Gorgeous drive, generally not found along interstate. This route will cost you the park daily $25.00 entrance fee so please be prepared for that, but if you have time you can see great amounts of Zion National Park along the way to highway 89. I dragged my daughter out of bed to catch the sunrise from Sunset Point (recommended by someone here and also by a ranger). The St. George Childrens Museum has twelve rooms of interactive displays encouraging children to use their imagination and explore. One of the best-known hoodoos, Thors Hammer, can also be found here among the red, yellow, and orange hued rock walls. Other nearby ghost towns to explore include Old Iron Town and Silver Reef. Sand Hollow State Park is 20,000 acres of pure recreation. LazyTrips is a trading name of Uncle Bob Media Ltd. Youll have the freedom to stop in all of the funky little spots between Las Vegas and the entrance to Zion in the town of Springdale, Utah. Once you've checked in, head over to the lakeshore to admire the stunning sunset at the biggest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. It's a quick 45 minute drive from St. George and as one of the most beautiful national parks in the U.S., it's one of the best things to do near St George. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-117395788', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Kanab and beyond - Wednesday). Its tranquil, beautiful and teeming with birds - a niche interest, I know, but for any birders reading this, its a must do. I checked it out, then went back to the hotel to collect my sleepy-head travel companion and came back with her so that she, too, could see the hummingbirds, waterfowl and avocets. Off this route (on a dirt road) is the Joshua Tree Byway, where you can see the only Joshua Trees in UT. Rangers are on hand to answer questions and offer advice for your time in the park. Our personal reconciliation came about a third of the way into the outbound hike. There are two pools here, one outdoor and the other indoor, and the wellness center has spa packages, including everything from a relaxation area to body treatments. The city is the religious center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons, and also hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2002. Since the city is located in the Mojave Desert, it doesnt have the cold weather found in other parts of the state. With the creek so high, some of the crossings were rather challenging. ), Weather in Early October - Southern Utah's National Parks, Confused about tubing in Zion (Virgin River), Super 8 by Wyndham Salina / Scenic Hills Area, Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-117399669', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Kanab to Zion to St George - Thursday). Re: the Bryce View Lodge, which gets mixed-tilting-negative reviewsthe room was certainly dated (one might even say shabby), outlets were lacking/inconvenient, and there was a bit of a gap in the doorbut it was clean & quiet and the beds were comfortable, which was all we asked. Although not many people know about it. U.S. Route 6, stretching from Long Beach, California, to Provincetown, Mass., may not be a spontaneous afternoon drive, but it is well worth the mileage. To see all the attractions with travel between, we recommend at least 5 days. Our team is happy to answer any questions you might have, so dont ever hesitate to send us a note. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-117391709', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Zion, Bryce - Monday). On to St George, where we collapsed at the Inn & Suites. :). It wasnt the greatest view, but it was a condor! If youre arriving from Las Vegas, please note that Utah is one hour ahead of Nevada. Zion National Park is the perfect spot for kids with many family friendly hiking and biking trails. The absolute fastest way is chartering a helicopter, which you can do with well-established Las Vegas companies like Sundance Helicopters, which will take you over Utahs incredible canyon country right from the Las Vegas Strip. The narrowest section of Zion Canyon, with many portions completely within the Virgin River, is hailed as the quintessential Zion experience. From there, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to head for Vermillion Cliffs in AZ to see if we could spot condors. Google confirmed that I was right. Rising more than 8,000 feet along the western rim of Bryce Canyon, Inspiration Point looks toward the Silent City hoodoos, offering another unique perspective of this well-known site. It's easy driving: straight, open roads and scenic terrain. Designed in the Googie architecture style that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s, it's a cool throwback to early Vegas. Back in town, we did a grocery run for picnic provisions for the next day and then had mediocre takeout back at our lodging (the charming Red Canyon Cabins). There is, however, precious little public transportation between Vegas and all the gorgeous national park areas that lie just across the border in Utah. Halfway through the drive, your dedicated driver and guide will pick up your fresh deli lunch on the way from Las Vegas to Zion. This day was all about scenic drives (and a bit of birding) - no hiking. Spend some time getting to know Utah's state capital, then leave the city heading east on I-80 towards Summit County. We peered up at their cliffside roost, where 1 or 2 were supposedly tucked in, but saw only streaks of guano. The trail took us to the next shuttle stop, which we hopped on and took to the Grotto area, where we picnicked before walking to the Lodge & Emerald Pools trails (we did the Lower Pool only). And that was it for us. Return to Route 89 and head south through Glendale then at Mt Carmel Junction turn onto UT-9 towards Zion National Park. Then, you can enjoy your lunch on the bus, or have a picnic when you get to the park. Only two states (California and Alaska) have more national parks than Utah, making it a hotspot for nature lovers and thrill seekers alike with endless options for hiking, camping, climbing, and more. If you have some more time, or wish to expand this into a 2-day tour and visit the state parks just north of town, to enjoy some gorgeous Utah views. It went very well with takeout pizza (and Succession!) We've added some extra driving time to visit these landmarks towards the end of your trip around Utah, but if you're not planning on driving the whole loop, we'd definitely recommend heading to see these first so you don't miss out. The Fiery Furnace section of the park is full of twisting caverns, slot canyons, and gorges full of interesting rock formations like stone passageways and slender sandstone arches. A final honorable mention to include on the best Utah national parks itinerary from Las Vegas is a quick stop at Goblin Valley State Park. The permanent collection of items at the museum includes American Indian artifacts and exhibits illustrating the path from pioneer settlement to creation of the park. Plus the staff were so kind and welcoming, we regretted not eating in. The Virgin River Gorge when going from St George to Las Vegas is awe inspiring. A short section of the Interstate is a bridge that goes above the Virgin River. Las Vegas car rental rates are notoriously low (although the ancillary fees on car rentals are often quite high). Take the I-15 north and get off at exit 8 in Littlefield. St. George and the Greater Zion area just might be the answer. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. We've done it twice, once from Las Vegas to Zion NP, and once from Zion to the Virgin River Casino - a scenic oddity and treat in itself, being part of a large manmade golf oasis in the middle of the desert. Im glad we did it at the beginning of our trip, as a (relatively) small-scale introduction to the red rock formations wed see more of later. Next to Inspiration Point, and 200 feet higher, is Bryce Point. The Flight exhibit is a popular attraction where you can try your hand at flying in a flight simulator and jump aboard a plane. If you are pulling a trailer it would be best to take the highway 20 route. I'm looking forward to another stellar meal there. Rather than racing from Las Vegas to Zion as quickly as possible, slow down and enjoy the drive.
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