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18 Must-Do Day Trips from Las Vegas
Red rock, slot canyons, ghost towns, and national parks, all within an easy drive of the valley. Drive times and honest tips from someone who has done every one of these.
One of my favorite things about this city is how much sits just outside it. In an hour or two you can trade the Strip for towering red sandstone, a slot canyon that glows, a mining town where wild burros wander the street, or the rim of the Grand Canyon.
Whenever friends visit, this is the list I hand them. Below are my 18 favorites, sorted by how far you actually have to drive, each with a tip I learned by doing it. Where I have written a full guide to one of these, I have linked it so you can dig in before you go.
Two habits that have saved me every time. Fill your water bottle before you leave, and keep a jacket in the car for the high-elevation stops. Then check the official park or venue site, because hours, fees, and reservation rules shift with the seasons.
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Under an Hour From the Strip
Leave after breakfast, be home for dinner, no planning required.
Seven Magic Mountains
Seven towers of brightly painted boulders stacked up to 35 feet tall, popping against the beige desert. Ugo Rondinone’s installation is free, quick, and the most photographed thing near town. I break down parking, timing, and how long you actually need in my full guide to Seven Magic Mountains.
Tip: Go at sunrise or sunset for the best light and the smallest crowds. There is no admission and no reservation, but check the official site before a long detour since the installation is temporary.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
My closest escape, and still the one that makes visitors gasp. The 13 mile scenic loop winds past red and tan sandstone cliffs, with trailheads, rock climbing, and desert bighorn along the way. Start with the best Red Rock Canyon hiking trails, check how far Red Rock is from the Strip, or see it from the saddle on a Las Vegas horseback ride.
Tip: From roughly October through May the scenic loop requires a timed entry reservation booked in advance on the official site. Grab yours before you drive out, and there is still an entrance fee at the gate.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
The largest reservoir in the country by capacity sits right on our doorstep, blue water framed by desert mountains. It is the go to for boating, paddleboarding, swimming, and shoreline picnics, and the scenic drives along the water are lovely in the cooler months. I have a longer list of things to do around Lake Mead if you want to build a full day.
Tip: There is an entrance fee, so bring a card or your park pass, and check the NPS site for current lake levels and which launch ramps are open before you tow a boat down.
Hoover Dam
One of the great engineering feats of the 20th century, and close enough that you can be standing on it before your coffee gets cold. Walk across for free, take in Lake Mead and the Colorado River, or book a guided tour inside the dam. The Mike O’Callaghan and Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge nearby gives you the overlook everyone photographs. My guide to Hoover Dam tours, parking, and history covers the details.
Tip: Summer sun on that concrete is intense. Go early, bring water and a hat, and check the official Bureau of Reclamation site for current tour times and tickets.
Mount Charleston
When the valley bakes, this is where locals go. It runs 20 to 30 degrees cooler up in the pines. Shaded hiking in summer, then snow, sledding, and skiing at Lee Canyon in winter. It genuinely feels like a different state. See what to know before you go to Mount Charleston, and if you are here in autumn, the aspens make my list of things to do in Las Vegas in the fall.
Tip: Bring a jacket year round. In winter carry chains or check road conditions first, because storms can close the highway with very little notice.
Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada’s oldest state park, and my pick when someone wants big scenery without a big drive. The Aztec sandstone glows fire red, and you get ancient petroglyphs, the wave like Fire Wave formation, and photogenic stops like Pink Canyon and Elephant Rock. Here is my full write up on Valley of Fire as a day trip, or ride the backcountry around it with an ATV tour.
Tip: It gets brutally hot in summer. Visit in the cooler months or early morning, carry more water than you think you need, and have a few dollars ready for the entrance fee.
Emerald Cave
A little slot cove on the Colorado where the water glows a vivid emerald green when the light hits right. Most people reach it by kayak or paddleboard from Willow Beach, and it is a calm water paddle a first timer can handle. Evolution Expeditions runs the guided kayak trips out to it.
