Top 8 Day Trips from Las Vegas with iBestTravel
Go beyond the crowds and bright lights of Las Vegas to experience the vastness of Nevada’s dynamic landscapes. For those who enjoy wild and lonely places, driving the scenic and remote back roads is essential. Consequently, hop in the car to experience the best of the region on a memorable day trip from Las Vegas.
1. Grand Canyon
No matter how much you read about the Grand Canyon or how many photographs you’ve seen, nothing truly prepares you for the sight of it. One of the world’s seven natural wonders, it’s so startlingly familiar and iconic that you can’t take your eyes off it. The canyon’s immensity, the sheer intensity of light and shadow at sunrise or sunset, and its ancient age demand superlatives. Therefore, consider staying several days at the canyon instead of trying to go there and back in a single day.
Getting to the Grand Canyon: It’s over a four-hour drive to the canyon, so if you can really only spend a day, you’ll need an early start.
2. Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock’s dramatic vistas are revered by Las Vegas locals and adored by visitors from around the world. Formed by extreme tectonic forces, it is believed that the canyon, with its 3,000-ft red rock escarpment rising sharply from the valley floor, was formed around 65 million years ago.
A 13-mile, one-way scenic loop drive offers mesmerizing views of the canyon’s most striking features. Hiking trails and rock-climbing routes radiate from roadside parking areas.
Getting to Red Rock Canyon: The canyon is about 13 miles from the central Strip, which is less than a 20-minute drive.
3. Valley of Fire State Park
Dedicated in 1935, Valley of Fire State Park has been Nevada’s first designated state park. Its psychedelic landscape has been carved by wind and water over thousands of years. Begin your adventures at the visitor center, to discover how to tackle this masterpiece of Southwest desert scenery, which encompasses 40,000 acres of red Aztec sandstone, petrified trees, and ancient Native American petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock.
Must-see spots within the valley include White Domes, Rainbow Vista, Fire Canyon, and Silica Dome, each as magnificent as it sounds. Hydration is key when you explore; don’t undertake any hike without plenty of water.
Getting to Valley of Fire State Park: It’s about 50 miles from Downtown Las Vegas to the Valley of Fire State Park visitor center, with a drive time of under one hour.
4. Lake Mead
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a popular boating, swimming, and weekend camping destination for local residents and tourists alike, often combined with a visit to nearby Hoover Dam. This protected area of the Mojave Desert features Lake Mead, extending 110 miles toward the Grand Canyon, as well as the 67-mile-long Lake Mohave, which runs along the Arizona-Nevada border.
While most visitors come to Lake Mead for the water, there are also a number of hiking trails. For instance, at Grapevine Canyon near Lake Mohave, a quarter-mile hike leads you to a petroglyph panel.
Getting to Lake Mead: The most visited northern section of Lake Mead is less than an hour’s drive from Las Vegas.
5. Hoover Dam
Day-trippers often visit Hoover Dam alongside a trip to Lake Mead. Constructed during the height of the Great Depression, the dam presented harsh working conditions that shaped the lives of thousands who migrated here. This iconic structuring, completed in 1936, redefines the stark landscape, and tours of the dam begin at the Hoover Dam Parking Garage & Visitor Center.
Getting to Hoover Dam: It’s about a 50-minute drive from central Las Vegas.
6. Spring Mountains
To the west of Las Vegas, the limestone cliffs and alpine-forested peaks of the lofty Spring Mountains rise prominently above the Mojave Desert. The modern, state-of-the-art interpretive center features educational exhibits and artworks, making it an ideal first stop for explorations into the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
Getting to Spring Mountains: The drive from Las Vegas takes about one hour and twenty minutes.
7. Death Valley
The name evoke all that is harsh and forbidding, but closer inspection reveals that nature is putting on a spectacular show in Death Valley. Visitors can enjoy an array of landscapes, including singing sand dunes, water-sculpted canyons, extinct volcanic craters, and palm-shaded oases. Starting at Dante’s View allows a breathtaking perspective of the highest and lowest points in the contiguous USA.
Getting to Death Valley: It’s just over a two-hour drive to reach Death Valley from Las Vegas.
8. Zion National Park
Prepare yourself for an overdose of spectacular scenery at Zion Canyon, one of Utah’s most dramatic natural wonders. The soaring red-and-white cliffs rise majestically over the Virgin River. Hiking through the Narrows or gazing down from Angels Landing is truly breathtaking. However, the park also features quiet beauties such as weeping rocks, tiny grottoes, and flowering meadows.
Getting to Zion National Park: It’s approximately a two-and-a-half hour drive from Las Vegas. Arrive early to avoid traffic jams and increase your chances of securing a parking spot.
This article was first published on Dec 17, 2020, and updated on Oct 8, 2021.
