The Best National Parks Near Las Vegas

Las Vegas may be best known as a gambling and entertainment mecca filled with glitz and glam. But this southern Nevada city is also an underrated base camp and jumping-off point for visiting some of the country's best national parks. Five of them are within a few hours' drive of the heart of The Strip, each preserving some of the country's most distinctive and unusual landscapes. Here are the top choices for those looking for a quick trip.

Death Valley National Park

Just over two hours from the heart of Las Vegas lies one of the world's most extreme landscapes. Death Valley National Park is a sprawling park with not only the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level), but also the officially recognized record for the hottest air temperature ever measured on Earth, 134 degrees Fahrenheit in July 1913 at Greenland Ranch near Furnace Creek. The extreme weather is undoubtedly one of the big attractions, with visitors drawn to experience summer temperatures that regularly soar to around 120 during the day and often remain above 90 at night. Winters can be more temperate, offering a more comfortable opportunity to explore attractions like the natural colors of the "Artists Palette" rock formation, walk the sand dunes of Mesquite Flats, and take in local history at the Harmony Borax Works. Death Valley's extremes also run in the opposite direction, and hikers can climb Telescope Peak on a challenging trail that reaches the over 11,000-foot summit.

Zion National Park

Another of America's best-known national parks sits a little over two hours northeast of the Vegas area: Zion National Park. One of Utah's "Big Five" parks, it spans roughly 150,000 acres, with Zion Canyon the most visited part. From here, visitors can take the hike to the Angel's Landing overlook or head into The Narrows, where they'll walk through a 20-to-30-foot-wide channel cut by the Virgin River as canyon walls rise 1,000 feet above. Another relatively short option is the Canyon Overlook Trail, which leads to a view over the lower reaches of Zion Canyon. Those who'd like a less challenging look at this landscape can take the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, accessible via a park shuttle bus or, in the less-visited winter season, by private car. However, these are just a few of the many hiking, canyoneering, rock climbing, and other options available for those who make the reasonable drive from Las Vegas.

Grand Canyon National Park

One of the undisputed jewels of the National Park System, Grand Canyon National Park is another top choice for those looking to take advantage of parks in the broader Las Vegas region. Although the South Rim is on the further end of day trips at just over four hours driving, it's also easy to check out by air, either through plane or helicopter tours departing from the Vegas area or limited flights into Grand Canyon Airport, a few miles south of the park's entrance. Visitors have a wide variety of options at their fingertips here, from taking in panoramic views along the paved Rim Trail, hiking parts of more challenging paths into the canyon like Bright Angel Trail, or exploring a variety of historic cultural spots, shops, and hotels throughout the Grand Canyon Village area.

Joshua Tree National Park

Although Joshua Tree may be more commonly visited from and associated with Los Angeles, it's nevertheless a reasonable day trip for those visiting Las Vegas, at three and a half to four hours away by car. The nearly 800,000-acre park straddles the Mojave and Colorado deserts, with its namesake Joshua trees concentrated largely in the higher Mojave section and rugged granite formations spread across much of the landscape. Among the best introductions is the one-mile Hidden Valley Trail, an easy loop through a rock-enclosed valley surrounded by massive boulders. Visitors can also stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden, where thousands of naturally growing cholla are concentrated along a short loop trail, or drive to Keys View for a vantage point that includes views of the Coachella Valley and surrounding mountains.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Those looking to experience some of America's most dramatic geologic formations will find them roughly four hours northeast of Las Vegas at Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce Canyon holds the world's largest concentration of hoodoos, unique rock columns that erode in irregular ways to produce otherworldly landscapes. Despite its significant size, it's relatively easy for day-trippers to get a good sense of the park's dramatic scenery in the Bryce Amphitheater area, which contains some of the most popular and accessible trails as well as viewpoints from the park road. Bryce also sits at a much higher elevation than Vegas and some of its other nearby national parks, making it an ideal choice for outdoor exploration while escaping the brutal summer heat.

Trade the Casinos for Incredible Landscapes at these Las Vegas-Area National Parks

There's no doubt that Las Vegas gives visitors plenty to do and see. Still, it's also surprisingly easy to escape the crowds and chaos for some of America's best national parks. With just a few hours in the car (or less by air), a traveler can take in an extraordinarily diverse group of preserved landscapes that will always make visitors feel lucky, no matter what the slot machines or tables say.