Tip: The color peaks around midday when the sun is directly overhead, so aim for late morning. If you are new to paddling, book the guided tour instead of going alone.
Willow Beach
Just below Hoover Dam, this calm stretch of the Colorado is a quiet spot for kayaking, fishing, and picnicking, with clear water and canyon walls all around. It is also the launch point for Emerald Cave and the Black Canyon water trail, so the two pair into one easy day.
Tip: Water released from the dam stays cold year round, so dress for it rather than for the air temperature.
One to Three Hours Out
Set an alarm, pack a cooler, and give yourself the whole day.
Oatman Mining Village
A living Wild West gold mining town where wild burros, descendants of the miners’ pack animals, wander down the main street looking for a snack. Add staged gunfights, old saloons, and rock shops and it is a genuinely fun half day.
Tip: Bring cash for the little shops and the burro feed sold in town, and do not hand feed the babies wearing the do not feed stickers. The locals put those on for the animals’ safety.
Historic Route 66
The Mother Road is alive and well in northwestern Arizona. The stretch from Kingman through Oatman to Seligman is packed with vintage diners, neon signs, classic car nostalgia, and roadside kitsch. It is the perfect lazy, wandering kind of day. If that is your speed, my list of simple getaways from Las Vegas has more in the same vein.
Tip: Take it slow and stop often, because the fun is in the little towns. The Oatman to Kingman segment is winding and narrow, so allow extra time and do not rush the curves.
Death Valley National Park
The lowest, driest, hottest place in North America is also strangely beautiful. Salt flats at Badwater Basin, rolling sand dunes, and the painted hills of Artists Palette. It is a photographer’s dream in the softer light of morning and evening.
Tip: This is a fall through spring trip. Summer temperatures are genuinely dangerous, cell service is patchy, and gas is scarce. Top off your tank, carry extra water, and download your maps before you lose signal.
Joshua Tree Forest Scenic Drive
Not the California national park. This is the dense stand of native Joshua trees along Pierce Ferry Road on the way to Grand Canyon West. Their twisted silhouettes against the desert make for a peaceful drive and great photos near golden hour. If you like knowing what you are looking at, my guide to desert plants and animals around Las Vegas covers the whole cast.
Tip: There are no services along this stretch, so fill up and bring water. It pairs perfectly with a Grand Canyon West day since they sit on the same route.
Grand Canyon
No list starts anywhere else. The West Rim, on Hualapai land, is the closest and home to the glass Skywalk. The South Rim inside the national park delivers those classic endless views. Sunrise and sunset are when the color really arrives, so plan around the light. If you would rather skip the drive entirely, Grand Canyon helicopter tours put you on the rim and back in a morning, and there are also one day bus tours from Las Vegas.
Tip: The West Rim and the national park South Rim are run by different entities with separate tickets and hours. Decide which rim you want before you leave and buy admission on the official site so you are not caught out at the gate.
Grand Canyon West and Grand Canyon Ranch
Grand Canyon country with a Western twist. Grand Canyon West has the glass Skywalk out over the rim, and the nearby working Grand Canyon Ranch offers horseback rides, wagon tours, and cabin stays with real cowboy atmosphere. Several of the Las Vegas helicopter tours land out here too.
Tip: These are privately operated with their own tickets and packages, so check their official sites for what is included. Some access roads out here are unpaved, so higher clearance helps.
Area 51 and the Extraterrestrial Highway
You will not get inside the base, and you should not try, but the drive up State Route 375 is pure quirky Nevada. Stop at the Alien Research Center, grab a burger at the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel, and enjoy the wide open high desert weirdness.
Tip: Fuel up before you leave and bring snacks and water, because services out there are close to nonexistent. Take the warning signs seriously and never cross the restricted military boundary.
Zion National Park
Towering sandstone walls, the Virgin River, and some of the best hiking in the Southwest. The Narrows and Angels Landing are bucket list hikes and even the drive in is stunning. For most of the year you ride the park shuttle into Zion Canyon rather than drive it yourself.
