Things to Do in Las Vegas Besides Partying:
A 3-Day Outdoor Itinerary
Three days of outdoor things to do in Las Vegas, far from the Strip: Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Mount Charleston, and Black Canyon kayaking on Lake Mead.
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One city, red canyons, sandstone & water, all outside the Strip.
Las Vegas is famous for its casinos and clubs, but the city sits in the middle of the Mojave Desert, ringed by red sandstone, pine forest, and one of the largest reservoirs in the country. Within an hour of the Strip you can hike a slot canyon, paddle an emerald grotto, or stand in a snowy pine forest at 8,000 feet. These are the things to do in Vegas besides gambling, and they are right out the back door.
This 3-day route is built around the best outdoor things to do in Las Vegas: the Red Rock Canyon scenic loop and its hikes, the otherworldly red Aztec sandstone of Valley of Fire State Park, a Black Canyon kayak trip to the Emerald Cave on the Colorado River below Lake Mead, and a cool escape up into Mount Charleston and the Spring Mountains. You can also stop at the Seven Magic Mountains art installation on your way in or out. If you are planning 3 days in Las Vegas and want more than casinos, this itinerary fills every one of them.
October through April is the prime season, with comfortable days for hiking and paddling. March is a sweet spot, with mild hiking weather in the canyons and, in wetter years, the first desert wildflowers. Summer in the Mojave is dangerous: temperatures regularly top 105°F, so if you visit in the heat, start at dawn, carry far more water than you think you need, and use Mount Charleston (often 20 to 30 degrees cooler) as your escape.
The Red Rock Canyon scenic loop requires a timed-entry reservation in peak season (October through May), booked ahead through recreation.gov, so lock in your morning slot before you arrive. The Black Canyon kayak trip to the Emerald Cave also sells out on weekends, so reserve it early. Otherwise lodging is easy: base anywhere on or just off the Strip, or out in Boulder City near Lake Mead.
Red Rock Canyon · the scenic loop & Calico Hills
Start where Las Vegas meets the desert: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, just 20 to 30 minutes west of the Strip. The heart of it is the 13-mile one-way scenic drive, a paved loop past towering red and tan sandstone cliffs with pullouts at every viewpoint. In peak season (October through May) you need a timed-entry reservation for the loop, booked ahead through recreation.gov, so grab an early morning slot.
Stretch your legs in the Calico Hills, where short scrambles lead up into swirls of crimson Aztec sandstone, then walk the easy trail to the Lost Creek waterfall, a seasonal fall that runs best in spring. Red Rock is also a world-class rock-climbing destination, so you will see climbers on the Calico walls all morning. Bring water: even in the cool season the Mojave is dry, and there is little shade out on the sandstone.
- 13-mi one-way loop · timed-entry reservation needed in peak season
- Calico HillsShort scrambles into red Aztec sandstone · climbers everywhere
- Lost Creek waterfallEasy trail to a seasonal fall · best in spring
- Stay in Las VegasBase on or just off the Strip · 20 to 30 min from Red Rock
- The Red Rock Canyon scenic loop needs a timed-entry reservation from October through May. Book your morning slot on recreation.gov before you go, because walk-up spots are limited.
- The Calico Hills pullouts are right at the start of the loop and make the easiest, most scenic scramble. Wear grippy shoes for the slickrock sandstone.
- The Lost Creek waterfall is seasonal and runs best in spring after rain or snowmelt. Even when it is dry, the short trail and the box canyon are worth the walk.
Calico Hills
World-class climbingValley of Fire · the Fire Wave & Mouse's Tank
Valley of Fire
Mojave DesertDrive about an hour northeast to Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada's oldest and most dramatic state park, where 150-million-year-old red Aztec sandstone erupts out of the gray desert. The signature hike is the Fire Wave (about 1.5 miles round trip, easy), a swirling, striped sandstone bowl that looks like a frozen wave of orange and white rock. Go early: there is no shade, and the lot fills fast.
Then walk the Mouse's Tank Trail (about 0.7 miles round trip, easy) down a sandy wash lined with some of the best petroglyphs in the Southwest, left by the Ancestral Puebloan people. Stop at the Atlatl Rock panel and the Elephant Rock arch on your way out. On the drive back toward Las Vegas, swing by the Seven Magic Mountains, the free roadside art installation of seven towers of stacked, neon-painted boulders just south of the city.
