Las Vegas and the surrounding parks
Las Vegas is quite incredible.
It is an extravagant city that seems like a parallel world, and is really impressive to see firsthand.
However, rather than focusing on the city itself, this page is dedicated to the nearby parks where you can visit for a day or two from Las Vegas.
The one thing I will say about Las Vegas is do not forget to visit the “old” parts of the city; there is more to Las Vegas than just the strip.
A lot of people forget this and miss out on some very interesting places to see.
From Stanford, you can get an inexpensive 1-hour flight to Las Vegas, and there are plenty of options for cheap rooms once you arrive.
Red Rock Canyon
One of the closest parks to Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon (~25-minute drive).
What makes this park nice is the wonderful red rock landscape.
There is a great 13-mi/20.9 km scenic drive where you can take in the vivid red rock formations.
If you enjoy hiking, the park offers 26 trails, and you can learn more about them here.
The entrance fee is $15 per car.
Turtlehead Peak is a really good hike that is 4.6 miles (7.5 km) and takes approximately 4 hours to complete.
This trail stands out because once you reach the end, you will have a great view of Las Vegas and the vast desert that surrounds it.
Valley of Fire state park
Valley of Fire State Park is a nice park that is only a 50-minute drive from Las Vegas.
There is a $10 fee per vehicle.
This park has several small trails that pass through the unique red rock formations.
The most beautiful parts of the park are the White Domes Loop and the Fire Wave, which features rocks with wave-like patterns made up of alternating stripes of red and white.
Elephant Rock Loop, Natural Arches Trail, and Rainbow Vista Trail are also really great.
Here is the map of all the trails at Valley of Fire State Park.
Colorado River Kayaking
The Colorado River is incredible on its own, but it is even more incredible when you explore it yourself.
Willow Beach Marina is a 1-hour drive from Las Vegas.
Here, you can go kayaking on the Colorado River for $30/person for a two-hour session.
While kayaking,, try to reach Emerald Cove; it is a spectacular place due to the stark contrast between the turquoise water of the river and the surrounding red rocks.
Death Valley
Death Valley National Park is a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas.
Therefore, it is possible to visit the park in a day, but to fully enjoy the landscape and scenery, it deserves two days.
During the summer, this area gets extremely hot, so be sure to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from the sun.
Due to the heat, it is sometimes difficult, even impossible, to hike during the day.
However, early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, the temperatures are manageable.
Still, it may be a good idea to plan shorter hikes so that you do not suffer from the heat.
With the valley floor as the backdrop, Zabriskie Point has a really nice view of a unique landscape made up of slopes and gullies, which have alternating colors of beige and brown.
It is a perfect spot for a sunset.
Artist’s Drive is absolutely beautiful!
It is a one-way road that you can take by car.
While driving, you will see mountains that contain different colors: blue, green, red, yellow...you have to see it in person to believe it.
These colors come from various metals that have oxidized. You can also park the car and take a small hike up the mountain to have a view of the entire valley.
Badwater is the lowest point in America at 282ft/85m below sea level.
The landscape here is incredible.
Badwater is a large water basin with an enormous accumulation of salt.
So, there are salt flats all around you, and surrounding the basin are mountains.
Also, you do not have to stay near the parking lot – you can walk far away from this area to enjoy the beautifully unique landscape.
When you see people walking far away, it feels like they are trying to reach a hidden, secret place, like the group of living reminders in The Leftovers series.
The basin is so massive that it appears to grow larger and larger the farther you walk.
This is a place where you will ask yourself whether you are actually on an unknown planet.
Dante’s View is the perfect spot to overlook the valley.
The Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral is a great hike that takes about 1h30min.
You will meander between golden rock formations in order to reach the tall red rock formation.
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are sand dunes similar to those in any desert, but what makes these special are the mountains that surround them.
If you would like additional information on the different hikes offered in Death Valley, you can check the park’s website here.
Finally, there is another part of the valley that is absolutely wonderful but will force you to make a 1h30 detour: driving to Panamint Springs via Highway 190.
To get there, you will have to drive through the middle of the desert, which is an incredible experience by itself, but even more so if you get caught in a sand storm!
This drive goes from sea level to almost 5000ft/1500m in 30mi/40km.
When you arrive at the top, there is a small restaurant on the left in Panamint Springs, which has an amazing view from the other side of the valley.
Grand Canyon National Park
The famous Grand Canyon National Park is accessible from Las Vegas.
You can go to either the North, South, or West Rim from Las Vegas.
However, it is a 4h30 drive to both the North and South Rim, and 2h30 to reach the Skywalk of the West Rim.
The West Rim offers some nice sights of a different part of the Grand Canyon that cannot be seen from the South and North Rim.
It is less impressive but still wonderful.
The North Rim is less crowded because most of the tours from Las Vegas go to either the South or West Rim.
The view is absolutely amazing as well.
However, the car ride might not be as great because for about an hour of the drive, you have to take smaller roads.
The South Rim has a really nice view of the Canyon from the other side of the Colorado River compared to the North Rim.
This national park will leave you speechless!
The endless rock formations and colors are truly incredible. You may wonder if what is in front of you is actually real.
It is generally crowded but worth it.
Most people go to the Grand Canyon just to admire the view.
However, you can also enjoy the Grand Canyon from inside the canyon.
For example, you can take the Bright Angel Trail down into the canyon from the South Rim, and the Kaibab Trail from the North Rim.
From the South Rim, it is a 2h30 hike (going down) to Plateau Point, and 3h to reach the Colorado River, but keep in mind that at some point you will have to hike back up again.
If you are looking for more adventures, you can go to Phantom Ranch, which is a ranch in the middle of the canyon (4h30 one-way from the South Rim, and 5h one-way from the North Rim) and possibly camp out for a night.
To wrap things up, this page illustrates how, in one weekend and for a small budget, you can see and do some incredible things from Las Vegas: visit two national parks that are quite different from each other, kayak in the Colorado River, or hike through beautiful red rock formations...
What are you waiting for? ☺