We will be flying into Las Vegas toward the end of March, with plans to relax and hike in Zion for a week. However, we arrive in LV 3 days early. We do not like LV, although we may spend the first night there.

We have been to Zion many times and love the area. We have only been to the Kolob section once. Does anyone have suggestions of what to do and see in those 3 pre-days? We are not gamblers or shoppers. We love the outdoors. I was wondering about Valley of Fire, but don't know much about it, what to do, how long to allow, or where to stay.
Any suggestions? Thanks for any help!

I know Death Valley is not between LV and Zion, but it's relatively close to LV and late March would be a great time to visit. It's best to have several days (or more) to explore, so that would work out pretty well in terms of timing for you.

I don't know that VoF is a 2-3 day park, unless you're going to be camping/relaxing there as well. If you don't want to drive to Death Valley, you could spend a day at VoF and another day or 2 at Snow Canyon State Park in Utah (near St. George).

Thanks, BibE1. Actually, we are long-time visitors of Death Valley and don't plan to head that way this trip. So I am interested in this Snow Canyon you mention. This will not be a camping trip. How far is it from St. George? Where would be the best place to stay? For Valley of Fire, how far is it from I-15? Where do people stay? Are each of these day trip type places?

elnap,

Snow Canyon is just outside of St. George, about a 15 minute drive. It's a state park. Very pretty with some nice hiking (red sand) and of course lots of photo ops. I'd say good for about a day, unless you want to spent some time at one of the St. George area spas!

There are some historical buildings of interest around St. George for very short visits. Early UT pioneer homes and history are quite interesting.

East of Zion, there is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes (st. park). Lots of ATVs there, plus a protected wildlife area. Pretty, not maybe not worth a trip on it's own. You could combine the dunes with a visit to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary outside Kanab?

I haven't been there myself yet, but I'm thinking about combining a couple days volunteering with my annual, spring southern UT trip.

I don't have any ideas for staying near VoF. I would say, get up reasonably early, drive there and do whatever, then when you're done head to Utah and stay overnight in St. George. Visit Snow Canyon the next day, and again stay overnight in St. George.

If you need ideas for the 3rd day, Dayle's idea of Coral Pink Sand Dunes/Best Friends is good. I volunteered there once - you have to attend an orientation session before being allowed to do anything, and then they want a certain time commitment. I think the minimum is 4 hours (but I could be wrong), so we showed up late morning for orientation and then spent most of the afternoon there before going to the sand dunes.

But since Kanab is beyond Zion, maybe it makes more sense to do that as a day trip from Zion rather than St. George?

You could also go to the Kolob Canyon section of Zion if that's not already part of your Zion itinerary.

This may be to far south for you and it is slightly out of the way, but not much. What about the north rim of Grand Canyon and doing some things around Page. Perhaps Antelope Canyon, Canyon X, or hiking The Wave.

Another great option would be to go to Bryce. From Vegas, you would pass Zion and keep driving for a couple of hours. If your family enjoys Zion, you will really love Bryce. The formations are just amazing.

We do love Bryce, but not for this trip. I was wondering about The Wave. I found a little info re permits and such, but wondering if it is best to do with a guide? We used a wonderful guide in Escalante area for slot canyons. Anyone know about a guide for The Wave?