- The Fire Wave~1.5 mi RT · easy · striped Aztec sandstone bowl · no shade, go early
- Mouse's Tank petroglyphs~0.7 mi RT · easy · Ancestral Puebloan rock art in a sandy wash
- Seven Magic MountainsFree roadside art · stacked neon boulders south of Las Vegas
- Back to Las VegasValley of Fire is about an hour NE · easy day trip from the city
- Valley of Fire has no shade and bakes by midday. Hike the Fire Wave and Mouse's Tank in the morning, and carry at least a liter or two of water per person.
- The Fire Wave parking lot (White Domes Road, lot 3) is small and fills fast on weekends. Arriving early also gives you the best light on the striped sandstone.
- Seven Magic Mountains is a quick, free stop on Las Vegas Boulevard south of the city, easy to fold into the drive back from Valley of Fire or the airport run.
Lake Mead, Hoover Dam & the Emerald Cave kayak
Head southeast to Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Hoover Dam, about 40 minutes from the Strip. The best outdoor adventure here is a Black Canyon kayak trip to the Emerald Cave, a glowing green grotto on the Colorado River just below the dam, where the water lights up jade in the morning sun. Book a guided paddle with Evolution Expeditions, the established Black Canyon kayak outfitter, and you will glide past sheer canyon walls and hidden hot springs.
Prefer to stay on land? Walk the easy Historic Railroad Trail, a flat path along the old dam-construction railbed that runs through five enormous tunnels with sweeping views over Lake Mead, ending near the dam itself. If you want one more desert adventure before you fly home, book an ATV or UTV tour with Vegas Off Road Tours and rip through the Mojave dunes and washes outside the city. The airport (LAS) is only about 30 minutes from the lake.
- Guided Black Canyon paddle to the Emerald Cave · book ahead, sells out weekends
- Flat path through 5 tunnels along Lake Mead · easy, great views
- Off-road desert ride through Mojave dunes and washes
- Hoover DamAbout 40 min from the Strip · iconic dam over the Colorado River
- The Emerald Cave kayak trip with Evolution Expeditions sells out on weekends and runs best in the calm morning, when the cave glows brightest. Reserve ahead.
- The Historic Railroad Trail is flat, family-friendly, and the only Lake Mead trail that runs through the old construction tunnels. It is a great car-free way to see the lake and dam.
- Lake Mead and the Colorado River corridor are low and hot. Do any paddle or hike in the morning, carry plenty of water, and save the afternoon for the drive back to LAS.
Lake Mead
Hoover DamNow build your outdoor Vegas trip.
You've seen all three days. Open the free drag-and-drop planner and tune it for your dates, your pace, and whether you base on the Strip, just off it, or out in Boulder City near Lake Mead.
What we actually learned in the desert.
Reserve Red Rock's scenic loop
From October through May, the 13-mile Red Rock Canyon scenic drive requires a timed-entry reservation booked through recreation.gov. Grab an early morning slot before you arrive, because walk-up availability is limited, especially on weekends and holidays.
Bring far more water than you think
The Mojave Desert is brutally dry. Carry at least a liter or two of water per person on every short hike, and more in warm weather. There is little to no shade at Red Rock, Valley of Fire, or Lake Mead, and heat is the number one danger here.
Go October through April
The cool half of the year brings comfortable days for hiking and paddling. Summer in the desert regularly tops 105°F and is genuinely dangerous, so if you come in the heat, start at dawn and use Mount Charleston, often 20 to 30 degrees cooler, as your escape.
Mount Charleston is the cool escape
Just 30 to 40 minutes from the Strip, the Spring Mountains rise into pine forest above 8,000 feet. Hike Mary Jane Falls, picnic in the shade, or play in winter snow. On a brutal summer day it is the easiest way to drop 25 degrees without leaving the area.
You'll want a car
Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, and Mount Charleston are all short drives but not walkable from the Strip, and transit does not reach them. Rent a car at the airport (LAS) for the outdoor days, even if you Uber around town at night.
Mind the fees and permits
Red Rock charges a per-vehicle entrance fee plus the timed-entry reservation; Valley of Fire and Lake Mead each charge their own per-vehicle fee. An America the Beautiful pass covers Lake Mead but not the state park or Red Rock's timed reservation, so plan for a few small fees.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
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outdoor Las Vegas route.
Trailheads and mileages, the Red Rock timed-entry reservation, the Black Canyon kayak outfitter, drive times from the Strip, Mount Charleston as your heat escape, and the morning timing you need to hike the Mojave safely.
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