

Neon To Nature
Beyond-the-Neon Day Trips From Vegas
Route Distance
60 to 210 miles
Suggested Time
1+ Day Per Route
Positively brimming with grandeur, Nevada has the lion’s share of the wild west’s stunning scenery, intriguing geology and natural wonders. This 355-mile route on the Great Basin Highway takes in the highlights, beginning with red rock spires and sandstone canyons and ending with mountain peaks and ancient Bristlecone Pine forests. In five days, you’ll steer from Las Vegas to Ely to Great Basin National Park, immersing yourself in the larger-than-life landscapes of Valley of Fire State Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, and many other fascinating state parks, including ghostly haunts and sites soaked in Nevada history.
Highlights
- Tour a famous wonder of the engineering world at Hoover Dam
- Hike, cycle, or rock climb at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- Wander among wildlife and ancient petroglyphs at Valley of Fire State Park
The Very Best Day Trips From Las Vegas
Where to Go Beyond the Glow
With day trips from Las Vegas in every direction, there’s plenty to satisfy your get-outside side without traveling too far from the Entertainment Capital of the World. Hit the Red Rockin’ Loop and hoof it around lush, oasis-like Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, stunning Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and a ghost town with its own saloon. Venture the Fire and Water Loop to Valley of Fire State Park, Gold Butte National Monument, Mesquite, and Lake Mead. Or cruise the Colorado River Corridor to tour Hoover Dam, chow down in Boulder City, tour a historic gold mine, and live it up on the Laughlin Riverwalk.

COMMUNITIES ON THIS TRIP
Glovebox Essentials
Prepare for Your Adventure
Get ready to come chase some horizons with this handy tool kit. Here, you’ll find all the Neon to Nature road trip essentials, including downloadable directions, maps, and podcasts, and tunes to complement your upcoming adventure.
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Welcome to Nevada – Just the Place
Go from Neon to Nature
Day Trips From Las Vegas? Get Outta Town.
This 3-part, hub-and-spoke road trip transports you to some of southern Nevada’s most breathtaking parks and landscapes, famous landmarks, and one-of-a-kind attractions—and back again. Use these tips to take off-strip day trips, or even to plan some well-worth-it overnight escapes.
Loop 1
Red Rockin’ Loop
Immerse yourself in craggy, red-banded beauty at Red Rock Canyon, lush greenery at historic Spring Mountain Ranch, and sagebrush saloon ambiance in Goodsprings Ghost Town.
Loop 2
Fire and Water Loop
Take the scenic route along Lake Mead’s edge to Valley of Fire, where famously photogenic orange and red rocks abound, then mosey to Mesquite for museums, art, and fine meals.
Loop 3
Colorado River Corridor
After touring Hoover Dam, head to Boulder City for epic eats and outdoor action, on land and water. Stop for a historic mine tour en route to Laughlin for more riverfront fun.

Loop 1
Red Rockin’ Loop
60 to 110 mi
- Take a guided hike or yoga class in lush Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
- Drive, cycle, or e-bike 13-mile Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive
- Chase spirits in Goodsprings ghost town, then sip ’em at the Pioneer Saloon
Pack the snacks and book it to the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center to view a live desert tortoise habitat and hiking recs. Plan ahead and book a Timed Entry on Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive, the looping scenic drive Las Vegas visitors cherish for its stunning vista points and popular trail access. Next stop: tranquil Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, a verdant oasis full of hikes, historic buildings, and unique ranger programs. Add a trip to Goodsprings Ghost Town to wind down with burgers ‘n’ beers at the storied Pioneer Saloon.
Nevada is all about open-road adventures, but please brush up on travel restrictions and safety guidelines before heading for our horizons.
The Red Rockin’ Loop proves why we call this suite of day trips from Las Vegas “Neon to Nature.” And all this outdoor action is sure to make that hotel pillow feel extra plush. Here are our fave places to crash Downtown.

Circa Resort & Casino
Las Vegas

El Cortez Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas

Downtown Grand Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas

Oasis at Gold Spike
LAS VEGAS
Hikers head to Calico Basin’s larger-than-life landscapes. Climbers go crazy for more than 1,200 named routes, from short sport to 20-pitch pushes. Meanwhile, solace-seekers steal away to Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.

Blue Diamond Loop
Las Vegas

Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive
Las Vegas

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
LAS VEGAS

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
BLUE DIAMOND

Vegas Off-Road Tours
GOODSPRINGS

Seven Magic Mountains
JEAN
If those original stamped tin walls could talk! The 1913-built Pioneer Saloon is home to legends, folklore, and Food Network-approved fare—all washed down with some notoriously killer drinks. Worth those extra miles, trust us.

