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3 Essential Winter Destinations in the West

Published about 2 years ago • 2 min read

3 Essential Winter Destinations in the West

by Cheryl

At this point every year, Matt and I look at each other and say, "It's time for a vacation," and then struggle to come up with somewhere warm enough to be enjoyable.

But, after years of planning and trying out different locations, here are our top picks of the West.

Grand Canyon National Park

Although the North Rim won't open for a few months, the South Rim is open the entire year. It only gets into the high 40's in February, but that's no reason to avoid this place. Amazing lodging is available at the charming Grand Canyon Village and the Grand Canyon Railway runs year-round. On our last trip to the Grand Canyon, the ranger we spoke to said the February is his favorite time of year to view the canyon. For more info, read our article 16 awesome things to do at the Grand Canyon or watch our YouTube video, 7 things to see and do at the Grand Canyon Village

Zion National Park

aerial shot of mountains

Zion was the 2nd most visited National Park in 2021, and for good reason. There is truly something magical about viewing the 2000 foot walls of sandstone from the bottom of the canyon. Some avoid Zion because of the crowds, but we think that February is the perfect time to go because crowds are light and the temperature gets into the high 50s.

We were at Zion this past December and it occurred to me how much it is easier it is to stay comfortable there in the winter where you can layer up to stay warm. In the summer temperatures regularly get to 100 degrees and you just have to deal with the heat. For more info on how to pack for Zion, read our article about what to pack for Zion.

One other plus, is that it is not mandatory to ride the shuttle buses up the main canyon until around presidents day. Personal vehicles are actually allowed November- February (varies from year to year but check the Zion National Park website for the most current information.) . We've missed that window for this year so check out our article on riding the Zion shuttle buses if you plan on visiting anytime in the near future.

St. George, Utah

Only 45 minutes southwest of Zion, St. George Utah enjoys even warmer, sunnier days with highs reaching the low 60s. There are plenty of lodging and dining options plus the incredible, would-be-a-national-park in any other state, Snow Canyon. Snow Canyon is just a 20 minute drive from St George and features some beautiful landscape including petrified sand dunes and lava tubes, just to name a few. Our family generally escapes to St. George when we get the winter blues and still have not run out of new things to explore. Check out our YouTube video 23 things to do in St. George to learn more.

Announcements

Matt will be heading to Arches National Park and Canyonlands in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned for videos, articles, and guides in the future.

We are also looking into doing some in-person tours for the 2023 travel season. Please email us if you are interested.

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We're in the Rockies

Go West! Our mission is to help you have a great vacation to the West. We provide tips and self-guided tours.

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