Find out how to have the most awesome road trip from Las Vegas to Zion National Park and beyond.
Does a sunny vacation with lots of activities for the whole family sound good right about now? Then an amazing road trip from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is perfect for you!
As a professional travel writer, I usually like to visit new destinations. But I’ve traveled across Utah three times, and it never gets old. I went to Zion with my husband and two kids for spring break, and it was the best spring break trip we ever had!
What Makes Zion National Park So Special?
The Zion National Park area is gorgeous: Massive red rocks jut up into a bright blue sky – sometimes there are green pine trees and brush dotting the rocky landscape and other times, there’s orange sand or black lava tubes that go deep underground.
It’s the best place to go exploring, especially since it has 255 days of sunshine a year with temps that hover in the ’70s in April and October (perfect hiking weather!).
But because it’s so beautiful, Zion National Park has become very popular. Going on a trip there takes planning to avoid crowds, secure accommodations, and make the most of your time. Here’s what you need to know to plan a fabulous road trip to Zion National Park.
MAKE IT EASY! Purchase my Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide for this trip. It has everything mapped out for you with daily itineraries, GPS coordinates, where to eat and stay, and so much more.
Driving From Las Vegas to Zion National Park
If you’ve never driven from Las Vegas to Zion National Park, you may have a few questions about how long it takes, how difficult it is, and if there are any cool stops along the way. Here are the answers:
How long will the drive take?
The distance from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is 163 miles from the Las Vegas airport (about 2.5 hours) and 155 miles from Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), which takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Is Zion a day trip from Las Vegas?
Driving from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is great for a multi-day trip. I wouldn’t recommend doing it as a day trip from Las Vegas because you’ll waste too much of your day on travel: 6 hours roundtrip in the car, plus the time it takes searching for a parking spot and riding the park bus to the various trailheads.
Can I Do Zion and Bryce or the Grand Canyon in One Day?
You should spend at least one full day in Zion National Park and plan to overnight somewhere nearby. The park is full of incredible hikes and scenery and you don’t want to feel rushed. Bryce Canyon National Park is nearly two hours northeast of Zion while the Grand Canyon is 2.5 hours southeast of Zion. Trying to cram visiting two of these parks in one day would be miserable
How many days do you need in Zion National Park?
You can get a feel for Zion National Park in one full day. But if you want to do multiple hikes, go horseback riding, or take advantage of ranger-led programs like stargazing, plan on spending two days in Zion. That way you can experience several fun things to do in Zion.
My family and I flew into Las Vegas and spent one night there before heading out the next morning on our road trip to Zion. We showed our kids all the G-rated sites and there was enough to do to fill a day. Read about what we did in my “One Perfect Day in Las Vegas With Kids” post.
Where do you stop on the way to Zion from Vegas?
The trip from Las Vegas to Zion National Park isn’t long, but there are a few stops that are worth taking some time to explore along the way.
Valley of Fire State Park
There’s one stop that you can’t miss on the way to Zion from Las Vegas! It adds 45 minutes to the drive, but Valley of Fire State Park in Overton, Nevada, is a detour worth taking.
The 40,000-acre park has 11 family-friendly hiking trails through swirly, creamsicle-colored stone. You can also check out petrified logs and 2,000-year-old petroglyphs (ancient Native American drawings on rock walls).
We went on the Fire Wave trail, a little over a mile-long roundtrip. It was easy – and great for stretching our legs – and my kids were fascinated by the rock formations (one looks like an elephant!) and the apricot-colored sand.
Grafton Ghost Town
Another stop right before you arrive at Zion National Park is Grafton. If your kids have never seen a ghost town, then it’s worth going a few miles off-course to explore this tiny settlement.
Grafton is an authentic ghost town, not some touristy destination. Five buildings remain from the original 30 that were here back in the 1800s.
It’s free to explore what remains of the church, cemetery, and schoolhouse. And a scenic place to snap a few Wild West pics.
MAKE IT EASY! Purchase my Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide for this trip. It has everything mapped out for you with daily itineraries, GPS coordinates, where to eat and stay, and so much more.
Great Family Hikes in Zion National Park
It’s true, Zion National Park is magnificent…and everybody knows it. It’s the fourth most-visited national park in the United States with more than four million visitors a year. Expect crowds if you go at popular times like spring or summer break.
The most popular hike is Lower Emerald Pools trail. It’s a paved, uphill path to see small pools and a thin waterfall that cascades over the high canyon walls. It only takes about one hour to walk there and back. You can extend the hike by continuing on the steeper Upper Emerald Pools trail that connects to it.
But for bragging rights and an experience you won’t forget, hike The Narrows. You actually hike upstream IN THE RIVER. The Virgin River cuts a path through sheer rock walls. Make your way up the canyon by sloshing through the river, which runs from ankle high to waist deep. You can turn back whenever you get tired.
