We are three adults, one disabled (able to walk, but with a cane). We were thinking of flying into Las Vegas mid-July and using it as a base for day trips to the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon and Zion National Park. We've been to Las Vegas before and aren't really interested in doing the shows or gambling. We would rent a car and drive to the separate locations on different days. Would we want to stay at our destination or return to Vegas at night? Is it even a good idea to do this in July? Would love some comments. Thanks!

You will find it beastly hot. You can do all those places as a day trip, but you will need to be looking from your air conditioned car.

Red Rock Canyon is about a half hour from Vegas, and will also be very hot. So easy to do as a day trip.

Valley of Fire State park is about an hour from Vegas, and will also be very hot. Also easy to do as a day trip.

Death Valley is about two hours and a half hour drive from Vegas, it will be in the 100's in July. We've done it as a day trip several times in the winter.

Zion is about three hours drive from Vegas and will be almost as hot in the lower areas. So six hours travel there and back, I would want to stay there overnight but you could make it a ten or twelve hour day and go back to Vegas.

Grand Canyon is about four and a half to five hours from Vegas and will probably be a bit cooler. Plan on 9 or 10 hours driving there and back, I would want to overnight there.

There are many beautiful places to visit that aren't so hot, but only you can decide if you could take it. Given what you have said you want to see,I would not want to do this kind of a trip except sometime in October/November or March/April

I've been to Las Vegas many times during the summer and I can't imagine being outside for any extended period of time walking/hiking. I'm sure it's been done but it would not be the time of year I would choose to do that.

Is there a reason that it has to be in July? Late September into October would be much better.

If it must be July, leave LV early in the morning and see Zion and maybe Bryce and then spend a night in Hurricane or St. George.
Leaving St. George, turn off I-15 at exit 93 to see Valley of Fire Stare Park. Continue south along the west side of Lake Meade until you get to US 93. Turn left and stay at the Hoover Dam Lodge. See Hoover Dam either late afternoon if it is not too hot or save it for the morning on the way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
If you can't get a reservation for lodging at the Grand Canyon you may want to come back to the Hoover Dam Lodge again instead of all the way back to Las Vegas.
Red Rock is an easy day trip out Charleston from Las Vegas Blvd.
You don't really want to go to Death Valley in July IMO.
To save some walking on LV Blvd. you should ride "The Deuce" which is a double decker bus. You can get a single ride pass or a 24 hour pass.

The last time I was in Las Vegas in July the temp was 116 F in downtown LV. We rented a convertable and never once put the top down.

I would recommend staying overnight no matter where you decide to visit. If you do not enjoy Las Vegas why drive back just to sleep? I would not go to Death Valley in July, no way, no how. Beware of recommended emergency kits for desert travel, such as 1 gallon of water per person per day.

>>Is it even a good idea to do this in July?

Flying into Vegas is fine but then I would either split your nights between the Grand Canyon (South Rim) and Sedona OR Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon (North Rim).

No way would I drive back and forth to Vegas every night. And there are far better places to visit than Red Rock or Death Valley in the summer.

We went to Valley of Fire last summer. Parts of it were quite visible from a car and you could stay in the a/c that way. I don't recall seeing any place to stay in that area - - and it is close enough it would be easy to drive back and forth to Vegas.

Thanks everyone for your input. I think we've have decided to do this trip another time. I will keep all of your ideas in mind for later. Thanks again!

In Vegas, in July, if you make a stop at Red Rock Visitors Center or Valley of Fire, you must leave the windows open in the car or everything inside could start to melt. Yes, the 117 degree temperature outside actually cools off the inside of the car about 40 degrees!