National Parks Near Las Vegas
When thinking of Las Vegas, most people picture a city buzzing with bright neon lights, but only a couple of hours outside of the city’s limits are some of the greatest natural wonders of the Southwest, including the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, the lush Sierra Nevada mountains and Utah's Canyon Country.
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Yosemite National Park
Roughly the size of Rhode Island, Yosemite's landscape hosts a diverse array of ecosystems such as scrubby chaparral, old-growth forests of pine and sequoia, and expanses of alpine woodlands and meadows.
Getting to Yosemite
Located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite takes eight to ten hours depending on the time of year. The shorter route is closed from November through May due to snowfall.
Bryce Canyon National Park
From the park entrance off Utah Route 63, visitors can take the main road all the way to Bryce amphitheater, a strikingly large horseshoe-shaped canyon that encompasses six square miles.
Grand Canyon National Park
It only takes about four hours to reach the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The South Rim entrance is open all year and on clear days, visitors can see 90 to 110 miles of visible splendor.
Deep History
How the Grand Canyon formed is still open for debate, but most geologists agree that the immense canyon we see today is 5 to 6 million years old.
Joshua Tree
The seasonal gardens of the cholla cactus are one of 16 attractions in Joshua Tree National Park that are accessible from the park’s 18-mile auto tour. The tour takes approximately two hours round trip.
Arches National Park
Arches stands out from its neighboring national parks in Canyon Country for its high quantity of natural stone arches. There are more than 2,000 arches in the park.
Canyonlands National Park
Thousands of years of erosion has carved Canyonlands into a rugged playground for outdoor adventurers. Hundreds of mountain bikers, four-wheelers, hikers and backpackers visit every year to explore.
Zion National Park
A mere 160 miles from Las Vegas, Zion offers city-dwellers one of the quickest ways to get away for a weekend.