Cottonwood Station Eatery
Blue Diamond

Pioneer Saloon
Jean

Loop 2
Fire & Water Loop
120 to 175 miles
- Navigate gleaming, striped rock formations at Valley of Fire State Park
- Go as off-the-grid as it gets at Gold Butte National Monument
- Discover Ancestral Puebloan culture at Lost City Museum
Valley of Fire is one of the most popular Las Vegas day trips—and with good reason. Nevada’s first and largest state park, formed when dinosaurs roamed the Silver State, offers unparalleled vistas of (or atop) other-worldly sandstone formations, plus chances aplenty to spy desert bighorn sheep and stone-carved calling cards from Nevada’s earliest human ancestors. But push on to discover fascinating museums, eye-catching art, off-road adventure, golf galore, and some amenity-packed resorts where you rest your head in style.
The border town of Mesquite is home to art, culture, great restaurants, and nine golf courses—all set against a stunning Virgin River Valley backdrop. Here are some of our favorite places to make a night of it in Mesquite.

Eureka Casino Resort
MESQUITE

Virgin River Hotel & Casino
MESQUITE

Casablanca Resort & Casino
MESQUITE
Leave early to beat the crowds (and heat) to Valley of Fire. Then uncover American Indian history at Lost City Museum and cruise on to Mesquite for an amazing art gallery, artifact-packed museum, and high-octane activities.

Lost City Museum
Moapa Valley

Valley of Fire State Park
Overton

Skydive Mesquite
MESQUITE

Adventure Time Tours & Rentals
MESQUITE

Virgin Valley Heritage Museum
MESQUITE

Mesquite Fine Arts Center & Gallery
MESQUITE

Gold Butte National Monument
GOLD BUTTE

Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Boulder City

Desert Ranch Experience
BUNKERVILLE
Sweeten your trip with a milkshake at The Inside Scoop, or spice it up with Cajun cuisine at Sugar’s Home Plate—both in Moapa Valley. If you think your day’s work has earned you a huge, juicy steak: Katherine’s Steakhouse.

The Inside Scoop
Moapa Valley

Katherine’s Steakhouse
MESQUITE

Sugar’s Home Plate
OVERTON
Light up your world with a mass ascension of lanterns into the Mojave Desert’s night sky, join a cele-BRAY-tion of one of Nevada’s sweetest wild critters, or sample your way around an old-fashioned pomegranate party.

Loop 3
Colorado River Corridor
70 to 250 miles
- Catch a tour of Hoover Dam, or a vista of it from an 886-ft-high bridge
- Hiking, paddling, and hot springing along the mighty Colorado River
- Antique-shop, café-hop, and hit up museums in charming Boulder City
- Get wild on the water or in seven lively resorts along the Laughlin Riverwalk
Without Hoover Dam, there’d be no Vegas. Tour the modern marvel and test your camera’s panorama mode from the 886-ft-tall, 1,905-ft-long viewing bridge—the longest of its kind in North America. Then explore Boulder City, the quiet, Art Deco-obsessed town that built it, where fascinating museums, cute shops, outdoor activities, and amazing eats abound. Stop for a tour of Techatticup Mine and poke around Nelson Ghost Town en route to Laughlin, where the party continues, in the resorts and, of course, on the Colorado River.
If your day ends in Boulder City, choose from a Colonial Revival-style gem, a swanky B&B, or a retro-chic motel (there’s that neon again). If you push on to Laughlin, settle into one of nine riverfront overflowing-amenity resorts.

Milo’s Cellar & Inn
BOULDER CITY

El Rancho Boulder Motel
BOULDER CITY

Hoover Dam Lodge Hotel & Casino
BOULDER CITY

Tropicana Laughlin Hotel & Casino
LAUGHLIN

Harrah’s Laughlin Casino Hotel
LAUGHLIN

Boulder Dam Hotel
Boulder City

Golden Nugget Laughlin
LAUGHLIN

Aquarius Casino Resort
Laughlin

Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
LAUGHLIN
Got extra days? Take ‘em. Otherwise, your work’s cut out choosing how to stack this action-packed out-and-back. This trip delivers for history buffs, outdoor enthusiasts, water lovers, and just about everyone else, too.

London Bridge Jet Boat Tours
LAUGHLIN

Gold Strike Hot Spring
BOULDER CITY

Laughlin Riverwalk
LAUGHLIN

Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead National Recreation Area
BOULDER CITY

Colorado River Museum & Historical Society
BULLHEAD CITY

Eldorado Canyon and Techatticup Mine
Nelson

Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters
BOULDER CITY

Nevada State Railroad Museum—Boulder City
BOULDER CITY

Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum
BOULDER CITY

Colorado River Heritage Greenway Park & Trails
LAUGHLIN
Treat yourself to famous Dole whip floats at Chilly Jilly’z, mom-and-pop classics at the postcard-perfect Coffee Cup Café, and “killer” burgers at The Dillinger—all in BC—or steak your claim at Laughlin’s chop houses.

The Dillinger Food and Drinkery
BOULDER CITY

Coffee Cup Café
Boulder City

Chilly Jilly’z Bakery & Cafe
BOULDER CITY
From 4-day film fests, smoked meat celebrations, and the largest juried outdoor art fest in the Southwest to rallies for mountain bikes, off-road rigs, and motorcycles, these Colorado River towns know how to get down.
#NeonToNature
Big city lights and breathtaking desert sights. See ‘em both (plus everything in between) and tag #NeonToNature so we can virtually tag along with ya.










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