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San Francisco to the Southwest: Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon

San Francisco → Las Vegas → Grand Canyon → Zion → Bryce Canyon

Las Vegas Strip
"Las_Vegas_Strip_09_2017_4897.jpg" by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Canyon River Tree (165872763) (Grand Canyon)
Photo: Lennart Sikkema, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

US Southwest parks Best season (general guide): Apr–May, Sep–Oct

The desert Southwest has an extraordinary concentration of national parks, and this road trip links three of them from Las Vegas. From San Francisco it's a flight of under two hours to Las Vegas.

How to pace it: Spend day one in Las Vegas: pick up the hire car. Then spend days two and three at the Grand Canyon: day two, drive to the South Rim, then sunset at a viewpoint; day three, Rim Trail or a short way down the Bright Angel. Then spend days four and five in Zion: day four, travel to Springdale, then Riverwalk by shuttle; day five, shuttle to trailheads, then hike suited to conditions. Then spend days six and seven at Bryce Canyon: day six, travel to Bryce, then rim viewpoints at sunset; day seven, trail down among the hoodoos.

After a night in Las Vegas, the drive east reaches the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where viewpoints along the rim show layer upon layer of rock, and trails such as the Bright Angel lead down below the rim. Then the route turns north into Utah. In Zion, you can't drive the scenic road through the main canyon for most of the year, so you ride the park shuttle to trailheads such as the Riverwalk and the start of the Narrows. Bryce Canyon is higher and cooler, and the sunrise and sunset viewpoints over the hoodoo amphitheatres are some of the most striking in the country.

Spring, around April and May, and autumn, September and October, are the best seasons. Bryce and the Grand Canyon's rim are at high altitude, so they can be cold in spring and autumn.

Carry plenty of water and check current conditions on each park's NPS page before setting out. Book park lodges and campgrounds well ahead, as they fill early.

Practical notes: A hire car then takes you through Arizona and Utah, and the last day's drive returns you to Las Vegas for the flight home. The National Park Service notes that summer temperatures in Zion often exceed 100°F, and the July to September monsoon brings a risk of flash floods.

Suggested outline

  1. San Francisco

    Start

  2. Las Vegas

    By air · 1 night suggested

    The gateway airport for the national parks of the desert Southwest. Pick up a hire car here.

  3. Grand Canyon

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    The South Rim is reached by a long drive from Las Vegas. Rim trails and viewpoints such as Mather Point look down into the canyon.

    Grand Canyon
    "Canyon_River_Tree_(165872763).jpeg" by Lennart Sikkema, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  4. Zion

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Zion's main canyon is reached by free park shuttle for most of the year. Trails range from the riverside Riverwalk to steep climbs.

    Zion National Park
    "Zion_angels_landing_view.jpg" by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  5. Bryce Canyon

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    A plateau rim above amphitheatres of orange rock spires called hoodoos. Trails drop from the rim among them.

    Bryce Canyon National Park
    "Inspiration_Point_Bryce_Canyon_November_2018_panorama.jpg" by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Las Vegas — Arrive; pick up the hire car· San Francisco → Las Vegas (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Grand Canyon — Drive to the South Rim; sunset at a viewpoint· Las Vegas → Grand Canyon (overland)
  3. Day 3 · Grand Canyon — Rim Trail or a short way down the Bright Angel
  4. Day 4 · Zion — To Springdale; Riverwalk by shuttle· Grand Canyon → Zion (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Zion — Shuttle to trailheads; hike suited to conditions
  6. Day 6 · Bryce Canyon — To Bryce; rim viewpoints at sunset· Zion → Bryce Canyon (overland)
  7. Day 7 · Bryce Canyon — Trail down among the hoodoos
  8. Day 8 · Bryce Canyon — Travel home from Bryce Canyon· Bryce Canyon → Las Vegas (overland), then Las Vegas → San Francisco (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Las Vegas

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Grand Canyon

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Zion

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