National Parks near Las Vegas

There are quite a few National Parks near Las Vegas! You can take a day trip or multi-day adventure to great hiking and camping parks. There are so many National Parks within a day’s drive that we had to consolidate the list to those within 350 miles of Las Vegas. Though we did throw in a bonus at the end. 

National Parks near Las Vegas

All of these parks can be reached within a day’s drive of Las Vegas. The parks are list by the mileage from closest to farthest away. 

The parks offer a great opportunity to get away from the razzle-dazzle of Las Vegas and get out in nature. 

While Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located just a few miles west of Las Vegas this park is not a National Park Site. 

Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument

Location – 19 miles outside of Las Vegas 

Tule Springs Fossil Bed NM is located on the outskirts of Las Vegas. This park is a park in progress. 

Fossils found in this area have spanned a range from about 250,000 to 3,000 years ago and encompass two major ice ages.

There is little to no shade while hiking so please come prepared with a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and an abundance of water!

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Location – 26 miles outside of Las Vegas

Lake Mead NRA is a boaters paradise. Lake Mead offers camping, water sports, and bike trails. But the climate is hot, and rarely gets any rain.

You can view the Hoover Dam from the waters of Lake Mead. 

Mojave National Preserve

Location – 58 miles outside of Las Vegas

Mojave National Preserve is south of Las Vegas and offers the opportunity to see one of the largest Joshua Tree forests in the world and experience the Mojave Desert. 

Visitors can hike up the Kelso Sand Dunes, learn about railroad history at the Kelso Depot, and drive on 4×4 roads. 

Castle Mountain National Monument

Location – 79 miles outside of Las Vegas 

Castle Mountains NM protects an amazing array of bio-diversity. This park is connected to Mojave National Preserve. The park is undeveloped and does not have a visitor center. 

Visitors can enjoy exploring dirt roads, backcountry camping, and hiking. 

Death Valley National Park

Location – 142 miles from Las Vegas

Death Valley National Park is an easy drive from Las Vegas. Visitors can visit Badwater Basin which is located 280 feet below sea level. The lowest spot in the United States and North America. 

The park offers hiking, camping, historic hotels, wildlife viewing, and the chance to experience incredibly hot temperatures in the summer.

 

Zion National Park

Location – 161 miles north of Las Vegas

Zion National Park is located north of Las Vegas in Utah. The park is a hiker’s paradise. From short easy hikes to the world-renowned Angels Landing and Zion Narrows Hike.

Visitors can explore the Zion Canyon via the free shuttle that stops multiple times along the canyon. The Kolob Canyon section of the park is quieter and less visited. 

Cedar Breaks National Monument

Location – 172 miles north in Utah

Cedar Breaks NM is open during the late spring through Fall. The park gets a ton of snow in the winter.

Visitors can enjoy amazing fall leaves during the fall. 

Pipe Springs National Monument

Location – 179 miles from Las Vegas in Northern Arizona.

Pipe Springs National Monument shares the story of the Anasazi Ancestral Puebloan people, Kaibab Paiute Indians, and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Mormon Pioneers. 

 

Joshua Tree National Park

Location – 198 miles from Las Vegas near Palm Springs, California

Joshua Tree National Park is world-famous for Joshua Trees, epic sunsets, and beautiful landscapes. This is a must-visit park for anyone who loves gorgeous scenery. 

 

Manzanar National Historic Site

Location – 242 miles from Las Vegas near Mammoth Lakes, California. 

Located in Central California Manzanar National Historic Site protects and provides information on what happened from 1942 to 1945. 

This park is so worth visiting and learning about what happened to the Japanese-American community at the best known of the ten relocation centers during World War II. 

Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

Location – 256 miles from Las Vegas north of Los Angeles in Keene, California.

The Cesar Chavez National Monument was created in 2012 by President Barack Obama. The monument was created to the history of the United States made by César Chávez and the farmworker movement.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Location – 263 miles from Las Vegas in Utah

Bryce Canyon NP is an easy drive from Las Vegas. The park offers the opportunity to gaze out at the world-famous Hoodoos! 

The park offers hiking, camping, and a stay at the historic Bryce Canyon Lodge.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Location – 272 miles from Las Vegas

Glen Canyon NRA encompasses over 1.25 million acres of natural area. 

Grand Canyon National Park

Location – 280 miles from Las Vegas

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is a little over a four-hour drive from Las Vegas. The park offers the opportunity to look out over the expansive canyon and see glimpses of the Colorado River.

The Grand Canyon can also be seen via helicopter tours from Las Vegas. 

Great Basin National Park

Location – 296 miles north of Las Vegas

Great Basin NP is located in Eastern Nevada. This national park is a high elevation park that is unexpected in Nevada.

The park is remote and includes a glacier, Wheeler Peak, Lehman Caves, and Bristlecone Pines.  Visitors can tour the caves, enjoying hiking, and camping. 

 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Location – 297 miles from Las Vegas, Located north of Los Angeles.

Santa Monica Mountains NRA is a combination of national park property, state parks, federal and local lands. Fees depend on whether you are in the National Park or a state park.

The park offers over 450 miles of hiking trails.

A couple of years ago the park experienced major wildfires. It is worth checking to see which parts of the park have recovered and are open for recreating. 

 

Capitol Reef National Park

Location – 336 miles from Las Vegas in Utah

Capitol Reef NP is packed with opportunities to explore dirt roads, amazing geologic features, enjoy pies from the Fruita ranch and be far away from major cities. 

Visitors will think that you are on another planet when you arrive at the Bentonite Hills, an area along the 57.6-mile Cathedral Valley drive at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.

Devils Postpile National Monument

Location – 321 miles from Las Vegas

Devils Postpile National Monument protects one of the world’s best examples of Columnar Basalt. 

The park offers hiking, guided tours, biking, and outdoor recreation. 

Channel Islands National Park

Location – 332 miles from Las Vegas, off the coast of Ventura, California.

Channel Islands NP is located off the coast of California. The Channel Islands can be reached via a guided tour with Island Packers. They offer multiple types of tours including shuttling campers to the Channel Islands for camping. 

 

Cabrillo National Monument

Location – 338 miles away near San Diego

Cabrillo National Monument is located near San Diego, California. The park has a gorgeous visitor center that looks out over San Diego Bay.

During January and February, visitors can watch for whales. Also during the winter, the park has great low tides offering the opportunity for visitors to go tide pooling.

Bonus parks

Arches National Park 

Canyonlands National Park

We are listing Arches NP and Canyonlands NP as bonus parks. LOL! We know that they are more than 470+ miles from Las Vegas but we also know a lot of people drive the big Utah 5 loop and want to make sure you have the info. 

We hope you enjoy these National Parks near Las Vegas! If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas heading to a park is a great way to get outside and enjoy nature.