What to see on a 8 day vacation out west

I am presently planning a 8 day vacation out west to visit some

national parks. The 8 days excludes travel to and from what will be

my hub Las Vegas.

 

First on my list of must see is Death Valley. I would also like to

see Bryce and Zion.

 

My question is how many days would you recommend allocating to each

of the parks that I listed and am I trying to do to much and would be

best to only visit 2 parks?

 

Thanks

Unfortunately I have never been to the Death Valley although I live in California, but I think you can do all three parks in 8 days. There won't be much time left for gambling and shows in Las Vegas, but we nature photographers don't gamble anyway, right? :-)

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I would spend at least 2 to 3 days at Zion, which is about a 3-hour drive from Vegas. Bryce is another 2 hours away. It is very exciting to see Bryce for the first time, but at least I get tired quickly after seeing the same thing over and over. I would stay one night at Bryce to catch the sunset and sunrise. My <A HREF="http://www.photo.net/nature/utah">Utah Article</A> has the basic information about these two parks.

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You haven't provided any dates for your trip; that may be an important factor. Bryce is at high altitude (8000 feet) and the roads may be closed in the winter/early spring. The Death Valley can get extremely hot in the summer. I am sure other people will comment once you provide additional info.

Ed, If Las Vegas is your hub...a short drive SE of the city will get you to the Hoover Dam/Lake Mead area. Granted "hand of man" is involved here from a nature photographer's perspective, but it's quite impressive and fun to photograph. Tours are offered as well that take you down inside the dam into the turbine area. Have a great time!

The first time I visited Death Valley, I had planned to stay for one day on my way to Zion NP. Instead, I was so enchanted by Death Valley that I spent the entire vacation in Death Valley and never got to Zion (on that trip). I've been back to Death Valley a couple times since then, each time for about a week, and I would like to go back for more.

 

As for planning your trip, Bryce and Zion are great places and there is also a great deal to do within a few hours drive of those parks. I'm sure you could have a great trip visiting all three parks or just one or two. I think you are the only one who can answer whether you would prefer sampling a little of each or seeing one place in greater depth. Death Valley is vastly larger than Zion and Bryce, so you need to allow a fair amount of time just for getting around there. For that reason alone, I would allocate the greatest amount of time to Death Valley, then to Zion and the least to Bryce. I'm sure others can make a good case for other itineraries. I'm sure some people would find Death Valley too barren and arid and would prefer Zion with its water and more varied vegetation, for example.

 

Two suggestions regarding Death Valley: first, I wouldn't plan a long stay in Death Valley during the hot months; second, you need a high clearance, four wheel drive vehicle to see much of Death Valley.

Forget about 8 days you better make it 8 weeks, don't forget Escalante

Monument Valley, Grand Canyon and Lake Powell. Have Fun!

Can be done so long as you don't allow yourself to get

sidetracked into visiting local but second grade sites like Red

Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Valley of Fire etc. Suggest three

nights Death Valley, three nights Zion and two nights Bryce.

They are very different experiences and if you miss one out you'll

wonder if it was the right one. If you don't like being up and out

ready to photograph at dawn I'd seriously question what you're

doing. Nearly all the good photographs you've ever seen in

Bryce and Death Valley are taken within an hour tops of sun up.

Zion is more versatile. You can use the middle of the day to

drive. Don't try and drive from DV to Bryce or vice versa- it's just

too far. Vegas/DV/Zion/Bryce/Vegas just about works . One side

trip you can do with no real cost is to use an afternoon you're at

Bryce - which isn't a lot of fun in the afternoon - to drive to Cedar

Breaks which faces the sunset. It's 50 miles but you can easily

be back at Bryce for dinner or bed.

 

This isn't a relaxing trip if you do it right, but it's worthwhile if you

plan it well and can take the pace.

Ed,

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I live and photograph in the West. I have been to practically every national park and monument west of the Rockies, as well as many state parks, BLM areas, wilderness areas... you name it.

