13 Fantastic Self-Drive Day Trips Around Las Vegas - Trip Memos Pack your hiking boots and backpack as they're sure to see some use. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. This is a popular trail for scenic driving, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Guests must request transportation pre-arrival, and may arrange for return to the airport while they are at the resort. Otherworldly is a word often used to describe Bryce Canyon National Park. The Arches Scenic Drive is a 19-mile-long road leading past some of the most popular sites within the park, beginning with the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint, offering a sweeping view of the park with the mountains off in the distance. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. Otherwise, a really nice drive. Try this 38.9-km point-to-point trail near St. George, Utah. Tip: Las Vegas car rental rates, like hotel rates, fluctuate with the citys convention schedule. At highway 20 you will turn east and take this highway until you reach highway 89. The 1,150-mile drive takes you to the state capital Salt Lake City and famous national parks such as Zion and Bryce Canyon. Zion means "the Promised Land" in Hebrew and this iconic park certainly lives up to its name. Virgin River North Trail via Confluence Park, Green Valley, Bearclaw Poppy, and Stucki Springs Loop. This section of I-15 is particularly scenic and shows where we drove through the Virgin River Canyon. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Las Vegas car rental rates are notoriously low (although the ancillary fees on car rentals are often quite high). The drive took us through Jacob Lake, where Id stayed on a past trip to the North Rim (closed now, of course). Another popular hiking spot in the park is the Emerald Pools area, offering trails suitable for families that can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs, to strenuous trails at higher elevations. Then, at Koosharem, turn onto UT-62 for a while, before carrying on south through Antimony and Widtsoe. The Devils Garden Trailhead is a wide, paved trail lined with arches and a campground with 50 campsites. 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 in the area in the future, make reservations for the Cliffisde Restaurant at Inn on the Cliff. This is a fun way to learn about the man and why he chose St. George as his winter home. They were out of pizza, and nearby CraftHaus had temporarily closed its kitchen to new orders because they were slammed, so we were forced to go elsewhere for dinner. Reset. Start the trip by getting on I-15 heading north out of Las Vegas. Pass through St. George (perhaps making a pit stop for lunch), before nipping southeast into . Missionaries show you around the Brigham Young Winter Home, where the religious leader and politician spent winters between 1870 and 1877. The Zion Mount Carmel Highway is the second major route through the park. Got back on the shuttle (again, no wait - we were lucking out) and when we pulled up at Big Bend, saw rangers with scopes, and heard the shuttle driver say the magic word CONDORS, we were out of there like a shot. ), 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. At one point, my daughter said I think I see something. Sure enough, one of the condors - previously hidden - was moving and stretching a bit. But that was just a previewthe scenery as we drove on to the Visitors Center wowed us. Guests may expect to wait up to 1 hour before Red Mountain transportation is available. 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. Awe Inspiring Scenic Drives Near Las Vegas - The Daily Impressions The drive between Las Vegas and St. George is not that interesting, but you can take the 54-mile Zion Park Scenic Byway at the intersection of Highway 9 and I-15, about 9 miles east of St. George. In fact, it was her first time in the desert west. Also nearby, Hamblin Home is a historic stone house with 1860s-style furnishings, and you can learn about Jacob Hamblin and his dedication to native American Indians in the region. It is not walker nor wheelchair friendly unless there is a side trail Im missing. Google confirmed that I was right. The extremely delicate, spiderweb pattern of the Landscape Arch stands 290 feet tall and is the largest natural arch anywhere in the world. Our personal reconciliation came about a third of the way into the outbound hike. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kirsten Maxwell and Kids Are A Trip, Inc. with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. The direct distance is 159 miles which should take (I guess) about 2.5 - 3 hours. You can fly into St. George Airport (SGU), which is 30 minutes from Red Mountain Resort, or Las Vegas McCarran International Airport and enjoy a scenic two-hour drive. Re: Place to Eat Between Las Vegas and Zion National Park 4 years ago Save The best food will be in the town of Springdale, Utah right at the entrance to Zion NP. Please make your arrangements with Reservations byemailor calling 877.246.4453. The owner of this website does not consent to the content on this website being used or downloaded by any third parties for the purposes of developing, training or operating artificial