The hike is challenging because of walking on rocks and going against the current but my 8 and 10-year-olds had no problem. In fact, they loved how different the hike was and had far less trepidation than I did. (Kids just go for it!)
Afterward, we stopped in the park’s gift shop and bought lots of souvenirs including pins that say “I Hiked The Narrows” to wear as a badge of honor.
You can find tips for hiking The Narrows, as well as other great hikes on quieter, lesser-known trails (with amazing views!) in my Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide.
In warmer weather, you can do The Narrow hike on your own with footwear made for wearing in the water – no extra gear needed. But you can also go on a guided tour if you want to feel completely taken care of.
✅ Check availability and book your guided hike of The Narrows by clicking here!
Fun Things to Do Around Zion
Standing in long lines to board Zion’s packed shuttles and jostling with others to hike popular trails takes some of the magic out of seeing such a gorgeous place.
But the good news is that the beauty doesn’t stop once you leave Zion Canyon. There are plenty of incredible sites to explore nearby too. These under-the-radar spots have stunning scenery but offer a more peaceful experience.
We appreciated these hidden gems because not only are they beautiful, but they have lots of fun activities to do, too, like:
Off-Roading
Sand Hollow State Park is Utah’s newest state park and gets its good looks from the contrast of its blue-water reservoir with the surrounding red rocks. We rode an ATV through the park’s 15,000 acres to the “Top of the World” viewpoint on Sand Mountain where you can see the Grand Canyon on a clear day.
The kids were eager to tackle mother nature’s playscape there. They scrambled up towering red rocks like it was no big deal (to give me a heart attack!). If we’d had more time, I would have wanted to kayak, take a SUP board out on the water or relax on the red-sand beach.
✅ Check availability and book your Sand Hollow off-roading tour by clicking here!
Horseback Riding
While you can hike 38 miles of trails in Snow Canyon State Park, the most serene way to enjoy the awe-inspiring landscape is on horseback. Ride through silvery sagebrush and gaze at the red-and-white sandstone and black lava-covered canyon walls.
✅ Check availability and book horseback riding by clicking here!
Sand Sledding
A forest growing out of sand seems impossible, but at Coral Pink Sand Dunes that’s just one of the things you’ll marvel at. Most people come here to ride off-road vehicles over the 1,200 acres of dunes, but the highlight for my kids was sledding down the mountains of sand. Start exploring the park early in the day before all the off-roading vehicles get there and the sand gets too hot.
MAKE IT EASY! Purchase my Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide for this trip. It has everything mapped out for you with daily itineraries, GPS coordinates, where to eat and stay, and so much more.
✅ Check availability and book your off-roading and sand sledding tour by clicking here!
Seeing Slot Canyons
Peekaboo Slot Canyon is a skinny canyon with curvy red walls and narrow passageways. (Some say it’s a less-crowded version of the Insta-famous Antelope Canyon in Arizona.)
We had a blast exploring the nooks and crannies of this narrow canyon and the kids searched the ground for rocks with fossils in them – teeny starfish skeletons! – that they could take home.
Another fun discovery was the hoodoo, a delicate towering rock similar to the ones you find in Bryce Canyon, tucked behind the canyon.
✅ Check availability and book your off-roading tour to Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon by clicking here!
Pushing Cats in Strollers
Random, right? But Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is a HUGE animal refuge in the nearby town of Kanab and there are so many different places you can help out for a few hours. Besides dogs and cats, they have bunnies, pigs, horses and birds.
You can sign up ahead of time to take the 2-hour shuttle tour (yes, the place is that big) or to volunteer. My kids and I gave lots of love to the kitties, even taking them on walks in strollers! You can learn more about volunteering at the sanctuary in this article I wrote for Subaru Drive (the car company’s magazine).
There are several other super-fun (and free!) things to do in Kanab along with great eateries and fun accommodations. Get all the details on what tour guides to book, where to eat and stay, and what to do each day in the Zion National Park Road Trip Itinerary Travel Guide.
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN ZION
If you’re on a road trip, you’ll need multiple accommodations along the way. You can find my recommendations for where to stay at each point in my Zion road trip guide.
But if you’d rather stay in one place and make day trips, there are plenty of options near Zion National Park. Whether you’re into luxury lodges or need something budget-friendly, I’ve got you covered.
Learn where to stay in and around the park, see my list of top accommodations, and get insider tips in my blog post on Where to Stay in Zion National Park.
Plus, there’s a handy map and tons of practical info to make your stay awesome. Curious? Click over to see my full list of recommendations and start planning your perfect trip!
The TAkeaway
Guys: Southern Utah is the place to go for an awesome family adventure. The drive from Las Vegas to Zion National Park is quick and easy and there are so many fun, outdoorsy things to do. I have no doubt that you and your family will become super fans of this gorgeous corner of the country.
Happy travels,
