Five days from Las Vegas in a camper van - what to see?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I swear I posted about this a month ago but can’t find the post, so I must have dreamt it!

My husband and I are planning to arrive in Las Vegas on November 6th or 7th and are renting a camper van (thanks Groupon!). We are flying home on November 11th. Our current game plan is to hit Zion, Moab and the Grand Canyon in those five-ish days. We are active people, so our days would be filled with hiking and mountain biking.

What say the SDMB? Is 1,100 miles too much for the five days? Should we look at an alternate itinerary? Should we condense and only do two of the three, and if so, which ones? Do you have any must-see’s for this region?

Also, we’re expecting the possibility of snow in some areas. Are we right to expect snow?

2

I would recommend skipping Moab on this trip. Zion and the Grand Canyon are much closer to Las Vegas. The Moab area is well worth a visit but trying to squeeze it in on this trip won’t allow you enough time to fully enjoy any one location.

You probably won’t see snow but it is possible in the higher elevations; in this case around the Grand Canyon. The South Rim is at 7,000 ft. elevation and the North Rim is just over 8,000 ft. The stretch of I-40 from Williams AZ to Flagstaff is also at approx. 7,000 ft. and can get snow, in case you were thinking of taking that route.

3

Thanks for the advice. We were worried about being able to spend meaningful time at all locations. Can you mountain bike in or near Zion?

4

Yes, definitely. I haven’t done it myself, but Google should turn up plenty of options.

5

I agree that two superb parks in 5 days is fully adequate - adding Moab is likely to make this feel like a rushed, “mostly driving” vacation.

You might want to consider an excursion to the less-visited northwest section of Zion park. It’s accessible from I-15, about 20 miles south of Cedar City.

Snow is certainly possible in November - plan to stay alert to weather forecasts.

6

What ever you do don’t miss Bryce Canyon. It is pure fantasy but real. I loved Zion, it is spectacular. However the Grand Canyon should be done first, otherwise by the time you see Bryce and Zion the Grand Canyon is just a hole in the gound.

7

Appreciate the great advice! We’re looking at an alternate route that excludes Moab - honestly, the only reason we included it is because my husband was there a few months ago mountain biking and wanted me to experience it too. Doing some googling, it seems there are much better mountain biking trails near Zion and Bryce.

8

Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Bryce.

9

Grand Canyon (North Rim), Antelope Canyon, Bryce.

If the North Rim is open, e.g. not yet snowed in, head there instead of the South Rim. It’ll cut down your driving distances significantly.

10

I live in Las Vegas and am an avid hiker & kayaker. My GF and other friends are into mountain bikes; my buddy and his family are into ATVs. I have a lot of experience with outdoor activities and road trips in the SW, and I think that the previous posts all had very good advice.

Moab is a trip all by itself. You can kayak one day, bike the next, raft the day after that and then do some of the hiking in the area. Plus the town itself has lots of festivals (in the spring and summer months especially) and they cater to the eco-tourists pretty well. It’s a fun and relaxing place and really deserves it’s own trip. Also, it’s like 6-7 hours away from Vegas, so you’d spend a good chunk of two days just getting there and back.

Zion is awesome and you can hit the high points (Angel’s Landing, the Narrows, etc.) in a day or two easily. If it was summer you could prolly get in some rock climbing as well, but by November the days will be shorter and it will be difficult to fit that in without feeling rushed (and you should NEVER be rushed at any of these parks (well, unless there’s a flash flood and then you should feel VERY rushed)). If you have the time, the north part of the park has some excellent hiking and camping; this is above and away from the scenic valley, but is still amazing land.

I recommend 2-3 nights out on the trails in Bryce if you can afford the time. Queen’s Garden, the Fairy Castle, the Hat Shop, etc. are all awesome to see, especially from in amidst and right next to. It’s a beautiful, bizarre, surreal place made even more fantastic by the fact that you’re standing in the middle of it all. You’ll know what I mean when you get there, maybe.

The North Rim has some excellent day hiking but isn’t going to occupy a full day unless you plan on hiking down into the GC.

The South Rim is more interesting, but as has been noted above, is a far drive in the opposite direction of the first four places.

I hope y’all have a terrific time on this trip. Stay safe, stay hydrated and understand that the sun sets quickly out here during the late fall and winter.

A final note: no one has mentioned it yet, and mostly no one will because it’s still not widely known and it’s still difficult to get to, but if ever wanna head this way again to go hiking and camping, hit me up about Supai. It takes more planning and effort than most outdoor trips, but it’s worth it. :smiley:

11

Yes, of course.

12

Beaten to it. Being intimately familiar with all three (I live in Utah; my dad grew up in Utah and was a tour bus driver for Grand/Zion/Bryce canyons in his college days), Bryce frankly leaves the other two in the shade for physical beauty.

13

Of all the Utah parks, I had the best time in Arches National Park. But maybe that’s just me.

If it was just up to me… I’d skip the Grand Canyon and just go to Bryce and Arches. Unless you want to be able to say “I saw the Grand Canyon”, I think Bryce (with the HooDoos) and Arches (with the hundreds of arches around) are MUCH more interesting.

J.

14

This. It’s like being on another - beautiful - planet. My favorite natural wonder anywhere.

And while you’re in that area, spend a day or two in Arches.