Day Trips from Las Vegas

Day trips are fun adventures you can experience through a short drive from an area, in this case greater Las Vegas, and be back within a single day. They’re usually a maximum of 200 miles or a about a three-hour drive or so away. Luckily, the Las Vegas area abounds with such excursions! Below is just a sampling of the many sights to see and adventures to be had during your stay at NAHC’s Annual Meeting & Exposition. With all of the following suggestions, please check with your hotel concierge, who will be happy to provide you more information on the many exciting and convenient options available to you.

The Grand Canyon

One of the most powerful and inspiring landscapes in the world, the Grand Canyon overwhelms the senses through its immense size: 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep. It is located approximately 276 miles or five hours from the Las Vegas area by car — longish for a day trip, but worth it! And remember, you can also visit this natural wonder through one of the numerous air tours available in Las Vegas. If you wish to travel by fixed-wing aircraft, several companies provide daily tours. Passengers are flown out of Boulder City, just half an hour’s drive from Las Vegas. NAHC Annual Meeting attendees can also opt for a helicopter tour, which offers 180-degree unobstructed views; many of these also include a short flyover tour of Vegas before heading out to the canyon. There are various tour options with numerous companies, nearly all of which provide free shuttle service to and from the Boulder City Airport. www.nps.gov/grca

The Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam is located in Black Canyon spanning the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It is operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and is used to control floods; store water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial use; and provide hydroelectric power, year-round recreational opportunities, and fish and wildlife habitats. The dam is a testimony to our nation’s ability to accomplish monumental projects despite great challenges and adverse conditions. Built during the Great Depression, thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years in a harsh and barren land to build the largest dam of its time. Years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. It is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders. Travel by car or take advantage of the numerous air and land tour services to the dam. www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers a wealth of things to do and places to go year round. Located just 30 miles from Las Vegas, a little over a half-hour drive, its huge lakes cater to boaters, swimmers, sunbathers, and fishermen while its desert rewards hikers, wildlife photographers, and roadside sightseers. Three of America’s four desert ecosystems — the Mojave, the Great Basin, and the Sonoran Deserts — come together here. As a result, this seemingly barren area contains a surprising variety of plants and animals, some of which can be found nowhere else in the world. Be sure to stop by the Alan Bible Visitor Center. www.nps.gov/lake

Valley of Fire State Park

Valley of Fire State Park is located only six miles from Lake Mead and 55 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Dedicated in 1935, it is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. The valley derives its name from the red sandstone formations and the stark beauty of the Mojave Desert. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000 year-old rock carvings. Popular activities include camping, hiking, picnicking, and photography. The park offers a full-scale visitor center with extensive interpretive displays. Several group-use areas are also available. The park is open all year. http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm

Death Valley

The hottest, driest, and lowest land below sea level in the United States, Death Valley is a superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers, water-fluted canyons, and three million acres of wilderness. Located 130 miles Northwest of Las Vegas, it is home to the Timbisha Shoshone people and to plants and animals unique to the harshest desert environment. Enhance your experience of Death Valley by joining a ranger-guided tour or program. Explore historic mining sites, shadowy canyons, and sun-drenched salt flats. Discover hidden desert wildlife and ephemeral fields of wildflowers. www.nps.gov/deva

Mojave National Preserve

Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million-acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains, and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located approximately 80 miles outside of Las Vegas (about a 1.5-hour drive), Mojave National Preserve provides serenity and solitude away from the crowds of major metropolitan areas. www.nps.gov/moja

Mount Charleston Recreation Area

The Mount Charleston Wilderness is located within the Spring Mountains, slightly less than an hour’s drive from Las Vegas. Here in the high country you’ll find a forested oasis and relief from the Mojave Desert heat of southern Nevada. Short, steep-walled canyons penetrate the range, which is characterized by approximately 18,000 acres of bristlecone pine, the largest such stand in the Intermountain West. The 40 miles of trails include many miles along the spine of the Spring Mountains; elevation changes and the virtual absence of flat terrain make for strenuous — but certainly beautiful — hiking. www.fs.fed.us/r4/htnf/recreation/wilderness/mt_charleston.shtml

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada’s first National Conservation Area. It’s located just 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159. Encompassing 195,819 acres, it sees more than one million visitors annually. In marked contrast to a town geared toward flashy entertainment and gaming, Red Rock Canyon offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, more than 30 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing, and a visitor center with exhibit rooms and a book store. www.redrockcanyonlv.org

Bonnie Springs Ranch/Old Nevada

A Wild West town, motel, restaurant, and shops and activities like “gunfights” and horseback riding make Bonnie Springs Old Nevada great fun for the whole family. There are tons of attractions for the kids including a petting zoo, cowboys and cowgirls, a miniature train ride, and a “posse” show on weekends and holidays where the kids can even help track down the ‘bad guys.” This little old mining town offers plenty of rousing, rough-and-tumble action, simulated gunfights in the streets, an 1880s melodrama complete with mustachioed villain in its authentically recreated saloon, and even a public “hanging” featuring an obliging stuntman swaying in the wind. A wedding chapel is also available for you to celebrate your special day. The site is located approximately 30 miles west of Las Vegas, just beyond Red Rock Canyon. www.bonniesprings.com