I can tell you with confidence - the more I visit, the more I discover. I could easily spend 8 days in any one of these areas and still not touch a fraction of its photographic potential, even if it's a place I've been to many times before.

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I would suggest allowing yourself no less than 2-3 full days at any park - your trip may be less diverse, but you will stand a much better chance of finding interesting compositions and having the time to catch them in the right light.

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Guy<br>

<a href="http://scenicwild.com">Scenic Wild</a>

I would second (or third) the idea of 2-3 days in Zion and only overnight at Bryce.

 

Zion Canyon is the center of interest. The crowded conditions in the narrow canyon have led to a shuttle system. I found it to be great since it runs something like 6am-10pm or so, so can get in early and stay late. Plenty of stops in the right places, free, extends into town too. Makes the park alot quieter. Lodge is nice but pricey. Campgrounds are ok but close to highway. Nice lodging in Springdale, at various price levels. We stayed at the Canyon Ranch Motel, really liked it, very quiet. Fairly reasonable.

As far as photography goes, it's everywhere. I liked wading the cold Virgin Narrows, the bridge, and hiking Angels Landing. You could also venture out to the Kolob Canyon area on west edge of park off I-15, if you like to hike and explore.

 

Bryce is smaller and all pretty similar. I think an afternoon, evening, and the dawn shot are plenty.

 

If you like more remote and less developed, checkout Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Awesome country without the Nat Park crush of people.

 

Have fun!!!

As you travel from Las Vegas to St. George on your way to Zion or Bryce you will pass the Valley of Fire State Park between Las Vegas and Mesquite. You can get some nice red rock photos here and you will only need maybe a half day to see the park. If you forego Interstate 15 and instead go by the road along Lake Mead you may also get some nice desert shots as well as a possible shot of some wild burros and desert bighorn sheep. That road is a very scenic drive, and you can get back onto I-15 by driving through the Valley of Fire State Park.

Ed,

my personal choice would be to go Zion (two days), Bryce (sunrise), then bomb over to Arches (my personal favorite) and see how long you want to stay there (don't be surprised if it's for a month)

I'm not going to give you a beginner lecture on "intensive" versus "extensive" shooting, just say that if you're really captivated by Zion, you could then cut Arches short and head back, or stay out longer, and maybe at least cut by Canyonlands or Capitol Reef.

The red rock country on the Interstate heading to Green River is beautiful itself, and may soon become a National Monument

Was only in Death Valley for a couple of hours and it just isn't my cup of film (or maybe pixels, got a Canon 10D on order) but, well, there we are.

Ed,

Just got back to Australia from a 4 week trip through the southwest which included D.V. Zion and Bryce.

 

I would spend 3 days at Death Valley, 3 Days at Zion and 1 or 2 days at Bryce. If you get good light at dawn and sunset you may only need to spend 1 night at Bryce and stop at Zion for another day on the way back to Las Vegas. Zion has a lot more variety than Bryce and more opportunity for shooting outside the early morning and late afternoon than Death Valley.

 

At Death Valley if you shoot Zabriskie Point get there well before dawn ,don't shoot from the look-out but head north along the path along the ridge. The dunes at Stovepipe Wells are best in the morning after a windy night to get rid of footprints. I had plenty of wind no footprints and some good shots but I have to send my 20mm and 28-105mm away to be cleaned. Planned to go to the racetrack but got put off when we saw 2 brand new F250s at Ubehebe Crater that had just returned one with a flat the other with a leaking shock absorber.Later met some other people who had been to the racetrack who said that the F250s had passed them and were being driven really hard.They said that as long as we took things slow we shouldn't have any trouble geting there in our Buick Century. Unfortunately by then it was too late to get there by sunset.

 

At Zion don't forget to allocate some time for the sandstone country after the tunnel on HW 9.

 

If photography is your main aim I wouldn't go any further afield than this. If it is more of a roadtrip (and you like driving) combined with photography as a my trip was, you may want to spend 2 days at Death Valley,2 days at Zion, 1 Day at Bryce and take HW 12 and 24 through Capitol Reef to Arches.

