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If the flashing neon lights of the Strip are tiring you out, then you might need to look into some day trips from Las Vegas.

While Sin City is known for its nightlife, casinos, and all-you-can-eat-buffets, what many people don’t know is it’s actually well placed to explore some of America’s most outstanding natural beauty.

Within just a 2 hour drive, you can find fun adventures in the great outdoors, from red rock canyons, pink wave rocks, aqua lakes and sweeping Colorado River views – you don’t have to travel far to escape the chaos of Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon, 30 mins from the Strip!

If you’re not sure where to go for a day from Las Vegas, then this guide is for you. Below are some of our favorite one day excursions from Las Vegas that offer a much needed respite from the city.

1. Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park

• Distance: 45.6 miles via I-15 N
• Time to get there: 45 minutes

Valley of Fire State Park is definitely one of the best day trips because it’s only a 45-minute drive away, making it one of the closest day trips from Las Vegas.

Valley of Fire State Park is, as you can probably guess by its name, a valley of fire. Not fire in a traditional sense, but in the colored rock formations you find here.

Valley of Fire State Park

You’ve got rainbow-colored landscapes, white domes kingdoms, and packs of bighorn sheep.

It’s easy to explore in a day and it has many of the hikes which are easily accessed from the road and doable at under 2 miles. Most of the hikes are flat and kid-friendly too.

Here are a few of the hikes at the Valley of Fire we enjoyed:

Mouse Tank Hike

Mouse Tank Hike, Valley of Fire

The Mouse Tank trail is a 1.1km, easy hike down a sandy track and past the petroglyphs into a box canyon.

It’s a pretty walk that leads you to a small pool of collected rainwater where the outlaws the trail is named after used to hide.

There are plenty of giant boulders for the kids to climb over and the rock faces are dotted with caves they can hide in.

Rainbow Vista

Rainbow Vista rock formations

I loved the Rainbow Vista hike so much! It was an easy 1.6km hike with virtually no elevation, so only look about 25 minutes to do.

It was such a pretty and colorful environment. We were surrounded by pink, orange, and red mountains.

It takes you through a wide field and eventually leads to a red rock canyon overlook. See if you can spot me in the photo?

Fire Wave Trail

Fire Wave Trail

The Fire Wave Trail is one of the most popular walks in the Valley of Fire State Rock, known for its wave rock and vibrant colors.

It’s probably one of the prettiest hikes in the United States, and only 2.1 km with 46 meters of elevation gain – easy!

Again, you’re in a world that has every color of the rainbow and various hues of it. Savannah and I had fun pointing out all the different colors.

Those colors!!

The trail follows a sandy path and then over criss-crossing sandstone to the main event – The Fire Wave. Here the sandstone forms a wave that is made up of pretty pink and white stripes.

White Dome Loop

White Dome Loop trail

The White Dome hike is a short loop descending down a rocky staircase to the desert floor and through a slot canyon and finishing with an expansive view of the desert.

It wraps around for 1.8 km and has only 54 meters of elevation gain, but you must hike through a narrow slot canyon and traverse the walls, so you will need some sturdy footwear!

Check out these tours of Valley of Fire State Park from Vegas

Video: watch us explore the Valley of Fire State Park

Check out the fun we had at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Valley of Fire State Park below. Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more inspiration!

2. Grand Canyon West, Arizona

West Grand Canyon, ARizona

• Distance: 125.4 miles via I-11 S and US-93 S
• Time to get there: 2 hours 5 minutes

Can you believe you can take a day trip to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas?

Yep! the Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, so if you’re dying to see it and only have a short time, then you can visit the West Rim – it’s not the most famous section, but it’s still beautiful!

This will be the longest day trip from Vegas that we recommend in this guide – it still takes just over 2 hours to drive there.

West Rim Grand Canyon

While I think the Grand Canyon is spectacular no matter where you visit, our West Rim experience was a little underwhelming because the glass floor Skywalk (which it’s famous for) and the Eagle Point where it is located, were closed.

Unlike the South Rim, there are no protective barriers at Grand Canyon West, and it can be quite scary and we had to keep a very close watch on our kids.

They did give us a small discount on the ticket as it wasn’t opened, but it meant could only visit Guano Point.

Guano Point, Grand Canyon West

Grand Canyon West is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park, it’s actually owned by the Native American, Hualapai Nation.

You do get beautiful views of the Colorado River at Grand Canyon West.

