js1993

Thinking of spending two or three weeks in the Vegas area in March and/or April. First-timer to Nevada.

Vegas hotels obviously are quite cheap from Sunday night to Friday, with weekends much more expensive.

If I wanted to spend weekdays in Vegas and then get out of town on the weekends, what are some of the best weekend destinations in that region in March or April?

Thanks for all feedback.

moondog

Zion. Hotels inside the park aren't cheap though.

The _Banking_Scot

Hi,

Maybe also Bryce canyon or Death Valley ( Furnace Creek ranch or Inn inside the park)

Regards

TBS

corky

grand canyon

Visconti

Oh, wow, that's near Vegas?! In 20+ years, I don't think I've ever ventured more than a few blocks from either end of the strip where the Wynn and MBay ends.

PS - I know it's close but always assumed it was several hours drive away.

DELee

4-5 hours depending on how fast you want to travel. Similar to PHX, LAX.

David

The _Banking_Scot

Hi

when talking about the grand canyon there are 2 main viewing areas and you will see lots of adverts in las vegas for tours

the west rim ( skywalk)
the south rim . This is the main tourist area there are several lodges close to the rim ( weekends could be popular) or there is a town just outside the park south gates (tusayan) where accomodation nay be more affordable.

The North rim is more remote with less facilties and I think is closed until late may

Regards
tbs

Zorak

It is actually roughly the same time and distance to the North Rim as it is to the South Rim, provided that, as you mention, the North Rim is open. The South Rim is open year-round; the North Rim is something like May to October. They do have different "feel", and although you can't go wrong with either one scenery-wise (if you've only seen pictures, IMO nothing compares to actually seeing it in person) I think there's a lot more informative/educational stuff at the South Rim, visitor center etc. Certainly more in the way of facilities. The view is arguably nicer from the North Rim though since it is higher elevation, so looking across you get to see the entire plateau before it plunges into the Canyon.

kale73

The North Rim is spectacular, but is only open from mid-May through mid-October-ish (limited facilities may remain open until the access road is closed by snow). The campground and lodging (rustic cabins and a ‘motel’-style building) almost always require reservations made far in advance. There’s an amazing dining room with huge windows right on the rim.

dbuckho

Visited Death Valley last April. Was not expecting much but found it really cool. Good time of year to visit.

Also another vote for Zion. Plenty of places to stay in Springdale right outside the park entrance.

not2017

Five to six hours to North or South rims, but the Hualapai Skywalk is less than 3 hours from Vegas.

Actually the North Rim has the worst views because you are looking into the sun for most of the day. So the light is not reflected the same way. The vibrant colors of the sandstone are barely visible. Believe me, I had visited the North Rim first and was very disappointed. If people can only make one trip to the Grand canyon, do the South Rim.

Zorak

I can't say that I've ever noticed any of this being a problem in 3 trips to the North Rim (and 6 to the South Rim) but to each their own The Canyon is large enough, and also not a straight line, that regardless of time-of-day there will always be changing colors and views as the sun moves along.

I do agree that the South Rim is probably best for first-timers, or those short on time, since it's more built-up and there's more to do in a relatively more compact area.

Getting back to the original question, another closer (only ~2 hrs) possibility to check out might be Laughlin, as a change of pace from LV -- still Nevada and gambling but with a much smaller/budget vibe and it's on the Colorado River (although I have only spent one night here and that was ~20 years ago so no idea what it's like now)

bearkatt

not far from laughlin on the old route 66 is the old mining town of oatman. could be done as a daytrip.

SPN Lifer

When I lived in Las Vegas and drove to the South Rim I spent two nights in Flagstaff, and one full day (in between) at the national park.

There is a SpringHill Suites there within walking distance of a huge Walmart -- much larger and with better selection and prices than anything in L.V.

Gas is much cheaper in Arizona than Nevada. Kingman is a good place to fill up.

Zorak

Flagstaff is also home to the Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered.