What is there to do in Vegas during the day? Of course there are hotel pools to hang out around, spas to hide out in and plenty of shopping to occupy you if that's your thing but what is there to do if you're the outdoorsy type? Well as an official local I have narrowed it down to the two top spots to check out around Vegas for a hike or a picnic. First off is Red Rock State Park.
Red Rock State Park is right on the edge of town on the west side. An easy park to get to from the city, it feels like a world away from civilization.
It's worth visiting for the views and photo opportunities. Most people we have taken here are blown away at how beautiful the park is.
There is a lot to check out here including an array of different hikes, Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, amazing wildlife and a visitor center which is great for kids.
Our favorite wildlife sighting out here so far has been seeing adorable wild burros.
It's also a popular climbing and biking area. If you don't want to hike but you want to check out the views you can simply drive the scenic loop which is worth the trip.
Just imagine that in about an hour's drive from the strip you could be here.
Mount Charleston is the best place to head to if you want to beat the Vegas summertime heat. Like Red Rock State Park, it's worth visiting just for the drive. There are several different hikes in the area from easy trails to more advanced, steep mountain trails.
There are plenty of places here to take a picnic and it's practically the perfect setting to do so.
If you're just visiting town, hit up a Whole Foods for picnic supplies before you head up the mountain and you're bound to have a relaxing day at Mount Charleston.
So there you have it, the two best spots to get outside around Vegas. If you plan on visiting Vegas I hope you get a chance to check them out!
Love the donkeys! But then, donkeys seem to like me back :-) Very nice landscape photos, and the pictographs look fascinating. We have some up in the Boundary Waters in northern MN, but they're hard to spot.
There is also an old light/sign museum somewhere in the desert there. Have you seen it?
Yes! It's called the Neon Museum and it's pretty cool!
I'd love to see it! I heard about it on atv show, while stuck in a hotel :)
looking at your photos I would say that the countryside is way more beautiful than the city with it's skytowers and casinos :D
Great photos and hiking is a great thing to do if you are the outdoors type. There are a lot of ghost towns out that way, that is another great place to spend the day outdoors exploring.
Great tip! I will have to check more of those out :)
Calico Ghost Town is about 3 hours away from Vegas, Just North East of Barstow, CA. It is a neat little place. I took my kids there a few times when we lived in the area.
I never thought of going to a state park when visiting Vegas...shame I did when I see this!
That is one of my favorite parks in the USA! Great photos.
Thank you!
I'm a local to Vegas too. I love Red Rock.
Looks amazing. Stemmit is showing me a beauty in America I never knew existed :)