United States - Las Vegas  

  

               

          Best Places to Visit in Las Vegas

                         Best Daytrips

 

 

   Click this segment for our best places to visit in Las Vegas Overview Click here to read about the Casinos and hotels that are the best places to visit in Las Vegas Click here to read our brief overview of the types of gambling in Las Vegas Click here to read about shows and entertainment in Las Vegas Click here to read our recommendations on the best restuarants in Las Vegas Click here to read the best places to shop in Las Vegas! Click here to read about the best free places to visit in Las Vegas Click here for the best places to visit near Las Vegas Las Vegas Travel Facts to help you tour the best places to visit in Las Vegas

Click  any arc of the circle above for our page containing  that information.

 
 
Best Las Vegas Daytrips                              
Lake Mead     Hoover Dam     Red Rock Canyon    Valley of Fire    Grand Canyon Tours  
 

Sometime during your Vegas vacation, you may want to step out and see the "neighborhood". We provide information on the attractions that are the best daytrips in the Las Vegas area.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

If you want to take some time for fishing, boating (including house boating, kayaking and canoeing) you should consider a visit to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The shores of the Lake Mead and Lake Mohave offer stunning views and include over a million and a half  acres of recreational area.

During the last decade, the Southwest of the US has experienced a significant drought. In addition, the outflow of water from the lakes to downstream states has continued to exceed the inflow. As a consequence, the water level has dropped over eighty feet since 2000. Stop in the Lake Mead Visitor Center, also called the Alan Bible Visitor Center, located off of U.S. 93, four miles southeast of Boulder City, to check on current conditions and the status of the Lake’s marinas.

Although hiking is popular, the Recreational Area is best known for its water sports. Remember that this is desert area and it can be torrid in summer. Visit Lake Mead in spring or early autumn for pleasant temperatures. See the National Park Service pages on Lake Mead for specifics on visiting. http://www.nps.gov/lame/ . 

                 

Hoover Dam

One of the standby daytrips for visitors to Las Vegas is a tour of Hoover Dam and Power Plant. Over a million people take the tour and even more drive across the dam, which blocks the Colorado at the Black Canyon. The dam is located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on US Highway 93 at the Nevada-Arizona border. There is a modest parking fee and an additional fee of $11.00 for the tour. The attraction is quite popular (open between 9 and 5) especially in summer and tour times between 9AM and 10 are the least crowded.

There are restrictions on the types of vehicles that can cross the dam. For information on these restrictions, the tour and other aspects of Hoover Dam, see the official web site at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html .
Also, pets are not allowed at Hoover Dam.

Red Rock Canyon    


The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area lies just at the western edge of Las Vegas and is a great place for afternoon out of the casinos and off the Strip. Red Rock Canyon is perfectly named as it is a large, beautiful canyon area with cliffs covered with an amazing variety of reddish hues. The Conservation area hosts over a million visitors a year who are attracted to this natural wonderland of petrified sand dunes. Be sure to bring water and good hiking shoes if you want to hike around the park. Just driving through can be great fun, but to really explore the area, you need to do some walking. The Visitor Center is informative and it's where you should start your exploration of the park. See the Red Rock Canyon official web site for more information http://www.nv.blm.gov/redrockcanyon/.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area is open from sunrise to sunset (6 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter and later in spring summer and fall) Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area is approximately 17 miles west of the strip. You can get there by following on Charleston Boulevard to the edge of town. Stay on Highway 159 (Blue Diamond Road) until you come to the park entrance. (There is a modest entrance fee.)

   

                 

Valley of Fire State Park    


The Valley of Fire State Park is a gorgeous example of desert sandstone, rugged cliffs and the complex landscapes that can form in arid environments. As in Red Rock Canyon, the landscape in this area derived from the solidification of sand dunes that existed over 150 million years ago. Earthquakes, crustal movements and erosion have interacted with the various rock types at Valley of the fire to produce a an unusual landscape that is colorful, beautiful and dramatic. The park is approximately an hour from Las Vegas (55 miles- near Overton, NV) at exit 75 on I-15. Sections of the Park’s roads are rough and may not be appropriate for some low-slung cars (say, a Corvette) The best time to visit is autumn and spring. Winters can be cool and sometimes damp, while summers broil.

There is a modest admission fee. The best place to start your tour is at the Park's Information Center.  Be sure to bring plenty of water and wear good hiking shoes, as the trails are the best ways to see the real beauty of the park. There are a number of areas that display authentic petroglyphs (rock art from the Anasazi and other early visitors to the area). Details on visiting can be found at the parks official web site http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm .

 

                         

Grand Canyon Tours

The Grand Canyon is a little out the way for a land tour from Las Vegas.  Although you can reach the North Rim after a long drive, the best panoramic views of the Grand Canyon can be seen only from its South Rim, which is a day's drive away. 

Not to worry.  A number of companies provide tours of the Grand Canyon from either helicopters or fixed- wing aircraft.  Seeing the Grand Canyon from the air is a magnificent experience. Details that you cannot see from either the North or the South Rim seem to pop-out when you are flying above the area.  If you have time and are in the mood for an extra-special treat, a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon is an incomparable way to experience the world-famous icon.

 

Click any section of the circle below for our page containing that information. The segment shown in gold indicates the section of the guide you are viewing.

                           

                                Click this segment to read our Las Vegas OverviewClick hereto read about Casinos and hotels in Las VegasClick here to read our brief overview of the types of gambling in Las VegasClick here to read about shows and entertainment in Las VegasClick here to read our recommendations on the best places to eat in Las VegasNot a gambler? Great shopping awaits you!Free and worthwhile attractions in Las VegasGreat daytrips from Las VegasLas Vegas Travel Facts to help you tour Las Vegas

                                                 Advertisement

                              

 

 

Aerial view of Lake Mead

Lake Mead photographs courtesy of U.S. Department of the Interior

Lake Mead is a popular area for recreational boating

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top of Page

 

 

The Hooever Dam holds back the waters of the Colorado River, which then accumulate in Lake Mead

Hoover Dam Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior

 

 

Top of Page

 

Red Rock Canyon is a great place for hikes

 

Explore Las Vegas

Overview
Casinos
Gambling
Shows
Great Eats
Shopping
Free Things
Travel Facts

Strip Map
Hotel Map
Shopping Map
Free Things Map
Day Trips Map

 

 

Top of Page

 

 

Valley of Fire State Park is beautiful

Top of Page

 

Petroglyphs can be seen on rocks near various of the Park's trails

 

 

 

Touring the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas is possible via a helicopter tour

 




 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Las Vegas:                                            View Other Vacation Destinations                                    Top of Page  
About ThereArePlaces       Contact Us     Legal   Privacy Policy    Site Map     Media Center  

 
ThereArePlaces Home     Destination Travel Guides    Travel Planning Guides  
  ,