Zion or Death Valley ?

[manishraichur]

I am planning a 4 day trip to LV in the last week of december.

Both Zion and Death valley are abt 150 miles form LV and i am planning to

spend 2 days in one of them.

 

Which one of the 2 do you guys recommend taking into account the weather,photo

ops. ( I wish i had time to visit both )

 

i maninly shoot nature and landscape.

 

Thanks

 

manish

[BrianS1664879711]

Death Valley.

[david_henderson]

Death Valley, unless there's snow in Zion

[lee_glider]

Zion

 

Very nice to visit this time of year and MUCH less crowded than it is during the summer.

[thomas_watkins1]

I prefer the mountains! So, I'd choose Zion.

[peter_lawrence]

Are you planning to camp or stay at a motel/hotel in or around Zion or Death Valley? It

will probably easier to find a motel/hotel room near Zion than Death Valley between

Christmas and New Year's Day. That's during the high tourist season for Death Valley.

 

When visiting Death Valley, it's best to sleep overnight in the park somewhere, be it at a

campsite or at one of the overnight lodging accommodations (Furnace Creek Ranch,

Furnace Creek Inn, or Stovepipe Wells).

 

Nearby Lodging will be easier to find around Zion than Death Valley. Also Zion is an easier

drive from Las Vegas because a large stretch of it is on Interstate 15, a high-speed

freeway.

 

- Peter

[chiranjeeb]

Hard to decide as both of the places are really great. It finally boils down to what kind of photography you do. A place like Zion is spectacular in an obvious way, while Death Valley requires a little exploring to appreciate its beauty. Overall I'd lean more towards Zion though because of (i) the obvious beauty and (ii) less driving time. If you go to Zion, buy Laurent Martres's guidebook Photographing the Southwest. It will increase your efficiency, so to speak and is worth every penny. Also in Zion don't just get stuck in the canyon ----the east side is very fruitful photographically IMHO. If you go to Death Valley, I second Peter's suggestion to stay in the park ----DV is huge and driving time from Beatty is too long. In DV, I'd spend most of the time in the sand dunes. In winter the sun's angle is low and you get good light for a long log time.

 

<shameless plug> You can have a look at my pictures of Zion/DV to see if they help you decide one way or the other </shameless plug>

[fourfa]

Want to go up the Narrows with not a soul around? Trust me, that's a unique experience. Go to Springdale, visit Zion Adventure Company, rent a drysuit and wetsuit booties and canyoneering shoes. you'll be toasty warm and safe. I did this a couple years ago on New Year's Day and didn't see a soul all day long. Amazing.

[bar_slater]

hi, Zion is way higher than Death Valley and so the chances of snow anywhere along the steps up from the Grand Canyon into the Rockies is greater, much. Just got back from Vegas, Lake Meade, Red Rock Canyon, and can say there was no snow on Mt Charlston but I have been on the North Rim on Nov. 1 and been buried in snow. I recommend Lake Meade Blvd to the Recreation Area, deserted now, Valley of Fire, if you're not ready for snow, overnight at the Plaza in Overton then up into the Virgin River Rec lands for a day of micro and macro magnificence. This leaves you a mere 2 hours from Vegas for your return drive on the I 15.

If you get to Zion area, Kanab is the natural overnight spot on the road between the north rim , Bryce Canyon, Zion and The Escalante, good motel and restuarant.

Have fun stay safe

[james_bass1]

Death Valley is larger than the state of Delaware, so staying on site is critical unless you like driving. But I bet you have zero chance of getting a spot at this late date.

 

I went to DV two winters ago when it had record rainfall. Amazing place. I'd keep an eye on the weather and plan a trip after some rain fall. You can get great wildflower shots in the park in early spring if the weather cooperates.

[bar_slater]

so where did you go?