Day Trips from Las Vegas: Red Rock, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon

The desert around Las Vegas is the best thing about it. Three of these trips are within an hour and easy in a rental car (see our getting there guide); the Grand Canyon is a much bigger commitment. If you only have time for one, choose Red Rock for the easiest escape and Valley of Fire for the most dramatic rock.

Red Rock Canyon

About thirty minutes west of the Strip, a one-way scenic drive of 13 miles loops past red and cream sandstone cliffs and the Keystone Thrust, a wall of grey limestone pushed over younger red rock. Stop at Calico Hills for the colours, and hike Calico Tanks for a view back to the city. From 1 October to 31 May, you need a timed-entry reservation on Recreation.gov for arrivals between 8am and 5pm (check the site, as rules change). Arriving before 8am avoids the booking and the heat.

Valley of Fire

Nevada's oldest state park, about an hour north-east, with rock that turns deep red in the low sun. See the petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock, the pink and white swirls around White Domes and the Fire Wave, and Elephant Rock near the east entrance. Several of these trails close in summer because of the heat, from mid-May, so check the Nevada State Parks website before you go.

Hoover Dam

About forty-five minutes south-east. The concrete dam that tamed the Colorado River was finished in 1936, and its Art Deco towers and bronze statues are as striking as its size. Walk across the top, then out onto the Mike O'Callaghan and Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge for the view down onto the dam. The shorter Powerplant Tour can be booked online; the longer Dam Tour is sold only on site and often sells out early in the day. It fits into the morning of day three in our itinerary. Stop in Boulder City on the way back; it's the town built for the dam's workers, and still bans gambling.

The Grand Canyon

Be realistic: it's a long day. The West Rim, run by the Hualapai Tribe, is about two and a half hours each way and has the Skywalk, a glass walkway over the edge, though you can't take your own camera or phone onto it. The South Rim, the national park most people picture, is around four and a half hours each way. We'd go to the South Rim and stay a night, rather than spend nine hours of a day trip in a car or a coach. Helicopter tours from Las Vegas are the fast, expensive alternative. For clothing and water in the desert, see our what to wear guide.