CityGuy

Our family will be in Las Vegas this December 2013. And we were wondering about doing a day trip to Zion National Park. I have a fear of heights - sheer cliffs, roads at the edge with large drop. Windy roads, with gentle slopes on the edges, and gentle gradients do not bother me.

1. Can I drive from LV to Zion without a problem?
2. If I end up driving, can my family do some sight-seeing and explore/hike the area without worrying about my fear of heights?

The millions of breath-taking pictures entice the family to visit, however I am not sure if our gentle exploration will bring them to our eye sight.

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

taconictraveler

Yes, you can drive there easily, no great side-of-mountain riads.

Also, Zion is a park that you see from thr bottom, not the top, so driving thru it is low, looking up, not high, looking down.
There are a couple of drives that go up high which you can avoid if you wish. There are also plenty of walks you can all take.

Zion is a gorgeous park, and the little town outside the park is charming with lots of hotels, and restaurants.

We went early December a couple of years ago, and loved it.

taconictraveler

I meant to say "roads"

utahtea

There is one very short section just as you leave Hurricane on Hwy 9 you will climb up a hill. Going to Zion you are on the inside so it shouldn't be a problem, but be aware that coming back you will be on the outside and there is a drop...but not to bad.

As taconictraveler mentioned inside Zion you are at the bottom of the canyon when you enter from Springdale. Just don't go pass the scenic drive turnoff. You won't want to go up the switchbacks to the tunnel. Even if you miss the turn, there are plenty of places to pull off and turn around.

Utahtea

Taltul

I suggest that you check YouTube for some videos. People film driving along all sorts of routes and you can get an idea of what the road is like. Here are two that I found - there are probably more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2pGwc8vvks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwRThSB0UQU
I did this to check the switchbacks between Zion and Bryce.

Dayle

Zion and St. George just got a big for them) snowstorm of 6" and our weather is colder than normal for this time of year. The hikes in Zion that have the sheer drop offs will not be recommended due to icy trails. The easy, relatively flat walks you want to do will be just fine for both you the and existing conditions.

Get an early start, especially if you are going on a holiday weekend day. Zion gets very busy with people from LV for the day.

utahtea

Dayle get a look at this.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

Utahtea

Taltul

Friends of mine were in Las Vegas in January a couple of years ago and they highly recommended the Valley of Fire State Park. It's closer to Las Vegas and maybe it's not Zion Park but they enjoyed themselves (There was also snow.)on the day trip. The drive to Zion is a lot longer (4 hours).

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/nea...alley-of-fire/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...on_Nevada.html
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/

utahtea

The drive from Las Vegas to Zion is only 160 miles and can easily be done in 3 hours or less. If the weather is really bad in Zion, then Valley of Fire is a good an option and it's only about an hours drive from Las Vegas.

Utahtea

sharondi

The drive from Las Vegas to Zion is only about 2.5 hrs and it is not a scary drive with steep drop offs. You should definitely take the time to see Zion - it is an incredibly scenic park. You can see plenty of the park without any problems. The drive out to the east side of the park to the tunnel has a short section just before the tunnel that might bother you but you can pull over just about anywhere and turn around.

Valley of Fire is a good option if you can't get to Zion, but the two parks are very different. Zion is one of the most scenic sites in the country - don't miss it if you have the opportunity

Thank you for the link to pictures of Zion with the snowfall, Utahtea. Just beautiful!

Taltul

I confused Bryce with Zion - it's a shorter drive to Zion. However, one man's (or woman's) non-scary drive is another one's nightmare. So it's good to have a backup (Valley of Fire)if CityGuy feels that the drive to Zion isn't an option.

J62

I have a fear of heights too and there is nothing scary about the drive from LV to Zion. Once you get off the interstate it's a gentle meander up the river valley.

You should also have no problems taking several of the short hikes from the various shuttle bus stops, none of which have any steep drop offs. It's not until you hike up either towards Angels Landing on the one side, or Overlook trail on the other that you get any real heights.

CityGuy

Thanks for all the responses. I will look at some of the pictures and videos. We do have Red Rock Canyon in our itinerary. Hopefully we can get Zion if it is not to scary.

sharondi

If you're doing Red Rock Canyon, Bryce is only a mile or two up the road. Certainly don't miss Bryce. But if you are only doing a day trip, Zion is closer - only 2 1/2 hrs vs 4 hrs to Bryce from LV. Both national parks are incredibly gorgeous and very different from one another. You'll enjoy whichever one you choose.

WhereAreWe

I think the OP was referring to the Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, not Red Canyon which is near Bryce. That would be way too far for a day trip.

Personally I don't think Zion is a good choice for a day trip in December. There's less than 10 hours of daylight, so you're fairly limited in how much time you'd have to look around - assuming you aren't planning on doing all the driving in the dark. Sunset is around 5:15 pm, so plan accordingly and get there as early as possible if you decide to go.

If the forecast looks snowy/icy in Zion, you could go to Death Valley instead. It's only 2 hours from Vegas and would be warmer. I don't remember anything even remotely like a steep dropoff on the way there.

CityGuy

Are there any bus tours to Zion NP?

CityGuy

How is the drive to Valley Fire SP?

emalloy

The drive to Valley of Fire is fine. You can go on a loop if you want, up 15 to the brown VoF sign then in on the road that leads into the park which does have one place that I recall that goes down hill, but not from a tremendous height. You can also go around along Lake Meade and then left into VoF, and I don't recall any parts that are hilly at all.

If you go there, take the hike into Mouse's tank and look at the petroglyphs along the rocks on the left side of the trail on the way in. Also check out the CCC cabins.

Do bring your lunch and drinks as there is no place to get food in the park.