Nightclubs, luxury hotels, and expensive cars: this is how most travelers see Las Vegas. Yes, its atmosphere of unbridled fun and eternal holiday leaves no chance for other thoughts about Sin City.
However, Las Vegas’s favorable geographical location also makes it an excellent starting point for road trips. There are several amazing national parks within driving distance of the city that you’ll easily reach if you rent a car.
So, pick up 12 passenger van rental to enjoy an incredible family weekend in the wild by visiting one of the following locations:
Bryce Canyon
Average travel time: 4 hours
The park was opened in 1928 and now operates daily, 24 hours a day. The best time to visit is June and July. Created by nature over millions of years, the park amazes with geological sculptures. Columns of orange and white rocks rise from the ground. It’s especially spectacular there at sunrises and sunsets.
The incredible views are available from special viewing platforms. By the way, it will be convenient for you to move between them in a rental car.
Also, the park is full of walking trails running along the canyon and through the Bryce Amphitheatre. The length of the trails varies from 1 to 8 miles. All of them are divided into three levels of difficulty, designed for different training of visitors.
Monument Valley
Average travel time: 6-7 hours
The valley is located on the border of Utah and Arizona, but Las Vegas is the nearest big city. While driving a rental car along the winding road of the park, you understand what beautiful landscapes are.
The Navajo Indian Tribe Reservation is one of the symbols of the United States. It’s a desert surface with majestic red sandstone cliffs. Its territory has repeatedly become a filming location for various movies and is incredibly popular among travelers due to its futuristic nature.
The most famous rocks have their own names and history. The picture looks most impressive at sunrise and sunset. Bizarre shapes give free rein to imagination and it begins to seem that this is a landscape from a space movie.
Canyonlands National Park
Average travel time: 6-7 hours
The canyon zone is located between Colorado and the Green River, and divided into three parts: “The Maze”, “The Needles”, and “The Island in the Sky”. Each of them has a unique relief and is very interesting from the point of view of geology.
On some rocks, there are drawings of ancient nomad hunters. The best way to explore all of the most interesting places in the national park is to follow the observation decks. The most favorable time to visit the semi-desert area is spring and early autumn, when the air temperature is still not too high.
Zion National Park
Average travel time: 2-3 hours
The main attraction of the national park is Zion Canyon. Its length is 24 km and it includes waterfalls, extreme climbs, and incredible views of the Virgin River Valley. The local climate is close to Death Valley and sometimes it can be incredibly hot here. In this regard, the most popular time to visit Zion National Park is the end of autumn, when the air temperature is around 22 degrees. Of course, you can also go there in the summer, but make sure your rental car has air conditioning onboard.
Arches National Park
Average travel time: 2-3 hours
It’s a desert area, famous for its natural red sandstone arches. Erosion creates graceful architectural creations in the rocks, such as freestanding towers and pillars.
The most beautiful views are available at sunrise and sunset. Therefore, this is the best time for memorable photos. The landscape is just mesmerizing and shows the power of nature in action.
Another interesting attraction in Arches National Park is the balancing stone. At the top of the Balanced Rock is a stone that hasn’t yet fallen in some incredible way. The park is vibrant and constantly changing due to the continuous process of erosion and weathering.
Valley of Fire State Park
Average travel time: 1 hour
For many centuries, sand dunes have turned into hard sandstone. Fiery rocks grew on the site of the desert and created real works of art with different forms and textures. This is how Valley of Fire State Park appeared.
The color range of stones is striking in its variety: from bright red to light pink. At sunrise, the entire valley burns like a flame and hits with its beauty. In summer, you need to be especially careful, since the temperature reaches 45˚C during the day and you have to walk between the hot stones. Throughout the territory, there are routes along which you can get to the Pink Canyon and the Fire Wave.
As you can see, you will find many amazing natural sights within driving distance of Las Vegas. Some of them are located close, while some take about 6-7 hours to get to. Thus, consider the option of an additional driver to have someone to replace you at the wheel. And don’t worry about the additional driver fee, because sometimes you can avoid it at all.
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