Las Vegas to San Francisco... to yellowstone or not to yellowstone?
Replies: 31 - Last Post: Aug 7, 2012 2:45 PM Last Post By: ianw6705
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15
I have my tourist heart set on taking a whole day doing the helicopter flight, boat tour and sky walk.
First, you can't do all three in a day, no matter where you go. It's just too much.Second, there are three rims to the Grand Canyon: north, south and west. The north and south are in the national park. This is the widest and deepest part of the canyon. When you see pictures in brochures and magazines, it's almost always from here. The west rim is on a native reservation. It's still the Grand Canyon, and still spectacular if you haven't seen any other part, but the park is where it is for a reason. Also, the west rim is much more expensive to visit ($75 per person vs. $25 per car). There are things you can do at the west rim you cannot in the park, like the visit xSkywalk or take a helicopter ride to the floor of the canyon, however there are many, simple things you cannot do, like go for a walk by yourself.
Helicopters can't fly over that part.
Helicopters can fly above the park, but they (and all aircraft) have to stay above the canyon.
16
We definitely wont be missing out on the Grand Canyon, I have my tourist heart set on taking a whole day doing the helicopter flight, boat tour and sky walk.Speaking as an old hippie Australian myself, who's been to the GCNP on three trips ... I wouldn't do any of those things. I would go to the Grand Canyon Village (South Rim), staying overnight either in the Village itself (lodges), or at nearby Tusayan (many motel rooms). See the sunset from Mather Point on the day you arrive, rise early and see the sunrise from anywhere really, then spend the day taking the regular shuttle bus west and east along the South Rim, and definitely do some of the walks between stops on the western arm (only a km or two).
It is quiet, awesome, and wonderful, and all free. Love and peace!
18
Okay so everyone has given me some food for thought and I think basically everyone has great advice but knowing my partner and I we would love to take time in the Grand Canyon National Park.So I know I don’t have rough times as yet but how do-able would the following roadtrip be:
Leave: Las Vegas (early)
• Spend the day in the Grand Canyon National Park
• Zion Canyon National Park/Bryce Canyon (can you stay somewhere in-between and take a few days to visit both?)
• Arches National park
• Canyonlands
• Lake Tahoe
• San Francisco (we need to end up here anyway so this part of the trip is non-negotiable)
Can anyone recommend good travel guides as well? I’m doing a lot via the internet but sometimes I just like to have something I can hold, stick some post it’s in and take with me so I don’t forget the things I really want to see.
19
Here is a whirlwind itinerary, and it gets you into San Francisco on 26 May, rather than 25 May - can't see any other way to realistically achieve your goals (other than one night less in Las Vegas, or only one night at GCNP - but that would be a real pity. The list below is where you could spend the night, rather than the day:14-May --- Las Vegas
15-May --- Las Vegas
16-May --- Las Vegas
17-May --- GCNP South Rim (Tusayan or Village)
18-May --- GCNP South Rim (Tusayan or Village)
19-May --- Blanding Utah (after Navajo NM and Monument Valley)
20-May --- Moab (after Canyonlands NP)
21-May --- Moab (after Arches NP)
22-May --- Bryce Canyon NP (Tropic or Bryce Canyon Village)
23-May --- Zion NP (Springdale)
24-May --- Night in Las Vegas
25-May --- Night in South Lake Tahoe
26-May --- First night San Francisco
All the roads are very good - just get an A4 Rand McNally Road Atlas from a store in Las Vegas ... it will list all the national parks and national monuments along your route.
And if you do decide to do the helicopter / skywalk / river cruise agenda, you do not stay in the GCNP Village or Tusayan - they are well west of the park proper.
20
It's a LONG drive from Vegas to San Francisco just so you can spend a couple hours at Lake Tahoe. The lake is nice and all, but certainly not worth that much driving. Do Ian's loop from Vegas and fly to San Francisco.You absolutely should plan on spending an evening and morning in every park you visit, as those are by far the best times of day to see the desert.
The Lonely Planet Zion and Bryce Canyon book is great and covers all of the parks in Utah including Arches and Canyonlands.
21
Good point about flying.Even with the considerable collateral benefits of Death Valley NP and the drive along the scenic Hwy 395 north, it is still 750km from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe - a very long drive for anyone (like Melbourne to Adelaide).
22
Cool, I think I'm in two minds:Itinerary 1: Drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco, taking Route 395 north and doing the Grand Canyon along the way (only spending two days in Vegas)
OR
Itinerary 2: Drive from Las Vegas around Utah and the low (elevation) Sierras back to Las Vegas and then flying to San Francisco
Gosh I wish I had the money and the time to do it all but then seriously how long would it take to see all of this area, let alone all of the US? Ha I'll keep dreaming of winning the lottery.
23
All else being equal, I would definitely recommend Itinerary 2. Places like Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, GCNP are unique and outstanding ... and so accessible. However I don't consider that you have time to include any "low Sierras" in your loop - just destinations east of Las Vegas only.And you save a day+night - so you can add it to Moab, Bryce Canyon, or Springdale ... all good options, to achieve the sunset-sunrise double as recommended above.
25
I'm going to alter ian's itinerary:14-May --- Las Vegas
15-May --- Las Vegas
16-May --- GCNP South Rim (Tusayan or Village)
17-May --- Blanding xUtah (after Navajo NM and xMonument Valley)
18-May --- Moab (after xCanyonlands NP)
19-May --- Moab (after xArches NP)
20-May --- Torrey (after xCapitol Reef or maybe xGrand Staircase-Escalante)
21-May --- xBryce Canyon NP (Tropic or xBryce Canyon Village)
22-May --- xZion NP (Springdale)
23-May --- xZion NP (Springdale)
24-May --- Free day to apply elsewhere (Moab, Grand Canyon, Torrey, etc.)
25-May --- Fly to xSan Francisco from Las Vegas
Drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco, taking Route 395 north and doing the Grand Canyon along the way
Just to be clear, the Grand Canyon is not "along the way." It's roughly five hours in the other direction, so it's about ten hours out the way.
26
Pointing out that between Torrey and Bryce Canyon on bzooakj's route you'll be driving Utah Highway 12, one of the most scenic roads in the country. And where I saw a bear for the first time.27
I second the amendments - and I certainly implied that you drive from Moab to Bryce Canyon via Hwy 12 ... as Vinny says, it's a beauty.28
You simply cannot do the Utah parks + the Sierras and Death Valley in a trip this short, and do either any justice. If you had to pick one, I'd go with Utah - more unique. The itinerary in #25 looks good.
