Zion National Park or Death Valley

<p>Hello all...I'm getting ready to leave for an impromtu trip to Vegas and want to either hit Zion or Death Valley...Any thoughts or tips on either of these two places???</p>

<p>Thanks!!!</p>

<p>Chuck</p>

<p>Death Valley will be very hot already - I would chose Zion NP. How much time do you have in the park?</p>

<p>1 Full day for sure...trying to work out the schedule for 2 full days.</p>

<p>Zion. Get up before dawn to shoot. nap at lunchtime, stay out late to shoot. A magical place.</p>

<p>OK...looks like Zion is the winner...do i need to rent a 4X4 of will regular vehicle get me everywhere...also any thoughts on where exactly i need to go?</p>

<p>It's been a long time, but as I recall you don't need a 4x4 for any place you're allowed to go in Zion. Better than Death Valley, of course, but carry a decent supply of water even on the ordinary marked trails. Follow the usual precautions about rattlesnakes.</p>

<p>Look up the national parks service web site, road conditions and travel restrictions will be there.</p>

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<p>Zion's a long drive, probably 3 hours from Vegas. There are two outstanding parks closer, Valley of the Fire to the East and Red Rock to the West. Check them out online. </p>

<p>Valley of Fire and (especially) Red Rock are not a patch on Zion. Check where you're allowed to drive/park and where you need to take a shuttle. </p>

<p>A regular vehicle will get you around the park, but you'll need then to hike up the trails to see the wonders. Some trails are a quick hike and pretty easy and others take much longer and can be pretty hairy. The shot below was taken at the base of the final ascent of Angel's Landing, a very popular, but demanding trail.</p><div></div>

<p>No need for a 4x4. But you should have at least two days min. for Zion. Valley of fire is a great location as well. For all of these you need to get up early and stay up late to get the best light:-)</p>

<p>You don't need a 4x4 in Zion. You can park in Springdale or at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and use the shuttle system to reach the trail heads for any of the hikes in the main canyon.</p>

<p>http://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/shuttle-system.htm</p>

<p>Zion NP is one of my favorite parks and probably the most convenient park to visit and hike in the national park system thanks to the shuttle system.</p>

<p>Both places, Zion and DV, will be an easy 2.5-3 hour drive from the strip. Either will make a great 1-2 day trip if you do your homework online and plan where you want to go. DV is warm, maybe hot depending on your frame of reference. We are stilling getting storms thru here in Las Vegas that cycle the temps from around normal (high of 93) to well below (high of 70) - DV is typically 12-15 degrees warmer than Vegas. Unless you want to get to the Racetrack, no 4WD required. Dante's View, Zabriski Pt, Artist's Palette are all sensational, Badwater is a landmark location, you can walk out into the dunes at Stovepipe Wells, all do-able in a 2-day trip. You may need to do some searching for lodging, though - not much available near the park if the park lodges are full.</p>

<p>Zion is easy to get to, and you park at the Visitor Center and ride the Zion Canyon shuttles all day - private cars aren't allowed except for the significantly handicapped. The shuttle system really works well. Do some research on the Narrows - it would be a COLD hike if it's open (spring water flow can be too much, check the park's web site) but the light is magic any time of day because of the high narrow canyon shape - iconic place to shoot. If you are a serious hiker (SERIOUS) the climb to Angel's Landing is worth the time and effort, but it ain't for wimps or those afraid of heights. Early and late are better times in the canyon, but the weeping rock is good at midday because of the shade in there. Look for deer in the area around the Zion Lodge. Lodging outside the park in Springdale is plentiful and reasonable.</p>

<p>The local parks around Vegas may or may not be to your liking. Red Rock has very nice western red rock geology, and on the weekends there will be hard rock climbers practicing on a rock wall that can be photographed from the same elevation as the climbers. Unless you plan to hike back into one or more of the canyons, Red Rock won't take a full day. Chief advantage: it's about 20 minutes from the strip. The red rock photographs best at sunrise and soon after, not at sunset.</p>

<p>Valley of Fire is about 1 hour northeast on the strip off I-15. It's a state park with no amenities nearby - take all the food and drink you will be needing for the day. It's larger than Red Rock and can easily occupy a full day. All western rock formations, arches etc. No river or wildlife to speak of.</p>

<p>DV and Zion offer more variety, Red Rock and V of F are closer. Choice is yours.</p>

<p>I made trips to Zion at all time of the year. No 4x4 needed So much to see. Much of it right from your car. If you can hike a little it is that much better. The atmospherics at dawn and dusk are great, as someone else pointed out. I would not nap in the middle of the day and spend that in some of the valleys.<br>

Enjoy your time.</p>

<p>John</p>

<p>Zion. Bring the tripod, sunblock and water. And as long as you're there, suggest visiting Snow Canyon in / just outside St. George. </p><div></div>

<p>As Bob wrote it's unusually cool this year, forecast for the next few days is low 80s so actually a perfect time to go explore Death Valley. If it's your first visit there then don't worry about going offroad or driving a 4x4, just stay on the asphalt - and if you do go explore one of the dirt roads then just drive 25mph or slower to go easy on your tires.</p>

<p>The beauty of DV is in its starkness and varied geological color palette at any time of the year, not the bright reds and eye-catching formations of Zion or Bryce. Best photo ops and landscape colors are dawn and dusk, unless you catch a cloudy day and there's more filtered light. Following a cool and wet winter there tends to be a rush of desert tourists to go see the occasional explosion of horizon-to-horizon wildlower carpets around April/May every 5-7 years or so. That didn't really happen this spring (probably because the previous one was already pretty good and most plant seeds there bank on multiyear dormancy before germinating) but there should still be good flowers along the entrance/exit roads at higher altitudes. Other nearby attractions in the DV area that receive far less attention but are wonderful places in their own right include Ash Meadows east of DV and Rainbow Canyon in Panamint Mnts west of DV. Three samples from my PN portfolio:</p>

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<p>Panamint Mountains go up to 11000 ft/3000 meter so the weather there can be a LOT colder then down in DV</p>

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<p>Ash Meadows is a major attraction for birders & wildlife enthousiasts because it has large permanent ponds with upwelling groundwater, here's a shot from the drier southeastern tip of the refuge where you'll find some very unsual stuff eroding out at the surface:</p><div></div>

<p>If you are considering Zion you should also consider Bryce Canyon. It is other worldly and not that far from Zion. However, any of these parks will provide lots of scenery to enjoy/photograph.<br>

Sam</p>