SirhanTheStrong

Hello, I am planning a South West roadtrip for next Winter. I will be in Page, AZ in mid-November and plan to arrive in Las Vegas two days later, however I can't decide if I should take the Northern route via Zion National Park and Valley of Fire or the southern one via the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. I have been to the Grand Canyon once previously, about 20 years ago when I was a child, but have never been to Zion. Which one do y'all reckon I should do?

tomfuller

Where will you be coming to Page from? Why mid-November? There is a good chance that there will be snow in Zion IMO. In early November 2019 I took my wife to see the South Rim. We flew into Phoenix/Mesa and rented a car and used Flagstaff as a base. Check to see if you can get lodging inside Grand Canyon that late in the season.
If you want to stay near Hoover Dam, there is the Hoover Dam Lodge nearby which is better than staying in Henderson or downtown Las Vegas. There is a back road on the west side of Lake Mead that will take you to Valley of Fire State Park without getting onto I-15. The turnoff is about 2 miles from the Hoover Dam Lodge.

SirhanTheStrong

I will be driving from Quebec to visit my family in SoCal for Thanksgiving, hence mid-November. I will be coming to Page from Mesa Verde/Monument Valley. I'm aware that there will likely be snow at both Zion and Grand Canyon, but since I'm driving South to avoid the Canadian winter anyways, a little snow doesn't bother me much. Which one is prettier with snow?

mlgb

Probably the Grand Canyon with snow. I wish I know how to drive in snow.

tomfuller

I would skip Page and go south on US 89 to Cameron and then west on 64 from Cameron to the east gate of Grand Canyon. Visit the Desert View tower not far inside the east gate. The only gas station for many miles around is along US 160 at Tuba City. About Nov. 10 2019 I drove in several inches of snow on US 180 near Arizona Snowbowl.

SirhanTheStrong

I want to see both Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, so staying a night in Page is kinda a priority for me. Sounds like that's another vote for Grand Canyon though.

I probably won't bother trying to stay overnight in the park, and just sleep in Flagstaff instead.

mlgb

You mean there isn't a gas station in Cameron???

J62

If the choice is GC rim vs Zion valley floor, Zion wins my vote hands down

If the choice is GC as a whole vs Zion, then definitely GC. The entirety of the GC, best discovered from river level, is unmatched. It takes 2 weeks to do a raft trip the entire 200+ miles of river through the Canyon and what you see and experience in those 2 weeks by far beats anything at Zion.

If you visit the GC South Rim, why wouldn't you stay overnight there? The views and no crowds early in the am, and at dusk are far better than during the day. There is nothing more magical than sitting all alone on a quiet bench at early light, hot coffee in hand, quitely watching the sun begin to cast it's shadow aross the nooks and crannies of the canyon below. Or seeing herds of deer coming out of the forest for their breakfast, or keeping an eye out for the condors as they begin to soar....

Just sayin. Those are the moments you miss by not staying in park.

pasandy91

I love both but my choice is the Canyon.......and I would stay in the park.......El Tovar if you can otherwise the Thunderbird.......love the Arizona Steakhouse for dinner..and bkfast at El Tovar.......splurgh

tomfuller

I think there is one but we went north from Winslow and didn't see one in the Indian reservation until we got to Tuba City on fumes.

SirhanTheStrong

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I think for now I will stick with my original plan of Zion National Park and Valley of Fire. Having been to the Grand Canyon previously, it's not the highest priority for me.

Podie

Yes, there are at least 2 gas stations in Cameron.

zzmac9624

Tough to choose as they are both great destinations but I would choose Zion.