Cottonwood trees and cattle, near Hurricane, Utah Twice, in mid-December, we have undertaken the long drive from Las Vegas to Bryce Canyon National Park via Zion Canyon National Park. Bryce is almost a 5 hour drive from Vegas, assuming you spend very little time in Zion, that is, if you can resist Zion's charms. US-89 near Kanab, Utah


The first drive was done in 2001, when we hardly spent any time at all within Zion, using the Mount Carmel highway to simply cross over to the other side.

Winter storm approaching Zion Canyon, Utah [Desturated in Gimp] Butte silhouetted against evening thunderstorm near Fredonia, Arizona Winter storm over Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah


For the second drive in 2002, we took it a bit more easily, booking a room in Kanab, Utah to split two days between Zion and Bryce. That was an extremely wise decision, as in December of 2002, the worst Pacific storm in recent memory followed us all the way from Kings Canyon National Park to Zion and onwards to Bryce, dumping truckloads of rain and snow wherever we went.

Sunlight piercing through winter storm, Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah Bare cottonwood trees along Zion Canyon, Utah Bare cottonwood trees along Zion Canyon, Utah


We hit the worst when we were about to start from Zion, via the Mount Carmel highway towards Kanab. All throughout the drive, we inched slowly in thick falling snow and near-zero visibility.

Entrance to the Virgin River Narrows, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah Rock formation near the Temple of Sinawava, Zion Canyon National Park, Utah
Virgin river and the Zion Canyon, Utah Winter storm approaching Zion Canyon, Utah