Recommendations for Late March - Zion, Page, other?

I will be heading to Vegas in late March. I think I'll be able to avoid most of the spring break traffic but will be on the tail end.

I'll have roughly 2 full days of shooting on a Saturday and Sunday. I'm trying to decide what I want to squeeze in. Places I'm considering:

Page - Slots & Horseshoe
Zion - Narrows? Subway? <-- Never been this time of year, are the trees green yet? How are conditions & light in these locations?
Kanarra Creek - how is the flow in that slot this time of year?

Arches - I'm not a fan of being around hundreds of people, so I've never been, but have considered it.

Suggestions for that time of year?

Thanks

I can only comment on Zion -- I've been there in March before and the trees we're not out yet. I was also there in May and the trees were leafed out at that point. When I was there in March it was unusually cold, with rain and snow. The trail to the Subway was virtually impassable due to heavy flow in the creek, everything else was very wet and snowy. The weather could be different this spring, so its tough to say, but Zion is higher in elevation than you'd think so the weather isn't really nice until a bit later.
Arches would be great in March, usually the crowds aren't too bad at that time -- except you are a little far from Vegas.
You might be better off heading to Page.

I haven't been to Zion in that time yet, but based on many March trips to the Moab area, I don't think they're going to be leafing out yet. May seems like the time for cottonwood leaves. But there are alot of fir, pine and cedar which will be green. You might be able to catch the orchards in Springdale blooming though I think it may be a little early for that too. I'm not sure about the river flows in Zion at that time of year, but the water will be very cold.

Arches is nice in that time of year. It can be very warm and pleasant, but that's a long way from Vegas.

As long as there has been no recent precip, the slots around Page should be enjoyable.

If it were me, I save myself the driving time in that schedule and check out locations right there in southern Nevada. A number of NPN folks have been doing great work at Valley of Fire lately, and I'm sure there's a lot more potential in that neighborhood. There's no shortage of enticing wilderness in southern Nevada, and spring break would be a total non-issue in most of that country. Makes me wish my work required a trip to Vegas!

Luke,

You might get some leaves, or the first starting points of the buds, but it's best not to count on it. You're likely to get beautiful blue skies (unfortunately?!), so slot canyons are more likely to be productive than grand scenics.

Moab and Arches would be awfully far for only two days.

The Narrows is typically closed until early summer due to high volume. Kanarra will also be impassable.
Antelope will be ok.The South Rim should also be good but is out of the way.

I agree with Jackson about places in Nevada. Lots to see there. Arches is probably an eight hour drive. But if you don't like the crowds, I'd recommend visiting some year during the winter. Few people and if there's snow, it can really add to the shots...

One thought on considering Zion would be whether or not the shuttle is running. Being forced to ride that is a dealbreaker for me. What about Bryce or Cedar Breaks? Coral Pink Sand Dunes or Kodachrome basin? Lots closer than Arches.

Another vote for the Valley of Fire. Time not spent driving is time well spent scouting locations.

Todd,

Cedar Breaks is closed until late May. I went by there late in April last year and the snow was still several feet deep. Check out their web site, http://www.nps.gov/cebr/index.htm, for the latest information. Bryce should be open, but you may run into snow. The pictures I have seen of Bryce in the snow are fabulous. I will have to make it in the winter before long.
Parts of Zion were sill closed because of snow at that time as well. According to their site, the shuttle runs from April 1st to October 31st in 2010. It should be about the same this year. There was a lot of construction last year, check out their site as well before making finaql plans, http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm.

I'll be in that area at that time again this year. There will be no leaves in Zion for another 1-1.5 months. As far as where to go, email me and I'll tell you why I make that trip at the end of March almost every year.

Thanks for the input everyone. It's been very helpful! Definitely nice to have a group of people with insight into the area at different times of the year!

Death valley?

I hadn't considered Death Valley. Is that a good time of year for the Race Track?

March can be warm but pleasant in DV. it is a long drive to racetrack once you are in the valley which is a schlep from LV. I go along with the others who said Valley of Fire. That place is magical ESP with clouds in sky. then just exploring in and around the desert locale of LV - who knows what interesting and un-photographed places you could discover.

You'll need to be prepared for camping at DV in order to catch the best light, and a 4WD (or at the least a high clearance SUV) is recommended to access the Racetrack.

Thanks John, probably skip that one then, not a lot of fun hauling camping gear on a business trip.