Unlock the Secret to the Perfect Day Trip from Las Vegas – 100% Success Rate!

If you want to experience Las Vegas without gambling, here are some ideas for the best day trips. Some are very popular, some of more off the beaten track. When we were staying in Las Vegas (for free thanks to Hilton Honor Points), I quickly became tired and overwhelmed. Soon, I was ready for an escape from the Vegas strip so we researched good day trips.

Bellagio fountains spouting arches of water, Eiffeltower, the high roller, all at night and lit up. Time to escape Las Vegas and find other things to do.
The Las Vegas Strip can be overwhelming

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Intro Best Daytrips From Las Vegas

We have taken all these trips, so we offer first hand and curated experiences. All these trips would work for families. The times indicate how long it would take to travel to that specific attraction from Las Vegas. It is the one way distance, calculated by Google Maps so check current travel conditions when you go.

Showgirl bar sign with show girl with Arabian looking architecture in the back ground and a reflection lake on the right. Las Vegas can be overwhelming at time, find the best day trips to take a break from the sensory overload.

1. Red Rock Canyon (40 minutes)

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name…

Being close to Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located in the Mojave desert and a scenic area to visit and enjoy. In addition to large red rock formations, you will discover a set of sandstone peaks and walls called the Keystone Thrust. It is a popular day trip from Las Vegas with a one-way 13 miles long scenic road and also a popular hiking and rock climbing trails.

Red Rock Canyon is one of the best day trips from Las Vegas
Red Rock Canyon

Because this is one of the best day trips from Las Vegas, sometimes the loop road reaches maximum capacity. When that happens, access to the loop will close for part of the day. Therefore, make sure to check out the Red Rock Canyon Facebook page for closures before you head out.

Drive around the Scenic Loop

Easy looping drive with access to several side roads and parking areas to reach the area trails. Before you start, make sure to check out the visitor center which is at the start of the loop road. Here you can find lots of information about Red Rock Canyon and the desert.

One of the stops on the loop road Rocks, trees, garbage cans and information about the desert.

Take a Hike

While Red Rock Canyon has many hiking trails, not all of them are easy. When hiking, stay on established trails and watch your footing at all times. Easy ones to try are the Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail (.7 miles round trip), the Fire Ecology Trail (1.1 miles round trip) and the Red Rock Overlook (0.25 miles round trip and wheel chair accessible)

Rocks and grass in the desert of Red Rock Canyon
There is water in the desert

Or Climb some Rocks

When we visited, we found out that this is one of the finest rock climbing areas in the world. Over time, climbing has become increasingly popular in Red Rock Canyon. Not only for advanced climbers but also for beginning ones. If you would like more info, please go to the rock climbing section on the BLM Red Rock Canyon Climbing Link.

Spiky plant in front of a wall of red rocks.

I want to ride my bicycle…

If you are looking for a place to ride your bike, the loop road is popular. After a moderate climb it is mostly downhill or flat. In case you prefer mountain biking, go check out the mountain biking link on the BLM Red Rock Canyon website. You also can find the road biking information there.

Accessibility (ADA)

This is taken from the Bureau of Land Management Red Rocks web site.

Visitor Center – LEED certified center features indoor exhibits and lectures, a gift shop and innovative outdoor exhibits with four themed elements: earth, wind, fire and water. An accessible trail is available at this location.
Willow Springs Picnic Area – picturesque area on the 13-mile Scenic Drive that features rock art, restrooms and picnic area  An accessible trail is available at this location.
Red Rock Overlook – located along State Route 159, the overlook features stunning views of Red Rock, restrooms and picnic area.  An accessible trail is available at this location.
Red Spring – located east of the 13-mile Scenic Drive off of State Route 159, this area features boardwalk, year-round spring, restrooms and picnic area. An accessible trail available at this location.

2. The Hoover Dam (50 minutes)

When I visited Las Vegas for the first time, I knew I wanted to check out the Hoover Dam. Until I saw it in real life, I had not imagined just how “dam” huge it was. Between 1931 and 1936, they constructed this dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. It is located on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. The Hoover Dam provides water and power to Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Drove my Chevy to the levee…

The Hoover Dam. A great day trip from Las Vegas
The Hoover Dam

In 1985, the dam was designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1994, they declared it one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.

Walk or Drive across the Dam

Walking across the dam is a good way to really appreciate the sheer size of the structure. If you are afraid of heights, you might want to skip this experience.

Bridge over the ravine, view from the Hoover Dam.