 

Have a Great Trip

 

BTW.Estimate how much film you think you'll need and double it.

You speak of Vegas as your hub, you aren't just trying day trips out of there are you?

 

Agree that timing may drive some of your choices. Off peak vacation seasons offer more moderate temperatures and smaller crowds. Agree that Zion offers a lot of different types of opportunities, the area east of the tunnel is full of fascinating sandstone formations, patterns, little canyoins, etc. We were there once in the fall and there was even some color in the small trees and bushes. I believe the Paria area has been used for a number of movies. You can loop the Grand Canyon by driving down via Boulder Dam and Kingman then east, to Grand Canyon and then across to Cameron and Page and back via Zion or reverse but thats a lot of driving. It gets you a taste of a lot of different areas.

Dont forget to be prepared for weather wherever you go. If it is summer Death Valley can be warm. I got caught in a snowstorm in Zion Canyon on Memorial Day. Also remember that Death Valley and Zion etc. are in opposite directions from Las Vegas.

Isn't it interesting that everybody sees these great National Parks in the West through different eyes? I spend several weeks every year in the American Soutwest, and hope to continue the practice until I've photographed every mountain, stream, and golden aspen in the area.

 

I've driven through D.V. and frankly, think there are better places to visit. I'm surprised that so many think Bryce Canyon is only worth a day. I used to think that too, but then I learned to get out of the car and take to the hiking trails below the rim. Zion is O.K., but the miles of trails in Canyonlands (and Arches) seems to me to offer more. Day hikes in the Needles area in Canyonlands are some of my fondest memories, and photos taken there are more unique (i.e. fewer "tripod holes").

 

My advice on an 8 day vacation is that this is just enough time for a scouting mission. Make loose plans and don't be afraid to change those plans when you see somthing that's interesting.

When I went to Bryce, we were actually there for two nights. The light was poor the first day we got there; that was why we decided to stay an extra day. The second day was great. After a morning/sunrise shoot, we hiked down the canyon. But it was still the same thing over and over. The "below the rim" lower angle gave a different perspective, but it simply didn't take very long to get tired of everything.

 

If you had a total of several weeks, I might spend an extra day or two at Bryce. But with only 8 days, I think you are better off spending more time at Zion or the Death Valley. Unless you get lucky, you might lose a couple of shooting days to poor weather. Be flexable with your plans. Use the days with poor light and/or mid-day to drive from one park to antoher.

 

Ed still hasn't responded concerning when he is making this trip. Seasonal factors (heat, snow, rain ...) will impact your agenda. A lot of these places are very dry. Make sure that you have sufficient water with you.

thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I am planning on going April 11th.

 

Bryce has informed me that I should expect that all roads be open and temp in

the 50s during the day.

 

I am planning on being flexable and change my plans if I think I need more

time in one location. I am planning on camping so this should be easy. I think I

will start at Death valley and see what happens from there.

 

My next concern is sand given that I just found out that April is the windy

season in Death Valley.

Flexibility will be important. Don't plan on not having cold weather or even snow in some areas. We took a trip the first week of April a few years back and were stuck under a storm that stalled over Northern Arizona and dumped a lot of snow in the area around Flagstaff, really hampered traffic for several days.

I was in Death Valley around April 28th last year and I did the Mesquite dunes

at Stovepipe Wells at sunset when it was <b>extremely</b> windy and at

sunrise the next morning when it was dead, dead calm -- and, frankly, there's

nothing like it.

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<br>If you go for sunrise, aim to get there well in advance of twilight because

it's distances are deceptive. From the road, the tallest dunes look close, but

are probably a half-hour hike away.

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The thing with Death Valley is to use the middle of the day when it is very hot

(and in April it'll be in the 90s) to scout out spots for shooting in the magic

hours. Some spots are over 50 miles apart and the more remote locations are

tens and tens of miles on graded, washboardy, boneshaking roads.

