Category: Travel News

Zion National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.  This did not used to be the case, as visitor rates at national parks nation wide were depressed over the past few years to the point of being considered for defunding based upon a lack of interest.  This situation was changed by a large scale marketing campaign that raised awareness of national parks and their proximity to cities that can be used as starting points.  Essentially, the theory was that people thought that national parks were too far away to drive to, and as a result when they were on vacation to major cities they still did not make the trip to visit nearby parks.  When awareness was raised as to how close some parks are to major cities like Las Vegas, this all changed.  Zion is located about a 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas, and because it is so close many people vacationing in Las Vegas are now taking some time away from the city to visit the park.  Zion has become so popular that there is now discussion on how to reduce traffic and congestion at some of the main areas of the park, which is amazing considering that only a few years ago they were struggling to get people to drive out.  Of course, tours to Zion National Park have always existed from companies like ours, and we will always make your trip to national parks near Las Vegas as comfortable and memorable as possible. One of the main questions that gets asked about national park tours is how to dress when you are going.  When you are not from the area, you are unfamiliar with the weather patterns and therefor have almost no idea how to judge them.  As an example,

Winter is considered during the months of December until February.  These are the months that are colder in temperatures than the months that are considered "on season" when it is warm enough to not wear a jacket.  One thing that many people tend to not realize is that the temperatures that can be expected in national parks are not necessarily the same as compared to their home towns, especially if they are not from the southwestern United States.  For example, the current temperature in Albany New York is below zero at the beginning of 2018, and people who are from that area are used to January being bitter cold.  When they think about the winter months at the Grand Canyon, they are probably comparing it to their home state, when nothing can be further from the truth.  The current temperature in the Grand Canyon National Park at the beginning of 2018 is 65 degrees, and the low temperatures are around the 30s.  While this is a little warmer than is usual due to the weather patterns in the US being quite extreme this year, it is still far from the freezing temperatures that one might assume.  What is also interesting is that people from the east coast are sometimes very uncomfortable hiking in the Grand Canyon during the summer because temperatures can reach over 100 degrees.  This means that the people from the eastern portion of the US are actually far more comfortable visiting the Grand Canyon during the winter than the summer. Visiting southwestern national parks during the winter is a great idea, and not just from the standpoint of the weather being beautiful.  The tourism rates for national parks drops dramatically in the winter as opposed to spring and summer.  During the winter months, you can expect about

Visiting national parks located in the southwestern portion of the United States is always a good experience, as these areas all have very different landscapes as well as different species of animals and different variations of plants.  The differences in the landscapes are generally due to the very diverse climates that are seen at different national parks, these areas also being shaped by natural occurrences like water flow and wind.  When combined with the type of soil that is found in the area, you end up with landscapes that differ wildly from one another, and as a result the plants and animals that live in the vicinity adapt to the climate.  This produces national park areas that look completely different than one another, even though they are only separated by a few hundred miles.  This is the case with Zion Canyon National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, which are both located only a short drive from Las Vegas but are both quite different. If you have toured Zion and Bryce before, you probably left from Las Vegas and visited Zion first.  This is because Zion is located only 2.5 hours drive from Las Vegas, making it one of the most popular national parks to visit due to it's proximity to the popular tourist city.  Those wishing to only spend a single day in a park before returning home to Las Vegas will generally choose Zion because they can get there quickly and still have some of the day to explore before driving home.  Those considering a longer drive will generally opt for the Grand Canyon, due to the fact that it is more famous than the other national parks that are that distance drive.  If you have the time to spend a few days outside of the Las Vegas