Tip: Angels Landing requires a permit through a lottery, and the shuttle system changes by season. Check the official NPS Zion page before you go so you are not surprised at the entrance.
Worth the Longer Drive
Leave in the dark, come home late, and do not try to squeeze in a second stop.
Bryce Canyon National Park
It is a haul, but the hoodoos, those spindly orange spires packed into natural amphitheaters, look like nowhere else on earth. Sunrise Point and Sunset Point are the classic overlooks, and the Navajo Loop trail drops you right down among the formations.
Tip: Bryce sits at 8,000 to 9,000 feet, so it is far colder than Vegas and can hold snow into spring. Pack layers even in warm months and go easy at that altitude.
Antelope Canyon
One of the most beautiful slot canyons in the world, all smooth wavelike sandstone and beams of light pouring in from above. It sits on Navajo land and it is right next to Horseshoe Bend, so most people pair the two.
Tip: You cannot enter on your own. A Navajo guided tour is required and the popular slots sell out, so book well ahead. Midday tours give you the best odds on those famous light beams.
Two more that did not make the numbered list but absolutely should be on your radar: Nelson Ghost Town and Eldorado Canyon about 45 minutes out, and the Sloan Canyon petroglyphs in Henderson, which is the quietest good hike near the valley.
What to Throw in the Car
The four things I have learned not to leave home without.
More water than feels reasonable
A gallon per person on any summer trip. The desert pulls it out of you faster than you notice.
A jacket, even in July
Mount Charleston, Bryce, and Zion all run far cooler than the valley. So does a boat on Lake Mead at dusk.
Offline maps and a full tank
Death Valley, the ET Highway, and Pierce Ferry Road all lose signal, and gas stations out there are rare.
Your park pass or a card
Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, and the national parks all charge at the gate, and some need a reservation first.
People come here for the Strip and leave talking about the sandstone. Give yourself one day outside the city.
Common Questions
Tap any one to open it.
What is the best day trip from Las Vegas if I only have time for one?
Red Rock Canyon if you want maximum scenery for minimum driving, and Valley of Fire if you can give it a full day. Valley of Fire is the one visitors talk about for years afterward.
Do I need a rental car for these?
For most of them, yes. The exceptions are the ones with organized tours out of the Strip, like the Grand Canyon bus tours, the helicopter flights, and the guided kayak trips to Emerald Cave.
What is the best time of year for day trips out of Vegas?
October through April for anything in the low desert, which covers Valley of Fire, Death Valley, Lake Mead, and Red Rock. Flip it for the mountains: Mount Charleston, Bryce, and Zion are at their best from late spring into fall.
Can I do the Grand Canyon in one day from Las Vegas?
The West Rim, comfortably. The South Rim is about 4.5 hours each way, so it makes for a very long day. If the drive is the problem, a helicopter tour gets you there and back in a morning.
Which of these need a reservation?
Red Rock Canyon’s scenic loop during the busy season, Antelope Canyon’s guided tours, and the Angels Landing permit at Zion. Everything else is walk up, though tours and rentals fill up on weekends.
Can I combine two of these in one day?
A few pair naturally. Hoover Dam with Lake Mead, Willow Beach with Emerald Cave, Grand Canyon West with the Joshua tree drive, and Oatman with the Route 66 run to Kingman. Do not try to pair anything on the four hour list.
Where can I find more to do around the valley?
Start with 100 things to do in Vegas or the much longer ultimate list of things to do in Las Vegas, and there is more in 50 reasons Las Vegas is the best city in the world.
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Keep Reading
The full guides behind the stops above, plus a few more worth your Saturday.
Thinking About Moving to Las Vegas?
There is a reason so many people fall for this city, and the day trips are a big part of it. If you are considering a move, or wondering what your current home is worth, my team would love to help.
Lori Ballen
I have lived in Las Vegas since I was five and I have driven every road on this list more than once. If you are thinking about a move here, or you just want to know where to go on a Saturday, reach out anytime at lori@loriballen.com. You can also read more about me or meet the team.
702-604-7739As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links. Portions of this content are generated by AI.
