Background: one night in Vegas booked, hiring a car to drive to Grand Canyon where we have two nights (April 21 and 22) in Tusayan booked. We need to be in San Francisco for the 26th, so we have three nights. We were planning on visiting Yosemite, but we're now thinking (following some very useful advice on the TT in the last 24 hours) that our time might be more efficiently used if we stick around Arizona for five nights instead of two and just drive back to Vegas on the 26th, flying to SF from there.
So....
Question 1. After having spent a day and two nights at GC National Park, where should we head to next?
Question 2. What are the "must sees" within easy driving distance that won't take us too far from Vegas?
Question 3. Should we look at basing ourselves in Flagstaff for three nights or is there somewhere better?
(As before: I'm 30 and my gf is 27, both quite fit and active, although not what you'd call experienced hikers. )
Hopefully responses to this will allow us to make our final plan and we will bother you no more! (I also intend to repay the Thorn Tree by helping out folks on my own "home" branches...)
- Sedona, AZ and maybe Canyon de Chelly, AZ. Or go to Utah by way of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion and Bryce national parks.
2. Hoover Dam is on your way from Vegas to the South Rim. West of Vegas (3-1/2 hours) is Death Valley, a "must-see."
3. If you're going to stay in AZ, I'd base yourselves in Sedona. But frankly, I think you'd be better off to do the Utah option I mention in #1 and on the FAQ posting I made as the result of your earlier query.
Do us another favor. After you've made your trip, post and tell us how it went. The more detail the better. Doesn't have to be all sweetness and light, either. If there were bad things or stuff you didn't like, that's just as valuable as anything else. Not enough people ever report back here about their trip. Have a great one, and trust me you are going to visit all kinds of great stuff. I think the idea of flying to S.F. from Vegas is a good one, by the way. It's not a game of tag; you can't see every single thing, and you can't worry about what you didn't see. As long as you made sure to see the Grand Canyon, that is. Prepare to be blown away by that one. No picture can ever capture it.
p.s.: Death Valley is an easy day trip from Vegas, but it would be better if you could drive over there late in the day, spend the night there, spend the next morning walking around, take a drive up to Scotty's castle, then head back to Vegas.
I would see the GC then make a loop and see Bryce and Zion (Zion is only 2.5 hours from Las Vegas, so it will be easy to get back). I think it's a reasonable amount of driving and these two parks are amazing destinations. Also, in Zion at least, the weather should be nice but the crowds will still be small. I don't think Death Valley is a must see-it's the only national park I've been to where I have no interest in going again.
If you'd rather stay in AZ base yourself in Sedona rather than Flagstaff (nothing against Flagstaff, it's a nice town, but Sedona is prettier).
If you are skipping Yosemite in part to avoid rushing, why rush your stay at the GC, especially if you want to hike? Can you extend your stay at Tusayan? There are other parts of the GC, west of the main park, that are apparently interesting. Other posters can opine. Painted Desert and Petrified Forest are nearby. If you want to see some extra scenery, you could drive east and north into Utah, and drive through Zion National Park to get back to Las Vegas. Too early in the year to go to the North Rim of hte Grand Canyon (not sure if Bryce would be open and, if it is, if you would have time), but Zion is great, with lots of choices for hiking.
With 3 extra days in the region, you could pretty easily follow Willy's suggestion Grand Canyon>Bryce Canyon (yes its open in April)>Zion>back to Vegas. I don't think you'd have time to squeeze in Canyon De Chelly, especially since the whole idea of changing your plans was to not be so hectic. I'm sure Willy recommended the drive past the North Rim not because he thinks its open in April (its not), but because the drive by the Vermillion Cliffs is so incredibly cool (it is).
Alternatively, there is more than enough sights to be seen and activities to be had around Flagstaff and Sedona to fill a couple days. Easily. Sedona is very beautiful, but as a place to stay its also quite expensive, and the town itself veers dangerously close to tacky tourist developement (some would say it doesn't veer close to tacky, its all about tacky). No matter, the surrounding countryside overwhelms all that. Flagstaff is more of a "regular" town, the immediate scenery is less spectacular (still pretty); its a cheaper but generally less luxurious place to stay. Springtime will be well underway in Sedona, but still a few weeks away in Flagstaff. Flagstaff makes a slightly more convenient base for varied excursions around the region; in Sedona you can bathe yourself in resort luxury surrounded by red-rock cliffs. There's dozens of great hiking trails through canyons, streams and mountains around Sedona and Flagstaff, several lesser-known but very interesting National Monuments, jeep tours, horse tours, a nice natural history/anthropology museum, pretty good restaurants...plenty to do.
I think you'd be happy with either option. If you will be taking the Sedona/Flagstaff option feel free to drop me a PM and I can recommend trails to hike or good places to eat around there. Either way, do let us know how it all turned out.
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<hr>I'm sure Willy recommended the drive past the North Rim not because he thinks its open in April (its not), but because the drive by the Vermillion Cliffs is so incredibly cool (it is). <hr></blockquote>
Correct.
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<hr>Sedona is very beautiful, but as a place to stay its also quite expensive, and the town itself veers dangerously close to tacky tourist developement (some would say it doesn't veer close to tacky, its all about tacky). <hr></blockquote>
My favorite aspect is the wacky New Age "vortex" stuff. The New Agers would be horrified to think that they've become a tacky cliche no different in spirit from, say, Wall Drug or the Corn Palace, but it's true. Yeah, Sedona's on the pricey side but the scenery really is good. To save some bucks, if the OP wanted to do the Arizona thing they could stay in Flagstaff and do a day trip down to Sedona (very easy).
I really second the option of looping past Glen Canyon Dam, Vermillion Cliffs, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP, and then return to Las Vegas (dropping in to see Valley of Fire SP on the way back). If you experience Zion NP then the loss of Yosemite is assuaged - it is very beautiful, as is Bryce Canyon NP, and there are some short hikes in both that are really rewarding and not very difficult. Highly recommended, and you have the time if you don't dawdle.<BR><BR>The drive from Flagstaff to Sedona via the Oak Creek Canyon is beautiful, but Sedona is tacky central indeed, notwithstanding the alleged aura, and the sprawl of suburban development is a planning nightmare. The red rock country is nice of course, but in my opinion the SW Utah itinerary is far superior. My two cents worth.
GC tour driver here. If you are reasonably fit, take a hike, but don't overdo it. You will have an experience to remember. I just hiked last weekend down to Phanton Ranch and stayed overnight, and while I hike slowly, I had a great time - legs rather sore, but glad to see the body, at 56, can handle it. DOn't rush your stay here - you will not be disappointed by GC.
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