intelligence or other machine learning systems (Artificial Intelligence Purposes), except as authorized by the owner in writing (including written electronic communication). After a day exploring the great outdoors, you can soak in the view of the national park while you relax in the outdoor hot tub or end the day with a few laps of the outdoor swimming pool. We were, of course, thrilled. Seeing the landscape through her eyes made it seem even more spectacular. The reservoir is stocked with rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, crappie, and largemouth bass so bring a pole and head out fishing any time of year. The museum features dinosaur footprints and swimming tracks, hands-on activities, and fossils. One more option for your travels would be to Head north on i-15 until you get to highway 9 going to Hurricane. You will need to take into consideration the time of year, and of course your timeline for travel and arrival to the Bryce Canyon area. Las Vegas to Springdale, Utah - Road Trips Forum - Tripadvisor January, February and December are when Utah is at its coldest. Complimentary airport transportation is provided for guests flying into St. George. In Ferdonia you will turn northbound on highway 89 and take this up to highway 12 through Red Canyon and the turn to Bryce Canyon. Once you hit St. George traveling north from Las Vegas you will need to take highway 9 going east just north of St George. September is when temperatures start to drop. The people in Vegas have made it really easy to get there, too. There are two scenic routes to take through the park, each offering distinctive sites and scenery. Another benefit of staying in Henderson: proximity to the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, a wildlife habitat created from the citys water treatment facility. So common for you westerners, so cute & amazing for us. Top cities between Page and Las Vegas Best stops along Page to Las Vegas drive. These shapes resemble alien lifeforms, giving the park its name. This is a notorious (and expensive) speed trap, as we've learned the hard way. Take your time to enjoy the incredible views you'll get from this fabulous highway. There are several great options as shown below. Do not try this during high season or a weekend or holiday - or if you do, have a fallback - but for us it worked out just fine. The Most Scenic Drives in Pennsylvania - Guide to Philly Pennsylvania - Scenic Drives We passed through on our way from Zion to Las Vegas. For some of the best (and most accessible) views, take the one-mile walk up the Canyon Overlook Trail, which works for most abilities, and ends with beautiful vistas over Zion Canyon. After enjoying the stunning view of the valley and formations below, advanced hikers can descend into the canyon on the 8-mile Fairyland Loop. Complimentary Service is available from 6am until 6pm. Amor Transport929.352.6673www.amoretransport.com. This 130 complete journey. Fairyland Canyon is a scenic overlook just north of the park entrance, allowing park guests to view the hoodoos up close. The people around me were driving so fast and there was no way to stop and take a picture but it is beautiful and breathtaking. Along the way, you can take a detour on the Valley of Fire Highway, a scenic drive which has amazing trails and canyons to explore. Double Arch, the arch containing the tallest opening in the park, is easily visited via a half-mile hike from the road. In St. George be sure to stop at Kayenta Art Village and have lunch at Xetava Gardens. Tours generally depart from Las Vegas, Cedar City and St. George, Utah. Car on a scenic road in Zion National Park Another way to get from Las Vegas to Zion is to jump in a car and drive. Thanks for joining us! 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. The experience is unlike anything youve done before and its one of the best things to do in St George Utah! I have lived in Utah and specifically Southern Utah my entire life so I have explored just about every road, highway, interstate of dirt road. Be careful driving. 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. 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). Zion National Park is the perfect spot for kids with many family friendly hiking and biking trails. Sighnot enough time to drive farther on Hway 12, but theres always the next trip. Once you reach the other side of the water, there's only one road to take you out of Bullfrog, so follow UT-276 through Ticaboo to join UT-295, which you'll follow north to Hanksville. After checking in at the Bryce View Lodge (more on that below), we still had plenty of daylight left, so we took the scenic drive & stopped at various points to ooooh and ahhhh the otherworldly landscape. From here, we've plotted the best route around Utah, which lets you travel around the state's most popular landmarks and cities. Click on any scenic byway or backway listed below for complete information. The nearby town of Springfield is the best place for gathering supplies and booking guided tours. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Once you've checked in, head over to the lakeshore to admire the stunning sunset at the biggest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.