Karen is a Scottish freelance travel and culture writer based in the US. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, National Geographic, BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler.
Karen is a Scottish freelance travel and culture writer based in the US. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, National Geographic, BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler.
Hi, I'm Karen!Karen is a Scottish freelance travel and culture writer based in the US. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, National Geographic, BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler.
Hi, I'm Karen!Karen is a Scottish freelance travel and culture writer based in the US. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, National Geographic, BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler.
There’s so much more to Nevada than the neon lights, high-stakes card tables, over-the-top nightclubs, and diva residencies that define Las Vegas. Beyond Sin City, there’s a whole Silver State to explore, including some of the country’s top natural wonders. From soaking up the scene in desolate desert landscapes to embarking on quirky road trips, here are the best destinations for a Nevada trip away from the Strip.
One of the most remarkable feats of 20th-century American engineering, the arched, soaring Hoover Dam connects Nevada and Arizona, overlooking Lake Mead and the Colorado River. Just a 40-minute drive from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam makes for an easy day trip from that city. For the best experience, choose a guided tour that gets you there before the crowds arrive and takes you inside the power plant.
Outdoor lovers can swim, boat, hike, bike, and camp in America’s first and largest national recreation area. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a playground set within a landscape of deep canyons, steep cliffs, and colorful rock formations just 25 minutes from Las Vegas. Soak up the scenery with a kayaking tour or a thrilling off-road ATV adventure. Best of all? You can visit year-round—Lake Mead offers activities during all four seasons.
Death Valley is a place of extremes: It’s the hottest, driest, and lowest of America’s national parks and renowned for its extreme temperatures. Despite its uninviting name, however, Death Valley National Park, which straddles Nevada and California, is filled with life—admire bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, jackrabbits, and vast fields of wildflowers that bloom after much-welcome fall, winter, and spring rainfall. Day tours from Las Vegas include scenic drives and stargazing.
Known for its old petroglyphs carved by the Ancestral Puebloans into striking red sandstone formations that date back thousands of years, Valley of Fire State Park is a popular day trip for its ancient cultural heritage and hiking trails. Visitors can explore the multi-colored desert scenery on foot by joining a guided hiking tour from Las Vegas or steer a dune buggy around the park’s striking formations on an ATV tour
Just a short drive from Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is home to a 13-mile (21-kilometer) paved, one-way scenic route that leads drivers and bikers through a stunning desert landscape of canyons, multi-colored rock formations, and sandstone and limestone cliffs that reach up to 7,000 feet (2,134 meters) in height.
Several trails lead hikers through the park, from the short, easy Petroglyph Wall trail that leads to 800-year-old rock art to the challenging Ice Box Canyon trail that takes you to seasonal waterfalls. Join a guided hiking tour or explore the landscape by bike, scooter, or helicopter.
Related: Top Hiking Trails in Red Rock Canyon
Basque people have lived in Nevada for hundreds of years, and their presence has left a strong mark on the state, from festivals and folklore to Basque-style family feasts.
Visitors can get a taste of Nevada’s Basque culture by visiting one of northern Nevada’s several historic Basque boarding houses or by attending the National Basque Festival in Elko, which is held over the Fourth of July weekend each year and features live music, dancing, weightlifting, wood-chopping, and cuisine like steak, chorizo, and free-flowing red wine.
Driving the length of State Route 375, better known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, takes you to an eclectic array of unexpected and eerie landmarks. The Highway runs past the Nevada Test and Training Range, including the infamous portion known as Area 51 (ground zero for conspiracy theories and UFO sightings), as well as many alien-themed businesses, including the Alien Research Center souvenir shop and the Little A'Le'Inn hotel and café.
A Wild West boomtown turned ghost town, Rhyolite offers an intriguing glimpse into Nevada’s boom and bust history. Established near Death Valley in 1905, quickly following the discovery of high-grade, extremely valuable gold ore, Rhyolite was briefly the third-largest city in Nevada. Today, it’s one of the most photographed ghost towns in the West and often a stop on day tours from Las Vegas to Death Valley.
Established over 40 years ago, the Republic of Molossia is a micronation just east of Carson City. Though not recognized by any member state of the United Nations, Molossia considers itself a sovereign independent nation with its own laws, traditions, and land. It even has its own customs station, postal service, and bank—the currency is the Valora. Contact the micronation directly to book a tour from April through October, and ensure you bring your passport to get a stamp.
