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There is a reason that Zion Canyon is one of the most popular national parks in the United States, and although you might be quick to first think that the reason is the absolutely stunning landscapes or the perfect hiking weather, it actually might surprise you.  At least one of the major factors contributing to the fact that Zion Canyon has grown more popular than almost all of the other parks in the southwestern United States has more to do with it's proximity to Las Vegas than you would expect.  Most national parks are quite remote and secluded, due to the federal restrictions on developing in or around the protected spaces as well as the fact that the unspoiled beauty of the area probably has a lot to do with them being remote and therefore slightly inaccessible.  The National Parks Department uses federal funding to create a balance between an area being unspoiled by development and human interaction and it being able to be visited and enjoyed comfortably.  Zion itself is located only 2.5 hours drive from Las Vegas, which positions it at about half the typical drive from a major city of other parks in the region.  Usually, you are going to have to drive almost 4 hours to reach a park from a major city, and the choices of city to start from are severely limited by the amount of commercial air traffic that goes in and out of them, as well as the hotel and restaurant choices available.  The reality of the situation is that if you do not live in the southwestern portion of the United States, then you're going to have to fly into either Las Vegas or Salt Lake City to begin your trip, and Las Vegas just makes more sense because it has

Antelope Canyon is one of the most interesting and intriguing places to visit in the American southwest, and possibly even on the earth.  It is located in Page, Arizona and is about a 4.5 hour drive from Las Vegas.  When it comes to visiting Antelope Canyon, it is far better to book a tour as part of a larger tour package, due to the unique characteristics of Antelope Canyon that could potentially close it for visitation on the day you arrive. Antelope Canyon is not a national park that is controlled by the federal government, and instead is located on Navajo land and is maintained by Navajo Nation, along with Monument Valley.  The unique aspects of Antelope Canyon is that it is a dramatic slot canyon that was carved from sandstone ground by rushing water taking the same path for thousands of years.  There is no river in Antelope Canyon like is seen in the Grand Canyon, so the rushing water that smoothed the walls and created the channel is actually only seen when there is rain and flash flooding in the area.  Antelope Canyon itself is considered quite dangerous during these timeframes, as visitors who are within the canyon itself cannot effectively see the entire sky above, and potentially could not see inclement weather developing in the distance that could cause flash flooding within the canyon itself.  For this reason, Navajo Nation imposes several specific rules on visitors, first and foremost that there are no self-guided tours.  The only way to visit Antelope Canyon is with a tour guide that has been approved by Navajo Nation as understanding the safety rules and abiding by them.  Navajo Nation actually operates it's own weather service to monitor flash flooding in the areas, and potentially to advise closures of the tourist activities