We highly recommend getting off at the third shuttle stop, which takes you to a small village, Hualapai Ranch, which is strangely set up like a Wild West cowboy town.

They have accommodation and horseback rides also.

Fun things for the kids to do at Hualapai Ranch

If you don’t have time to go to the South Rim, then Grand Canyon West is a great option.

We do not recommend you visit the South Rim Grand Canyon as a day trip from Las Vegas as it’s a 4 hour drive each way, unless you do a tour and you are ok with a very LONG day, or do a helicopter tour.

3. Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, Nevada

Red Rock Canyon Trail

• Distance: 31.3 miles via I-15 S and NV-160 W
• Time to get there: 35 minutes

Red Rock Canyon is a destination that blew my mind! It’s this random outcropping of bubbly rocks that change from pink to blood red, orange, yellow and white.

They are surrounded by the red and pink tinged White Mountains, and a valley of green desert brush.

It was looking lush when we visited, which is not Vegas typical. And what about this for an easy day trip from Vegas – it is only 30-minutes drive from the Strip!

Can you believe it? You can pop over for a couple of hours and be back in time for happy hour. Maybe make it a daily visit?

Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area

I was so disappointed we didn’t have more time to do more hiking. I especially would have loved hiking and rock scrambling among the Calico Hills.

We did a short hike from the Visitors Center to look at them.

Calico Hills, Red Rock Canyon – popular for rock climbers

We enjoyed the 13-mile one way loop scenic drive around the area, which has overlooks, picnic areas and loads of hikes.

We stopped off at the Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail which had me thinking I was in Yosemite.

The Riparian environment gave us pine trees, a spring and even a waterfall you could walk behind (it’s not there year round).

Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail

It was only a mile return and with its rocky path and hidden trail offshoots the kids will love it.

The Junior Ranger activity booklet and badge were awesome as well.

If you love rock climbing, this is the place to come. Calico Hills is the place for it. We’re saving that for our next trip to Vegas. We decided to go horse riding instead.

Red Rock Canyon would have cost us $20 for a day pass. We have an annual National Parks Pass, which gives unlimited access to federal lands. It costs $80 a year.

It’s absolutely worth it for a trip like ours and saves us hundreds of dollars.

Horse Riding Red Rock Canyon

Horse Riding Red Rock Canyon

Savannah wants to share her experience on our horse riding experience with Cowboy Trails just outside the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

It was a 90-minute ride through a dry river bed with stunning view of the Red Rocks and spring Mountains in front of us. The adventurous trail involved a few rocky hills through a narrow gorge.

The kids will love this Horse riding in Red Rock Canyon

I was perfectly paired with my horse, Traveler, who had a wonderful temperament.

He didn’t need much guidance at all and didn’t try any sneaky snacking. All the horses were so beautiful.

This is definitely one of the best things to do near Las Vegas with teens!

Check out these popular Red Rock Canyon tours from Vegas here.

You can also get tickets in advance for this 2 hour horseback ride with view of Red Rock Canyon through Viator here.

Video: Watch us explore Red Rock Canyon

Check out the fun we had at Red Rock Canyon in the following video.

4. Lake Mead National Recreational Area, Nevada

Our campsite on Lake Mead

• Distance: 16.4 miles via E Lake Mead BLVD
• Time to get there: 25 minutes

Lake Mead Recreational Area is a playground of striking landscapes and brilliant blue waters offering opportunity for hiking, biking, fishing and water playing.

It was created as a result of the Hoover Dam and adds a way better experience to your Las Vegas trip!

We spent nearly a week in the Lake Mead area camping. It was a stunning break from the city. It’s hard to believe something like this exists out in the desert.

From biking and hiking trails, ghost towns, water activities, scenic drives, cruises and the Hoover Doom, there is a lot to see.

You can read more ideas in our in-depth post on things to do in Lake Mead Recreational Area.

Hoover Dam is one of the most popular day trips from Vegas and many tours go out here. It’s an engineering marvel worth seeing and you get to stand across Arizona and Nevada.

I found the lake itself to be more impressive and we loved the Hoover Dam Tour we did that included a cruise on the lake.

Check out these views of Black Canyon seen from our boat. This is Vegas baby!

Lake Mead Cruise into Black Canyon

But the most spectacular thing we did at Lake Mead was the stunning Northshore Scenic Drive and one of our favorite places to visit near Las Vegas by car. It’s one of the USA’s most scenic drives.

