Los Angeles To Zion National Park Road Trip Tips (2024)
Want to know how to get from Los Angeles to Zion National Park? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
The drive from Los Angeles to Zion National Park is 428 miles and with average traffic can take about 7 hours.
You’ll take I-10 East until you reach I-15 North in Ontario, California.
Then you’ll take I-15 North the rest of the way until you reach St. George, Utah.
From St. George, you’ll take Utah State Route 9 to the Zion National Park entrance.
You can see one of our recent road trip from LA to Zion in this video on our YouTube Channel.
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Los Angeles To Zion National Park Road Trip Tips
Now that you know the overall route, let’s get into things you can do during this road trip.
Las Vegas is perfectly situated in-between LA and Zion, so it’s a great option for getting out of the car for a bit if you’re trying to drive straight through.
However, you could also spread out your road trip over a few days.
In that case, here are our tips for things to do along the way when you’re driving from LA to Zion.
Where To Eat If You Stop In Las Vegas
There are a ton of great options for dining in Vegas for every budget and palette.
Here are some of our favorite options.
✔️ Cheap Restaurants in Las Vegas
If you’re looking to save a little money, but still get the full Vegas experience, these cheap restaurants are the best options.
✔️ Best Drinks in Las Vegas
If you are looking for the best drinks in Las Vegas (along with some good drink deals), we’ve got a list of all the best ones!
✔️ Best Las Vegas Desserts
If you’re looking to indulge in a city of indulgence, these are some of the must try desserts while you’re in town.
✔️ Las Vegas Happy Hours
This is one of our most popular posts on our entire blog!
You can find a happy hour 24/7 in Las Vegas.
✔️ The Most Romantic Restaurants in Las Vegas
Whether it’s date night, your wedding night, a honeymoon, or anniversary, these are the most romantic restaurants you can find in Las Vegas.
✔️ Best Italian Restaurants in Las Vegas
Pasta lovers, this one is for you.
If you could eat Italian every night for the rest of your life, Las Vegas is the place for you (if you can’t make it to Italy obviously).
Things To Do If You Stop In Las Vegas
If you’re looking for some activities to do while you’re in Vegas, we’ve got a lot of great options that we love to visit each time we visit.
✅ AREA15 Las Vegas
AREA15 is a new indoor entertainment district just on the other side of I-15 from The Strip.
This place has a little bit of everything, but it’s all very immersive.
Their signature experience is Omega Mart.
It seems like your average grocery store, but it’s really an immersive experience with hidden doors and rooms spread throughout.
✅ Things To Do in Las Vegas If You Don’t Gamble
If you’re not a gambler, I promise Las Vegas still has plenty to offer.
I don’t think I started gambling until my 4th or 5th visit.
This list is all of our favorite things to do on and off The Strip when we know we won’t be gambling.
There are quite a few free activities and experiences too!
✅ Activities Off The Strip
If you’re staying Off-Strip or just want to venture out from the same places you always visit, these are our favorite Off-Strip experiences.
✅ Attend A Timeshare Presentation For A Freebie
This one might not be for everybody and it can be a little controversial, but listen.
If you agree to attend a presentation for an hour or two during your trip, they’ll gift you all kinds of free things to enjoy right away, whether you buy anything or not.
✅ Las Vegas Neon Museum
If you’ve never been to Las Vegas Neon Museum, it’s a must.
You’ll see all the most iconic neon signs from Vegas history, plus a night time show paying tribute to the Las Vegas glory days.
Where To Stay If You Stop In Las Vegas
Las Vegas has a ton of great resorts from casino hotels to timeshares.
These are our favorite places to stay when we go to Las Vegas.
☑️ Polo Towers
Studio Efficiency Room – I recommend the Studio Efficiency if you’re traveling solo and wanting to save some money.
The size is more similar to what you’d see in some areas of Europe.
Very small, but has what you need.
One Bedroom Accessible Room – We ended up in one because it’s all they had available, but as someone who is short (5′ 1″), the accessible room was perfect.
The kitchen counters and appliances were lower and much easier to reach.
Two Bedroom – The two bedroom villas are great for bigger groups or families.
The rooms here have full kitchens, which is virtually unheard of in Vegas, at least in non-timeshare hotels.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Polo Towers Stay Today!
