Zion Canyon National Park is located only 163 miles from Las Vegas, and is roughly a 2.5 hour drive from the pickup point to the park itself in Springdale Utah. Zion has become one of the most popular national park destinations in the United States over the past few years, even though there was a time a few years ago when tourism levels at most national parks were low, and there was a discussion in the government about the funding for maintenance of the parks was not justified by the amounts of people who visit them. This discussion is still going on with regards to many national parks, but Zion itself is seeing record levels of visitors, even though it had no specialized marketing campaign of it’s own and was simply a part of a larger campaign called “Find Your Park” which was designed to increase tourism at all southwestern parks. So why did Zion benefit from the campaign so much more than it’s sister parks? Probably because of it’s close proximity to Las Vegas, and the ability for Las Vegas to host visitors on it’s own.
The closest national park to Zion is Bryce Canyon, which is situated 80 miles from it. This puts Bryce at almost exactly the halfway point between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, which would be the other logical choice for a lace to begin the tour. These are the closest major cities to these parks that can accept commercial airline traffic, so unless you live within a drivable distance to either park there is a good chance you are going to have to fly into one of the starting cities in order to begin your tour. The distance from Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon is about 4 hours drive, so no matter how you look at it the closest major city to a national park in the American southwest is Las Vegas to Zion. This is probably why the park has become so popular, and why so many people use Las Vegas as the starting city for Zion tours.
Zion itself is considered the finest national park in Utah, and presents dramatic landscapes in the form of huge canyon walls and sandstone cliffs. Hiking in Zion is fantastic, and includes what many avid hikers consider the best half-day hike in America, Angel’s Landing. You will also be able to hike to the Emerald Pools and even do a river hike through the narrows. You can choose your level of hiking that is appropriate by combining these hikes. Because we feel that adventure should include more exploration time and less driving time, we offer an overnight tour of Zion that also includes Bryce Canyon on the next day. Bryce and Zion are very different parks, and it would be a shame to not experience Bryce when you have come all the way to Zion.
Las Vegas itself is a tourist destination, which may be the reason that Zion has become so popular. You can use Las Vegas as the starting point of your tour and take advantage of cheaper flights from your home state, as well as hotels and restaurants that will cater to any budget. Tours of Zion logically start here, and you can leave a few extra days in there to explore and enjoy Las Vegas as well! See you soon!