Zion in mid-March
 

My husband and I booked a trip today to Las Vegas during my Spring Break (March 17-21); the purpose of the trip is to get to Zion. We had a few questions:

1) Will many of the trails be open and safe? (We are both 30 and in relatively good shape. We are not experts by any means but have done the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls in Yosemite, the Kalaulau Trail to the first beach in Hawaii just to name a few)

2) What is the drive like between Vegas and Zion at this time of the year? We live in the Philadelphia area so we are used to some icy road conditions.

3) Is it realistic to go to Springdale for dinner or should we plan to eat in the park?

4) What is the weather like? We saw that this is the rainiest month but it didn't seem like there would be that much rain.

Thanks in advance for your help!

You could have snow or rain or sunshine. At any rate, the park will be open and accessible. You'll love it.
The drive is about 2 1/2 hours from Vegas and easy driving. It is easy to drive into Springdale for meals, but the restaurant in Zion is decent, too.
Enjoy your trip!

Thanks, elnap! We have been saying we would go for a while now and finally made our plans.

Anybody else?

We went for Easter vacation in the beginning of April several years ago. 1 day in Las Vegas and the we headed to Zion. It was awesome. We awoke Easter morning to 8 inches of snow, headed to Bryce with no difficulty. We only hiked a little (Queen something trail) because we only had sneakers and the trails in Bryce were snow-covered. Wonderful trip. Enjoyed a helicopter ride over Bryce also. Have fun!

Kerry392,
You will love Zion. Are you staying in the park? We stayed in a cabin in Zion a few weeks ago - it was great to get up early and watch the sun rise over those huge cliff faces. We love Zion. We ate one dinner in the park restaurant and it was pretty good. Our other meals were at Oscar's and the Gallery Cafe in Springdale. The drive to town only takes a few minutes so it's not a big deal.

I suspect your hikes will depend on the weather. The short Overlook trail at the end of the tunnel is fun. We also enjoyed the trail up to Scout's Landing (skipped Angels Landing) and then onto the West Rim Trail. There are plenty of options - you'll have no problem with the trails. If you have a few days, you may want to take the 2 hr drive to Bryce for an afternoon. Even just taking time to check out the view from the overlooks would be worth it.

Sharondi-
Thanks for your information. We will also be staying in a cabin at the Zion Lodge. It sounds like it will be a neat experience!
We were planning to drive to Zion from Vegas and spend one night then go back to Vegas. We would like to get to Bryce but I am not sure if it will work out on this trip...
I am happy to hear that the trails will be ok. I would like to give Angel's Landing a try but I am not the most coordinated person... We will definitley do Scout's Landing!

Don't forget the Narrows hike. I think it is the best hike in Zion. March maybe a little cold, wear neoprene socks with your hiking boots and you should be OK. Watch the forcast or check with the ranger station before going into any slot canyons.

I went to Zion in March of 2005. We had a wonderful time. It was cold (for a Floridian) and rainy. However the low lying clouds enchanced the views.

Its a very easy drive from Vegas.

We stayed at a lodge/hotel at the entrance to the park called Flannigans. It was extremely comfortable and centrally located to town (dinner) and the park.

I hope you enjoy Zion as much as I did!

Laura

It will really depend a lot on the weather which is hard to predict at that time of year. Zion is at a lower elevation than Bryce so you have a better chance at good weather there in March. But, I have seen snow in that area in April.

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Chris Christensen
Amateur Traveler podcast
http://AmateurTraveler.com

My wife and I were in Zion at Christmas about fifteen years ago. The main roads and most of the trails were open. We even hiked to the top of Angels Landing, which I would not recommend when the trail is ice and snow packed (we wouldn't do it again).

The most difficult part of the drive from Las Vegas might be in the Virgin River Canyon as you pass through the northwest corner of Arizona. Deep canyon with little sunlight could mean snow-packed or icy roads. It is an Interstate highway though, so it should be well maintained.

Bryce Canyon is considerably higher in elevation than Zion and the road conditions will be less predictable.

My wife and I vacationed at Zion last year in the middle of March. Snowy and cold the first day but then it warmed up and was great for hiking. One thing I highly recommend is buying some crampons that slip over your hiking boots. The trails were sheer ice in the shadows and my wife was terrified until we got the traction aids. Fifteen dollars a set and well worth it. Give some thought to going to Bryce Canyon also, its lovely with a snowy backdrop. You will love the trip, one of our favourite places to visit in the states.

The crampons are a great idea. Where do you get them? We live in the suburbs of Philadelphia which does not get a huge amount of snow or ice.

I would love to go to Bryce but I am not sure how practical that will be since we don't have that much time. I will keep the idea in the back of my head though...

We got our crampons at a gas station/hospitality area outside of Bryce. I imagine the cheapest avenue would be through ebay.