6 Incredible Natural Parks to Visit In Your Motorhome Near Las Vegas
If you’re visiting Las Vegas, your first thoughts are probably of neon lights, casinos, exotic dancers, and extravagant accommodations. But if you’re into outdoor activities, you’ll be seriously missing out if you spend all your time in the city itself. The area immediately surrounding Las Vegas is home to some of the most famous natural parks and preservation areas not just in the USA, but in the entire world. Here are 6 which are well worth the drive in your rented motorhome, 4WD vehicle, or campervan!
1. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Directly to the west of Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. There is a scenic drive you can take through the park year-round. Just as the name suggests, this park is dominated by stunning red rock formations. There are even a couple of campgrounds where you can park your campervan for the night.
2. Zion National Park
Las Vegas is very close to three other states: Arizona, California, and Utah. Drive two and a half hours out of town to the northeast, and you will cross the border into Utah and arrive at Zion National Park.
This national park features majestic red rock formations and cliffs. It is famous for a high, curved rock wall surrounding the Emerald Pools—a formation that seems quite like a natural amphitheater. Deep in the heart of the park is another famous sight—a set of slot canyons with smoothly sculpted walls. With their orangey-red hue, they often seem to glow as the sunlight filters in from above.
As a point of interest, Zion is actually part of the same massive geological formation which also includes nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and Arches further north in Utah. If you have the time to drive to them, each is well worth exploring.
3. Grand Canyon National Park
On that note, you should definitely make time for Grand Canyon while you are in Las Vegas. If you can, take the drive all the way to Grand Canyon National Park—it should take you just over four hours to reach from the Vegas city center. Can’t manage that? Drive two and a half hours instead to Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and stop off at the famous Grand Canyon Skywalk.
4. Valley of Fire State Park
Around an hour northeast of Las Vegas on I-15, you will come to Valley of Fire State Park. The Valley of Fire is pretty well known, but it is a bit more “off the beaten track” than Zion, the Grand Canyon, or Red Rock.
When you arrive at the Valley of Fire, you will be surrounded by 40,000 acres of red sandstone formations. Start by dropping by the visitor center so you can learn a bit more about the area’s geology as well as its 2,000-year-old petroglyphs and its ancient petrified trees. There are many exciting trails to hike on as well as famous rock formations to behold like the unusual and distinctive “Elephant Rock.”
5. Mojave National Preserve
Drive south of Las Vegas on I-15 into California, and you will arrive at the Mojave National Preserve. In this park, you can embark on a 4WD adventure in your rented vehicle. You can also hike, camp, or go riding on horseback through 1.6 million acres of beautiful desert land. While you are here, be sure to pop by The Mad Creek café in Baker for a delicious gyro and the best strawberry shake you have ever tasted.
6. Death Valley National Park
Last but certainly not least, drive west of Las Vegas through two hours of the most desolate wilderness you have ever seen to arrive at the world-famous Death Valley National Park. Its name is well-deserved—though there is flora and fauna which thrives here, this barren wasteland is incredibly inhospitable to human life. Air temperatures have been known to soar to 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
That being said, it is incredibly scenic and unusual—at times you may feel you have been transported to an alien planet. Visit Badwater Basin to set foot 282 feet below sea level at the lowest point of elevation on the entire continent. Gaze upward at an extraordinary elevation change to Mount Whitney. With an elevation of 14,505 feet, it is the highest peak in the contiguous US.
A Trip to the Desert Parks Around Las Vegas Is One You Will Never Forget
Now you are acquainted with some of the natural wonders surrounding the Entertainment Capital of the World. Not only are these parks beautiful—they are also intensely unique. There is no other place on earth like this. So plan a week or two to tour each of these amazing parks in your motorhome, campervan, or 4WD camper!