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I'll be going there for the third time this week, but if there is going to be a

wildflower display in DV this spring, mid-April is when it's going to be.

Ed,

I just returned from Death Valley in February, and had two days on the dunes, one in a sandstorm and one in dead calm...both were great experiences, although I ended up having to send lenses in for cleaning like one of the previous posters. The dunes near Stovepipe were best at sunrise, at least at that time of year. Agreed you need 4WD or high clearance...I spent 3 & 1/2 days and could easily have continued longer. It will be getting hot there in April. Zion is spectacular, and so is Bryce, and I disagree that Bryce is uninteresting after sunrise, but then I hiked a LOT while I was there (as well as the other parks) and found countless interests once I got down in the Hoodoos. Photograph America newsletter, in back issues can give you some ideas of where to be, and when. There are a number of lesser parks mentioned above that are as exciting as the nationals--actually sometimes it's amazing to think you've LEFT the national parks with the country you see in between. Lastly, is the trip 8 days, or are you actually spending 8 days--allowing 2 days spent on flying in and out may change drastically what you are able to fit in. No matter what you fit in, it won't be a bad trip.

Ray Palmer

Death Valley has a dramatic range of options and light, Zabriskie Point at sun rise is amazing, however crowds can really get in your way in the sand dunes, spots I'd picked to return for sunset were often tracked with foot prints and this can also be a problem at sunrise if there is little wind. If you want to avoid crowds and have the freedom to camp where you want and shoot untracked ripped sand dunes, the Eureka Dunes is a better option, I posted one shot on my public folder. A good strategy is to hike on the east side for sunrise and cross over to the west side for sunset. Theres a few miles of chunky dirt road getting out there.

Hi Ed,

 

I think the answer to your dilemma has much to do with when you are planning your NEXT trip out west. Is this the only time you will be here for years, or is this just the first of many? I used to take these road trips where I would hit a little of everything for a week or two - but got tired of it. Now I find a place I know will intrigue me (usually someplace I saw for a day and wanted to spend more time there) and stay my whole trip, getting to know it intimately. Since you are clearly most interested in Death Valley, if this was my trip, I would plan the whole time there. You will not be bored, especially if you will have 4x4, or at least high clearance. So many intriguing places missed by many, like Marble Canyon. Also lots to see just outside the park, like Eureka Dunes and many ghost towns (Ryholite is special). Zion and Bryce are close to each other and would make for a great trip, the next time! Enjoy, Dave

Thanks to everyone for their input. I did end up visiting all three parts but only

because weather changes kept me moving.

 

Each park was unique and needs more in depth time. My only disapointment

was the number of people at Zion. I am sure with more time I could have done

longer hikes and got way from all of the people.

 

Oh well I will just have to make time to go back.

 

Thanks--Ed

Ed, would you mind giving us a more in-depth trip report. For example, I am curious about how cold it was at Bryce in April.

Death Valley was generally in the 90's during the days and 70's in the

evenings in the lower elevations. The higher elevations got into the 40's

during the evening. Most days were partly cloudy and it got very windy last

week, 30 to 40mph winds. This combined with a rain storm which started on

Sunday sent me going to Bryce. So some wild flowers but mostly on the side

of the road and not as much as I envisioned.

 

Bryce was cold and received several inches on snow with high winds. It

appeared that the storm followed me. the only wildlife that I saw was deer in

the evenings. The weather was for more snow and cold weather for the rest of

the week so I moved on to Zion.

 

When I arrived at Zion spring had begun and all of the trees were just starting

to bloom and the bright green leaves looked great amounst the rocks. The

day time temp was in the mid to upper 60's and not as windy. Nights were

cool in the 40's. May guess is that a couple more days of warm weather and

all the trees would be in blossum.

 

The water at in the narrows was running strong and to cold to walk without a

wet suit. I did see some people with wet suits walking the narrows.

 

Lots of turkeys and deer. Turkeys were along the river walk and the deer were

around the lodge and the visitor center in the evening.

 

If you would like any more specific information let me know.

 

thanks--ed