Vegas, but For Nature
We all know about the debauchery to be found in Sin City. Been there, done that (and never doing it again…until the next time I do it again). But, what a lot of people don’t know is that Vegas is actually a great base to see amazing natural scenery. Here’s a few things you can do within a two hour drive from the strip.
Valley of Fire
This state park is located about an hour and a half from Las Vegas, toward St. George and Zion (which is arguably one of the most beautiful national parks in the country). You’ll feel like you’re out on Mars when you visit this amazing park. Get here early though to beat the scorching desert sun! There are a bunch of hikes you can do either individually, or you can do what we did and just combine it all. We ended up combining it all, so here’s the route we took.
Start out with a trek from the Fire Wave Trailhead and head out to the super-instagrammable fire wave. These amazing geological formation isn’t quite as spectacular as the one in Arizona, but it is still a sight to behold. The way there is quite flat and you have a lot of freedom to sort of choose your own path - it can be confusing at times but you’ll end up at the right place in the end.
From Fire Wave, turn towards the Pastel Canyon Trail. This route will take you through some pretty cool mini-slot canyons and the color scheme changes to provide a nice change in scenery. Lots of cool moments with rock formations in this area that make for a fun hike.
Keep going on the this trail and you’ll get to White Domes. This route will take you back up toward the trailhead via massive slot canyons. We ended up going back and forth through this portion just to experience the grandeur of these slot canyons (and of course to get some more dope shots).
Grand Canyon
This is the grand daddy of them all. The Grand Canyon is a symbol of America, and you can get to the West Rim from Vegas in just over 2 hours.
We started at the Skywalk. It’s a feat of engineering that will take your breath away. A glass bottom walkway cantilevers dozens of feet out over the edge of the canyon, providing unmatched views and testing your bravery. While it is somewhat annoyingly expensive, I would say it is worth it.
We then walked from the Skywalk over to Guano Point. Here, you can take a short hike out to the edge where you can see an abandoned gondola life that was used by miners in the 20th century. We brought some sandwiches and ate at the picnic tables here, and it really is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever eaten a sandwich. I almost wish there were more trails and we had more time to explore this area. I know I always say “the views are great, the views this, the views that” but when it comes to the Grand Canyon, simply nothing is grander.
Red Rock Canyon
Just about a 30 minute drive to the west, you’ll find Red Rock Canyon. There are dozens of hikes in this park, most with dope views over Las Vegas. We chose to do the Calico Tanks Trail, which many consider to be the best hike around Vegas. The color change and dynamic scenery of this hike is what makes it so fantastic. There are moments when you’re walking through trees, scrambling over rocks, splashing water at your sister from the pond and taking in sweeping views over the valley and the strip. So if the Valley of Fire or Grand Canyon are a bit too far, this hike will more than suffice if you need some nature to cleanse your soul.
