4 Things To Do Outside Las Vegas

Photos by Michelle Bucher

We leave for Las Vegas in a few short days. This trip will mark our seventh time in Las Vegas. As exciting as the Las Vegas strip is, after a few trips, the excitement of the lights and casinos can start to wear off.

If you’re looking for something to do around the Las Vegas area other than the usual casinos and shows, here is our list of recommendations:

The Grand Canyon

This is a popular day trip for people visiting Las Vegas. Most road trippers who come from Las Vegas visit the west part of the Grand Canyon, as it’s only a 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas. This is where the new skywalk bridge is located. If you want to visit the popular south rim of the Grand Canyon, it’s a 4.5-hour drive from Las Vegas.

We’ve road tripped to the Grand Canyon several times. My favorite thing to do in the Grand Canyon is to find a nice perch along the canyon wall and just sit and enjoy the view for a while. It’s shockingly beautiful! The Grand Canyon south rim also offers some great day hikes and mule rides.

Death Valley/Badwater Basin

This is easily one of my favorite places. The drive through Death Valley is beautiful, as you’re surrounded by snowy mountains and intense heat. I recommend making your way down to the Badwater Basin. This is a huge salt flat down in the middle of Death Valley.

Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire is located an hour north of the Las Vegas Strip. This is a beautiful drive through the red sandstone canyon. It’s often called the Valley of Fire because the reflection of the sun on the red rocks in the afternoon often makes it look like the rocks are on fire. This is also a popular destination for wedding pictures.

Looking for something a little closer to the strip? Try the Red Rock Canyon. This is just 25 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip and offers some great hiking trails and a beautiful red rock backdrop for great pictures. Of course the usual safety tips apply when hiking in the Red Rock Canyon, e.g. bring water, sunblock and a hat, and watch out for snakes.

Extraterrestrial Highway

Highway 365, just outside of Las Vegas, has the highest number of UFO sightings, and therefore has been named the Extraterrestrial Highway. This might have something to do with its close proximity to Area 51, which is just down the road. We road tripped to the Extraterrestrial Highway and had some fun posing for pictures with the highway sign. We even made a little alien dude out of tinfoil and left him there for others to enjoy.

Drive time: 5 hours roundtrip from the Las Vegas strip.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside Las Vegas?