Things to Do in Las Vegas Besides Partying
One city, red canyons, sandstone & water, all outside the Strip.
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.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
12 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Every stop is a real pin, in order.
Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead & Mount Charleston · Southern Nevada
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
5 of the stops on these 3 days.
Plan and book your 3 days in Las Vegas, one step at a time
How 3 days in Las Vegas split up
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.
Day 1: Red Rock Canyon · the scenic loop & Calico Hills
4 stops · Day one
Day 2: Valley of Fire · the Fire Wave & Mouse's Tank
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Lake Mead, Hoover Dam & the Emerald Cave kayak
4 stops · Day three
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.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~20 to 30 min · reserve the loop first · DriveRed Rock Canyon is just 20 to 30 minutes west of the Strip. In peak season (October through May) the 13-mile scenic loop requires a timed-entry reservation booked ahead on recreation.gov, so lock in an early morning slot before you head out. Pack water and grippy shoes for the slickrock.
- Red Rock Canyon scenic drive
13-mi one-way loop · sandstone cliffs · ViewpointThe heart of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the 13-mile one-way scenic drive, a paved loop past towering red and tan sandstone cliffs with pullouts at every viewpoint. From October through May you need a timed-entry reservation for the loop, booked ahead through recreation.gov.
- Calico Hills & Lost Creek waterfall
Short scrambles · seasonal fall · HikeStretch your legs in the Calico Hills, where short scrambles lead up into swirls of crimson Aztec sandstone and climbers work the walls, then walk the easy trail to the Lost Creek waterfall, a seasonal fall that runs best in spring. Wear grippy shoes for the slickrock.
Robert Linsdell from S / CC BY 2.0Stay in Las VegasOn or just off the Strip · lodgeBase anywhere on or just off the Strip for easy access to Red Rock and Valley of Fire. Lodging is plentiful and easy to book, so pick a location that balances the outdoor day trips with whatever nightlife or dining you want in the evening.
Valley of Fire · the Fire Wave & Mouse's Tank
Drive 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.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- The Fire Wave
~1.5 mi RT · easy · striped sandstone · HikeDrive about an hour northeast to Valley of Fire State Park and hike 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. There is no shade and the lot fills fast, so go early.
- Mouse's Tank petroglyphs
~0.7 mi RT · easy · rock art · HikeWalk 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 of the park.
planeta / CC BY-SA 2.0Seven Magic MountainsFree roadside art · stacked boulders · ViewpointOn the way 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. It is a quick, photogenic stop that folds easily into the drive or the airport run.
- Back to Las Vegas
Second night in the city · lodgeValley of Fire is an easy day trip, about an hour northeast, so return to your Las Vegas base for the night. Keeping the same base across the trip means no packing up between day trips and an easy launch for the Lake Mead day tomorrow.
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.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Emerald Cave kayak · Evolution Expeditions
Guided Black Canyon paddle · book ahead · activityBook a guided Black Canyon kayak trip to the Emerald Cave with Evolution Expeditions, the established outfitter on this stretch of the Colorado River just below Hoover Dam. The grotto glows jade green in the morning light, and you paddle past sheer canyon walls and hidden hot springs. It sells out on weekends, so reserve ahead.
Historic Railroad TrailFlat path · 5 tunnels · Lake Mead views · HikePrefer 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. It is the best car-free way to take in the lake and the canyon.
ATV / UTV tour · Vegas Off Road ToursOff-road Mojave ride · optional add-on · activityWant 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. It is an easy add-on to the Lake Mead day, and the airport (LAS) is only about 30 minutes from the lake.
- Getting home: LAS airport
~30 min from Lake Mead · DriveHarry Reid International Airport (LAS) is only about 30 minutes from Lake Mead and the Strip, so you can squeeze in a morning paddle or hike and still make an afternoon flight. Do any water or desert activity in the cooler morning and leave the afternoon for the easy drive back.
Book the 2 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Las Vegas
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Las Vegas
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.
3 days in Las Vegas: the questions people ask most.
The best things to do in Vegas besides gambling are almost all outdoors and within an hour of the Strip: hike the red sandstone of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, explore the striped Fire Wave and petroglyphs at Valley of Fire State Park, kayak to the Emerald Cave in Black Canyon below Hoover Dam, and escape the heat up in the pine forest of Mount Charleston. The free Seven Magic Mountains art installation is an easy bonus stop.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 2 nights, sites along the route
2 × $22$44 - Grand Canyon West Rim flight
2 × $499$998
- 2 nights, rooms along the route
from $91 a nightfrom $182 - Grand Canyon West Rim flight
2 × $499$998
Yulia, ExplorOFF founder★★★★★5.0 from 20+ guided tripsGoogleAirbnbFrom$2,1402 people, 2 nights- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide
- Grand Canyon West Rim flight, booked for you
- Airport pickup, every drive, all the gear
- Weather turns, they rewrite the day
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
The canyon, an hour off the Strip
The West Rim is close enough to Las Vegas to be a morning rather than a trip. Flights go early to beat the afternoon wind, and the good slots book out well ahead in spring and fall.
Booking Las Vegas
Everything below is booked with the operators direct. We earn a commission on some of them, which is what keeps the itineraries free to read.
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Private Valley of Fire Hiking and Sightseeing Adventure5 on Viator · 205 reviews
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
What other travelers are saying
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One tap. It goes straight to Yulia and Margarita.
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
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How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”