Beyond all the neon, Las Vegas is a really popular start or end point for some fantastic parks and monuments, iconic drives, and timeless landscapes. There are a lot of ways to tour the surrounding areas, and here's a short list of ways to bet you'll have a great time on your next Vegas getaway!
Excerpt below from 8/4/2023 article by Fiona Tapp can found here.
Vegas is more than high-stakes card tables, blockbuster residencies, speakeasies, and celebrity-chef restaurants. There’s a whole desert out there to explore, with some of the country’s (and, TBH, the world’s) top natural and human-made wonders – not to mention a chance to connect with the cultures of the Indigenous peoples who have called the region home for millennia. Take a break from the Strip with these Mojave Desert day trips – sure bets, every one.
Valley of Fire State Park - Drive time: 55 minutes northeast.
Known for its ancient petroglyphs and striking red sandstone formations, where shadows dance across petrified trees and canyon peaks each evening, this park was sacred land to the Basketmaker and Ancestral Pueblo peoples. Hike to the orange, red, and pink striations on the Fire Wave Trail (open October through May) or follow the trail to Atlatl Rock to view 4,000-year-old petroglyphs. During the annual World Atlatl Association Competition in March, visitors can hone their target skills using replicas of ancient atlatls – spearlike hunting weapons that predate the bow and arrow.
Hoover Dam - Drive time: 40 minutes southeast.
This twentieth-century engineering marvel looks best from a kayak on Lake Mead. An icon of the desert, the Hoover Dam was built with the help of local Apache “high scalers” who used their expert climbing skills to place dynamite in holes drilled into the Black Canyon’s walls. Their contributions are memorialized in a concrete bas-relief tribute on the Arizona-side tower. Nearby hikes traverse the Mojave Desert; one favorite is the Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail – a strenuous trek open only in the cooler months, from October through April.
Zion National Park - Drive time: 2 hours, 15 minutes northeast.
With more than 229 square miles primed for canyoning, biking, hiking, and climbing, Utah’s Zion National Park attracts adventurers of all kinds. To avoid the crowds, visit popular sites such as the bike-friendly Pa’rus Trail midweek, or head to the lesser-known Kolob Canyons, where waterfalls cascade from Navajo sandstone cliffs. A few times each year, members of the Kaibab Paiute Tribe host storytelling and stargazing events at Pipe Spring National Monument, just across the border in Arizona.
Eldorado Canyon and Techatticup Mine - Drive time: 60 minutes southeast.
Long before casinos lured gamblers to the area, prospectors flocked to Eldorado Canyon hoping to strike it rich. Many settlers did get lucky – the Techatticup gold mine was among Nevada’s most prosperous. For relief from the desert heat, take a tour of the underground mineshafts (pack a sweater). Teddy-bear cholla cacti, a traditional food source for local Indigenous nations, dot the canyon, which has also served as a frequent backdrop for photo shoots, desert-chic weddings, and movies.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area - Drive time: 25 minutes west.
Just a short drive from the Strip, Nevada’s first National Conservation Area features a 13-mile scenic drive (or bike) through canyons that are home to desert tortoises and bighorn sheep. Break for the Petroglyph Wall Trail, a short, easy walk to view rock drawings dating back roughly 800 years. Experienced hikers love Ice Box Canyon, a narrow trail that stays cool year-round, thanks to high sandstone ridges blocking the sun.
Next-Level Nevada
American Excursionist
Virtuoso travel advisors can work with on-site tour connection American Excursionist to arrange private tours of many of the sites above, including helicopter transport to and from Las Vegas for a secluded yoga class at Valley of Fire State Park and a half-day ATV tour down a 200-year-old trail to Eldorado Canyon’s Techatticup mine. Departures: Any day.
Abercrombie & Kent
On-site tour connection Abercrombie & Kent works with Virtuoso advisors to provide adventures such as a half-day helicopter outing to the Grand Canyon, which flies over the Mojave Desert, Hoover Dam, and Valley of Fire State Park en route to a Champagne toast on a cliff overlooking the Colorado River. Departures: Any day.
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