☑️ Bally’s (Horseshoe) Hotel & Casino
This Horseshoe King Room is centrally located on the Strip and is consistently one of the cheapest hotel options in Vegas.
We usually are able to book a weeknight for $29 a night + resort fees.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Horseshoe Hotel And Casino Stay Today!
☑️ Bellagio Hotel and Casino
This top tier resort can be surprisingly afford if you’re a member of MGM Rewards.
It’s free to join and you’ll always get a discounted rate.
Usually some bonus offers are always available as well like upgrades or food and drink credits, unless it’s a major holiday.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At The Bellagio Hotel And Casino Today!
☑️ Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
The Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino is right next door to Bally’s.
So again it is very centrally located on The Strip.
It is also part of the Caesar’s Rewards program, so I highly recommend joining that to save some money on your next stay.
It’s not always the cheapest place on The Strip, but pretty regularly throughout the year you can get a room for less than $100 a night, including the resort fee.
Everything about this resort really makes you feel like you’re in Paris, so it’s luxury on a budget.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Paris Las Vegas Hotel And Casino Stay Today!
☑️ Delano Las Vegas
This is another luxury resort, but on the far south end of the Strip, attached to Mand alay Bay.
I most enjoyed the soaking tub with a water fountain faucet and the tv in the bathroom.
Our room also had a separate half bath out in the living room.
👉 Click Here To Book Your Stay At The Delano Today!
Things To Do When You Reach Zion National Park
Once you’re in Zion, whether you’re visiting when it’s snowing or 100+ degrees outside we’ve got the perfect itinerary for you.
✓ The Best Zion National Park One Day Summer Itinerary
With this itinerary, you’ll hike iconic areas like The Narrows and the Emerald Pools.
✓ The Best Zion National Park One Day Winter Itinerary
Visiting Zion in the Winter is a completely different experience.
You can stay in a cozy cabin, visit the lower emerald pools, and walk to some overlooks.
✔️ Hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park
If you’re visiting specifically to hike The Narrows and want to spend your whole day in this area, then this is the itinerary for you.
It includes a ton of tips for your hike such as what to wear, what shoes to bring, what to eat, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles To Zion National Park Road Trip Tips
These are the most frequently asked questions we get about driving from LA to Zion.
☑️ How Long Is The Drive From LA To Zion National Park?
The drive from Los Angeles to Zion National Park is 428 miles and with average traffic can take about 7 hours.
If you’re driving on a Friday, especially during a holiday weekend expect it to take closer to 9 hours or longer.
☑️ What Airport Do You Fly Into To Go To Zion National Park?
You can fly into St. George, Utah, which is about an hour from Zion or fly into Las Vegas and drive about 3 hours to Zion.
☑️ Where Do You Stop From Los Angeles To Zion National Park?
When driving from Los Angeles to Zion, the first stop along the way should be Barstow, California.
It’s only about 115 miles from Los Angeles, which is about a 2 hour drive, but could be up to twice as long depending on traffic.
For many vehicles, you’ll need to stop here for gas to make it across the desert because your car won’t make it all the way to Primm or Las Vegas if you come up on traffic.
The second stop you’ll want to make is in Las Vegas.
From Barstow to Las Vegas is about another 160 miles, usually taking about 2 1/2 hours.
You’ll again want to top off your gas tank or charge your car while taking some time to explore Las Vegas, have lunch, or you can just pass right through to get to Zion quicker.
The last stop you’ll want to make before heading into Zion is in St. George, Utah.
It’s about 120 miles from Las Vegas and takes about 2 hours to get to.
After St. George, it’s only a 41 mile drive to the entrance of Zion, but it’ll take about an hour due to winding roads and driving through town.
☑️ How Many Days Do You Need To Visit Zion National Park?
You can visit quite a bit of Zion in one day, but I recommend 2 full days if you’re visiting in the Summer.
This way you have one day for hiking The Narrows and another day for relaxing, hiking the Emerald Pools, or hiking Angel’s Landing if you have a permit.
Conclusion: The Los Angeles To Zion National Park Road Trip Tips
This Los Angeles to Zion National Park road trip itinerary has all the best stops along the way, plus what to do once you’ve made it to Zion.
