There, we rented a Jeep Patriot for our 9 day Southern Utah Trip. The Riverside Walk, a paved trail that follows the Virgin River, leads through more hanging gardens and waterfalls, and is home to an array of birds and wildlife. Youll need to call for rates but expect a chartered helicopter experience to start at $8,000. The museum features dinosaur footprints and swimming tracks, hands-on activities, and fossils. With the Zion Mount Carmel Highway offering a parallel experience to the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and with so many unique sites to explore between the two, you will want to devote at least two days during your Utah national parks itinerary within Zion National Park. Wildlife is abundant in this area, allowing photographers the chance to catch a grazing elk or deer, or a soaring falcon in their camera lens against the backdrop of the setting sun. First stop in Kanab was the Jackson Flats reservoir for a bit of birding (pipits, Franklins gulls). There were plenty of spaces left. In fact, the stretch of road that covers northern Pennsylvania has even been called one of the most-scenic . For panoramic views of the entire park, a visit to Rainbow Point is in order. Settlers came together and built a new town upstream, but eventually Grafton was abandoned as people left to find safety from Indian attacks by moving to larger towns. At highway 12 turn East and follow that through Red Canyon and up to the Bryce Canyon turn heading south. Taste some Americana at Route 66, AZ (2 hours) A couple of hours' drive from Las Vegas will get . There are no shortcuts between Las Vegas and Springdale. Located in Moab, Utah, Arches National Park is 244 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park and is the perfect addition for a longer Utah national parks itinerary of 5 days or more. Red Rock Canyon State Park | Scenic Drives Near Las Vegas (30 Minutes) Just 16 miles west of Las Vegas, you will find the Red Rock Canyon National Conservational Area and Scenic loop drive. If you are pulling a trailer it would be best to take the highway 20 route. There is, however, precious little public transportation between Vegas and all the gorgeous national park areas that lie just across the border in Utah. In St. George be sure to stop at Kayenta Art Village and have lunch at Xetava Gardens. Also in St. George is one of our all time favorite restaurants, Hash House A Go Go. Balanced Rock can be seen from the parks road, but is an easy, .3 mile walk from the parking area for a closer view. Popular activities in Arches include canyoneering, ATV rides, hiking, river rafting, rock climbing, and mountain biking. If you leave St George at 4 , you would be at Zion by 5.There is a shuttle at Zion that takes about 1.5 hours to go from the visitor center to the end of the canyon and back.You will be very limited on time coming that late in the afternoon.You may want to skip a night at . You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. This day was all about scenic drives (and a bit of birding) - no hiking. Zion National Park is the perfect spot for kids with many family friendly hiking and biking trails. Outdoor fans should also head to Pioneer Park, 52 acres of red-rock landscapes where the star attraction is the St George Narrows. Open slot on Angels Landing permit for Sat Apr 29? Complimentary airport transportation is provided for guests flying into St. George. You'll soon arrive at your next monumental stopping point, Bryce Canyon National Park. Generally considered an easy route. (For instance, you wont want to miss all the hand-dipped chocolates and homemade ice cream at the Springdale Candy Company about a mile from the entrance. 3.9 miles, Stay right and follow signs towards Ivins, Turn left at Snow Canyon Parkway and drive 3.3 miles, Take I-15 Southbound following signs to Las Vegas, NV (approx 300 miles) to St. George, Utah. It was, of course, a highlight of the trip. Running across the park in a southeastern direction above the valley, cooler air can be enjoyed in the higher elevations as the road winds along the side of the cliffs and through a very narrow tunnel through the stone. Highs average 72 degrees Fahrenheit so this is a good time for outdoor exploration. Some are more of a short cut, but you will need to take into consideration the time of year and weather. Snow Canyon State Park is just outside St. George and is well known for its volcanic cinder cones, sandstone cliffs, and petrified sand dunes. If youre arriving from Las Vegas, please note that Utah is one hour ahead of Nevada. Being from the east, we don't have a jaded view of the desert, rocks, hills, mountains and passes that comprise a route like this. customize this trip 11:00 am start in Las Vegas drive for about 58 minutes 11:58 am Valley of Fire State Park stay for about 1 hour and leave at 12:58 pm drive for about 48 minutes 1:46 pm Mesquite stay for about 1 hour and leave at 2:46 pm drive for about 48 minutes 3:34 pm Vermilion Cliffs National Monument stay for about 1 hour Start your trip in comfort and style with a stay at the Advenire, Autograph Collection, where the rooms combine both vintage grandeur and contemporary design. For this, you will want a car.). By joining our email list, you give LazyTrips permission to use your email for sending you newsletters, emails and updates including for marketing purposes. Otherwise, a really nice drive. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. ), If you can spring for the fare, helicoptering to Zion is the most scenic route! Travel Safe. What is a central location from which to tour Zion and Bryce? Hoodoos are columns or pinnacles of weathered rock, generally formed within sedimentary and volcanic rock formations. This path spans 400 miles and offers a diverse . Valley of Fire was one of the sleeper hits of our trip, totally worth a detour. Or jump forward in time and head to The Leonardo, an immersive art gallery. To see all the attractions with travel between, we recommend at least 5 days. Show only these on map 1 Coyote Gulch Art Village Save On1list Art gallery Shopping How can I see all the parks in Southern Utah? If your driving from Las Vegas to St George Utah this is a beautiful view of the Virginia river Gorge.