If you have ever planned a trip to Las Vegas, you probably realize that coming to the city during the summertime is quite different than coming during the winter. Basically, the summertime will have a few months where it becomes difficult to stay outside for long periods t a time, due to the fact that it is just too hot. If you are coming to the city between mid-June and September, you can assume that you will be spending the majority of your time inside in the air conditioning, or maybe a few hours at a pool in order to cool off. During these months, it would be quite difficult to plan hiking trips at Red Rock Canyon, and even more difficult to hike at places like Death Valley. During the hottest months, most adventure travel companies like ours convert the Death Valley trips into “sightseeing” excursions due to the fact that it is just too hot to spend time outdoors, and instead we spend the majority of time in the air conditioned van. These extreme temperatures are not necessarily the case at all areas in the southwest, however, and you will probably find a different scenario at the par that you want to visit.
The most popular national park in the general vicinity of Las Vegas is Zion, and due to the fact that it is only 2.5 hours drive away from the city we will offer private day trips to the area, or also visit it as part of larger trips that visit several parks. Because of the close proximity to Las Vegas, many people will mistakenly think that the weather in Zion is the same as Las Vegas, which is completely untrue. Instead, we will generally find the temperatures in Zion to be about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the city, due in part to the topography differences that do not trap heat. This will mean that when it is 100 degrees in Las Vegas it will be about 80 degrees in Zion, which is literally perfect weather for hiking and spending the day. At this exact same time, you are going to find that Bryce is probably a few degrees cooler still, while the Grand Canyon will actually be closer to the temperature in Las Vegas. The types of activities that you do in each park are gong to be dictated by the weather and how long you can stay outside comfortably, and if you are camping overnight you are going to potentially have to bring a sweatshirt or sweater in order to be warm. These types of areas are not the same as cities, which trap heat overnight from the day, and instead are allowed to have the heat escape upwards thus cooling down significantly when the sun is not shining. The most important thing to keep in mind is to prepare for both hot and cool temperatures when you are going into unfamiliar areas. If you wear layers you can be comfortable in both warm and cold.