Explore the Visitor Center

Don’t misss the Visitor Center exhibits and observation deck along with the 1940s era Original Exhibit Building topographical map presentation. We learned so many interesting facts about the Hoover Dam. Please be aware that you have to go through a security check before you can enter. When we visited, they confiscated my nail cutter and Tom had to go back to the car to store his Swiss army knife.

Exhibit gallery at the Hoover Dam, showing a picture of two builders on a scary looking hanging platform.

Dam Tours

  • Dam Tour. (Must be 8 years of age or older. This tour is not wheel chair accessible.) – Includes 10-minute movie on the history of Hoover Dam, a 1-hour guided tour to a platform, overlooking a 30-foot diameter penstock pipe, the Nevada Wing of the Powerplant, and a stop in an original inspection tunnel inside the dam.
  • Powerplant Tour. Includes 10-minute movie on Hoover Dam history, 30-minute guided tour to a viewing platform overlooking a 30-foot diameter penstock pipe and the Nevada wing of the Powerplant.
Tom overlooking the interior of the power plant during our Hoover Dam tour.
Inside the Power Plant of the Hoover Dam

Accessibility (Which tours are wheelchair compatible?)

The Powerplant tour, Visitor Center, and Original Exhibit building are accessible for visitors with wheelchairs, scooters, or other mobility devices.


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2+ : Bonus – Lake Mead (25 minutes from the Hoover Dam)

Because lake Mead is not far from the Hoover Dam, we recommend combining these on one day. There is such a contrast between the human engineering of the Hoover Dam and the natural peace of Lake Mead.

Sitting on the dock of the bay…

Lake Mead advertises as America’s most diverse national recreation area. With striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters, this year-round playground spreads across 1.5 million acres of mountains, canyons, valleys and two vast lakes. See the Hoover Dam from the waters of Lake Mead or Lake Mohave, or find solitude in one of the park’s nine wilderness areas.

Looking out over Lake Mead marina with mountains in the background.
One of the best day trips from Las Vegas if you like water recreation
Lake Mead

3. The Valley of Fire (1 hour)

The Rainbow Vista in The Valley of Fire. Extensive view over the desert with many different colored rocks and desert vegetation.

Come on, baby, light my fire…

Valley of Fire State Park contains red sandstone formations (Aztec sandstone), ancient, petrified trees and petroglyphs dating back more than 2,000 years. A Visitor Center provides exhibits on the geology, ecology, prehistory and history of the park and nearby region. In 1968, the National Park Service designated the Valley of Fire as a National Natural Landmark.

Watch Birds and Learn about the Valley at the Visitor Center

Inside the visitor center, you can find an exhibition about the geology and wildlife of the Valley of Fire. They also can provide you with maps and information on hiking trails, so make sure to stop by. Behind the visitor center is a nice picnic area with feeders, so you can do some bird watching while you are at it. In addition there is an easy hike through the backyard of the visitor center.

Three california quails on red rocks and a sparrow on the right. Desert vegetation on the left. All the quails have a cute little tuft on their heads.
California quails behind the visitor center

Take a hike

Before you go on your hike, do pick up a map of the hiking trails at the visitor center. If you want a preview, check out this good overview of the best hikes at 6 Top-Rated Hiking Trails in The Valley of Fire. For easy hikes, I recommend the Elephant Rock Trail (1/8 of a mile) and (Mouse’s Tank Hike (3/4 of a mile and you can see many petroglyphs)

Red rocks and desert vegetation in the Valley of Fire

Accessibility (Visitor Center and Viewing Areas)

As far as I know, there are no wheel chair accessible hikes in the park. In addition, the park is in full sun all day and most trails are in soft sand. If that would be a problem for you, limit yourself to the visitor center and the viewing points close to parking areas.


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4. Closest to Las Vegas: Day Trip to Henderson Bird Watching Preserve (25 minutes)

Pond in the desert, with tree in foreground and mountains in the back ground. For me this was one of the best day trips when we visited Las Vegas
Water in the desert at Henderson Bird Watching preserve

Did you know there is water in the desert, really close to Las Vegas? For more than 20 years, local birders and nature lovers have visited the evaporating ponds at the city’s Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Go and check it out! When the city of Henderson developed these ponds, they had no expectation that they would attract birds, but they sure did.

A Twitchers’ Paradise!

American avocet, a long legged wading bird. You can see these and other water birds on an easy day trip from Las Vegas.
American avocet

Because this preserve is so close by the strip and it has birds, this is one of my favorite day trips from Las Vegas. Every time we are in Las Vegas, we manage to get out there. I always tell people “I went to Las Vegas to go birding.” Yeah, I know I am a bird nerd.