Northshore Road Lake Mead

One of the most spectacular drives in the US and easily on par with Scenic Highway 12 in Utah. You could combine the Northshore scenic drive with Valley of Fire State Park.

It is on the way and is probably a 30-60 minute detour. Highly recommend!

Check out these popular Lake Mead tours from Vegas:

Video: Watch our adventures at Lake Mead

Check out the fun we had at Lake Mead in the following video.

5. Drive The Extraterrestrial Highway

Alien Research Center

• Distance: 156.2 miles via US-93 N and NV-37
• Drive time: 2 hours 20 minutes

We love a scenic drive, and we also love unusual attractions, so the The Extraterrestrial Highway is right up our alley!

This stretch of highway, also called Nevada State Route 375, is allegedly the most popular place to see UFO sightings. It also runs through the Tonopah Basin and near Area 51.

The highway runs from Crystal Springs to Warm Springs, and along the way there are various alien-related attractions, such as Alien Research Center at Crystal Springs and The Black Mailbox, a mail box with no owner which is said to be the mailbox for aliens – people come here to write letters and give gifts to the aliens.

You can also stay in some quirky accommodation for the night and make it a getaway, such as the Little A’le’Inn in Rachel, and The World Famous Clown Motel in Tonopah, the scariest motel in America – if that’s your jam!

You could easily drive in a loop and back towards Vegas via…

6. Death Valley National Park

The Bad

• Distance: 126 miles via US-95 N
• Drive time: 1 hour 50 minutes

An iconic day trip from Vegas is to the infamous Death Valley, one of the hottest and most unique landscapes in the world.

I recommend you plan for a fully day, and start early to beat the heat! Bring lots of water as the heat is no joke!

Head straight to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, and walk across the vast salt flats, then visit Dante’s View for panoramic views of the valley below.

Escape the midday heat by taking a scenic drive through the colorful Artist’s Palette, where the mountains display vibrant hues of red, green, and purple.

If time permits, it’s worth stopping by the mesmerizing Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes for some stunning desert photos.

7. Lake Mohave

• Distance: 99.8 miles via I-11 S and US-93 S
• Drive time: 1 hour 45 minutes

If you’ve already been to Lake Mead and enjoyed the lake experience, then Lake Mohave is another perfect lake to escape into nature.

Lake Mohave is a popular place for boating, fishing, and swimming, and is known for it’s warm waters which can reach 80 degrees in the summertime.

It’s also a popular spot for water sports such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, jetskiing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and more.

It’s surrounded by the rugged beauty of desert landscapes and has a more laid-back feel than Lake Mead.

8. Willow Beach

• Distance: 54.9 miles via I-11 S
• Drive time: 1 hour

Another popular spot to get out on the water is Willow Beach, which is strategically placed between Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, which are both in the Lake Mead Recreational Area.

Willow Beach Marina is a popular place to launch boats into the Colorado River and sail through the Black Canyon.

You can also launch kayaks from here, which you can rent from the marina.

I wouldn’t say it’s the best swimming spot, because the beach is kind of small and rocky, but its a great place to kayak or fish.

Keep an eye out for Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles who like to fly overhead here.

9. Seven Magic Mountains

• Distance: 26.3 miles
• Drive time: 30 minutes

Located in the Mojave National Preserve, a desert wilderness encompassing 1.6 million acres, the Seven Magic Mountains stand as a bright contrast against the desolate backdrop.

This art installation by renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, is the largest desert art piece in the world.

It features seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders, which sit on top of each other and reach heights of 30+ feet.

It doesn’t cost anything to see it, and it’s only a 30 minute drive out of the city. It might even be a half day trip!

The best time to view it is at sunset when the colors are muted in the faded sun.

Day Trip Tours From Vegas

Final Thoughts

So there you have it, those are our top day trips from Sin City.

Many people suggest taking Vegas day trips out to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, but we do not recommend doing that.

It’s a long drive there (4 hrs to Bryce and 3 hours to Zion each way) and these US national parks are so sensational, you will want to dedicate more than just a day!

We hope this guide helped you plan some day trips and gave you some inspiration for things to do!

More Vegas Travel Tips

Need more inspo for your trip to Vegas? Here are some other helpful guides…

More Places Near Vegas to Visit

Check out these other things to do outside of Las Vegas.

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