Nevada's dramatic landscape is just a short drive from the Strip. Red Rock Canyon, 20 miles west, has a 13-mile scenic loop drive past banded sandstone cliffs and a network of hiking trails — the closest serious nature to the city. Southeast, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead draw millions each year to one of the great engineering feats of the 20th century and the largest reservoir in the country; pair the dam with the quiet, gambling-free streets of Boulder City just up the hill. An hour northeast, Valley of Fire State Park is named for its vivid red sandstone formations and holds petroglyphs thousands of years old.
When the desert basin is unbearable, Mount Charleston, about 45 minutes northwest, sits high enough to see snow in winter and offers a 30-degree temperature drop in summer. Farther afield, Death Valley National Park is a two-hour drive west and worth the long day if you want to stand at the lowest and hottest point in North America, while Grand Canyon West, 2.5 hours southeast on Hualapai tribal land, puts you on the glass-floored Skywalk over a 4,000-foot drop.
Closer in, the near-ghost town of Nelson in Eldorado Canyon offers an old gold mine, rusted-out cars, and a stunning Colorado River overlook 45 minutes southeast. And for the truly curious, Rachel on the Extraterrestrial Highway — gateway to the Area 51 lore — makes for a weird and wonderful day out about 90 miles north. The petroglyphs at Grapevine Canyon are another worthwhile stop on the way toward the Colorado River.