Like a Bird on The Wire…

OK, the birds might not actually be on the wire, but they are everywhere else. Every pond is filled with fabulous flocks of birds! Hundreds, maybe even thousands of birds. Enjoying this oasis in the desert, many migrating and native birds do flock here with great enhusiasm. In addition, there are mammals and reptiles to meet and admire. The front desk will give you a check list of birds when you ask.

Northern shovelers, three swimming, four flying in front of bushes. Such a wonderful birding day trip from Las Vegas.
Northern Shovelers

Each time we have visited, we have seen new-to-us birds and enjoyed meeting old “friends”. In this reserve, I got my first view of a Northern shoveler, observed a humming bird nest and was entertained by the funny looking plume on the California Quail’s head.

If you are a serious birder, check out (and contribute to) the ebird check list of this preserve. This list will give you a good overview of which birds to expect during your visit.

Pond with islands and many water birds. Desert landscape in the desert.

Admission to the Henderson preserve is free after you register at the front desk. When you visit, don’t hesitate to ask questions, because the people there are very knowledgeable. If you don’t have your own with you, you can borrow binoculars at the front desk for an even better view of the many spectacular birds. In addition, they have water for sale. Be sure not to miss the birding exposition in the visitor center.

Due to the excessive desert heat, we would recommend visiting in the morning. Most days the preserve closes at 2pm, but in contrast, most of the year it opens at 6am.

Accessibility (Very Good)

Because the paths are easy and flat, I had no problem walking there using my poles to decrease fatigue. There are quite a lot of helpful benches available to sit down and enjoy the views. Be aware that it can be hot, so bring water (or buy it at the entrance), wear a hat and use your sun screen. There are bath rooms available in the visitor center.

A bunny in front of dry bushes. There are not only play boy bunnies in Las Vegas :) This bunny is an easy drive from The Strip
a Dessert Bunny

There are nine ponds available for birding, surrounded by both paved and soft surfaces. The paved path is approximately 3/4 of a mile long and is accessible by wheelchair.

Conclusion on Day Trips from Las Vegas

When you are vacationing in Las Vegas, there is no reason to stay stuck at the Strip and limit your activities to gambling. Though I only gave you a few of the best day trips, there are many other opportunities around Vegas to go sight see, hike, bird, rock climb or explore Nevada’s rich history. Have you been to Vegas? What are your favorite things to do there? Did you get away from The Strip? Can you recommend any other day trips?

Mountains and a turkey vulture at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, just 25 minutes away from the Vegas Strip. No problem to find things to do if you want to experience Vegas without gambling
Turkey Vulture


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Comments

8 responses to “Unlock the Secret to the Perfect Day Trip from Las Vegas – 100% Success Rate!”

  1. These are wonderful ideas! Whenever I think of Vegas, my mind automatically goes to the usual images. These are a refreshing change of pace, and I love the idea of seeing the Hoover Dam and so many gorgeous stops along the way. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Very welcome. I hope you do get to visit the Hoover Dam, it is just soooooooooooo huge. And of course all the natural beauty of the state parks is worth a visit also!

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

  2. So I have to admit that Las Vegas has never interested me… however I never knew there was so much natural beauty near by! Wow! … Maybe I will have to put it on the list after all!

    Thanks for sharing this post to bust those myths, you’ve definitely opened my eyes!

    1. I was just like you, who would want to go to a gambling city?? Until I started googling and researching and I was amazed at all the natural wonders “right next door” to the strip. Vegas often has cheap hotel rooms (the casinos want you to stay at their hotel so you will gamble there) and that makes it an excellent base for exploring.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

  3. Great suggestions! I’d be pretty stuck for ideas of what to do in Vegas aside from the obvious. I love the look of Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon, it looks absolutely stunning x

    Sophie
    http://www.glowsteady.co.uk

    1. Thank you! I like a little bit of Las Vegas because it is sooooooooo over the top and the hotels are cheap (the casinos hope you will spend your money gambling 🙂 but I couldn’t stand it for long. That’s why we figured out what would be good day trips and there are so many, I will happily go back to Vegas.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

  4. passportpitstops Avatar
    passportpitstops

    I have yet to visit Vegas but I know like you I would get fed up after a day or two with the hussle and bussle. These seam like some great places to go to get away from that and enjoy some nature. Will keep them in mind. Thank you!

  5. […] And of course, going to Vegas doesn’t mean you do have to gamble, there are many awesome day trips from Las Vegas. […]