Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Where to Eat, Sleep, and Explore in Las Vegas

"Paradoxically, Las Vegas has become more and more of a draw for nature lovers, bikers, and rock climbers (even Alex Honnold, the first to free solo a route in Yosemite’s El Capitan, lives here for the rock climbing). The most famous area for this is the nearly 200,000-acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, where the non-hiking-inclined can drive the easy 12-mile loop, and hikers can pick one of the many marked trails of every level to see spectacular views and pictographs from Indigenous communities dating back thousands of years. The drive there is an easy 20-mile shot west from the Strip, making it a perfect day trip." - Staff Writer