Think the best hiking trails Las Vegas has to offer are Fremont Street and Sahara Avenue? It may be time for you to get out of the city. Fortunately, there is no shortage of outdoor activities in Las Vegas and its surrounding areas. Most of these require at least a bit of hiking, though you can enjoy the scenery from your car. You can even float through one of these outdoor getaways!

Man and Nature Merge Impressively at the Hoover Dam

Immortalized in an episode of The Adventures of Pete and Pete (hello, ‘90s kids!), the Hoover Dam is… a dam. This may not sound like hot competition for the Strip. Yet, in pre-Covid times, over a million tourists would pass through the Hoover Dam’s power plant daily. And joking aside, it’s a pretty impressive fusion of technology, architecture, and nature. 

The dam is tasked with restraining the powerful Colorado River, resulting in the formation of Lake Mead. Situated directly on the border of Arizona and Nevada, the Hoover Dam is found 30 miles south of Las Vegas. Surprisingly, the dam is as restrictive of minors as a casino floor. If you want to tour the dam itself, you’ll want to leave the little ones with a sitter. However, children are permitted entry to the tour of the power plant. 

For our money, the Hoover Dam’s most impressive feature is its incredible scenery. If you’re looking for scenic outdoor activities in Las Vegas adjacent areas, it’s panoramic views can’t be beat. 

Las Vegas Hiking at Red Rock Canyon

Photo credit: Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas

Watching Wile E. Coyote chase the Roadrunner, you’d believe those painted desert scapes were contained in the 2-dimensional realm of cartoons. But Red Rock Canyon will leave you watching the skies for falling anvils. Possibly the most popular of the outdoor activities in Las Vegas, this national conservation area immerses you in the Mojave Desert. It also hosts the most conveniently located hiking trails Las Vegas has to offer with the park visible from the Strip. 

The popular Scenic Drive has required timed reservations since October 2021, but those may lapse in May. However, you’ll find a lot of options for enjoying Red Rock Canyon from hiking to camping to biking. The park provides some of your best opportunities to get acquainted with the flora and fauna of Nevada. You can even try rock climbing if you know what you’re doing!

Taking Outdoor Activities in Las Vegas to Their Highest Conclusion

Photo credit: Viator

If your feet are still sore from walking the Strip, the hiking trails Las Vegas offers may have lost their appeal. But there’s still at least one way to enjoy outdoor activities in Las Vegas while keeping hiking off the menu. It’s time to get higher than you’ve ever been before. Wait, what did you think we were talking about? We obviously meant Las Vegas balloon rides!

Hot air balloon rides over Las Vegas are popular enough to warrant lists of the top local balloon ride companies. To be clear, these balloons typically roam well outside the city limits in the surrounding desert. However, high above the scorching earth, the twinkle of the city is often clearly visible. 

Not everyone’s a hiker and there’s no shame in that. But you can still enjoy some Las Vegas sunshine with a little help from some hot air. 

Get Visually Inspired by Valley of Fire

Feel like you didn’t quite get everything you wanted from Red Rock Canyon? Then you’ll be happy to know that Valley of Fire kicks the visuals up a notch. Further away than the other outdoor activities in Las Vegas, Valley of Fire offers otherworldly red sandstone formations. The distance often translates to smaller crowds than those mobbing Red Rock Canyon. 

If you’re all about the hiking trails Las Vegas offers, you should know that Valley of Fire’s trails are shorter. However, they offer a greater variety of scenery including ancient petrified trees and petroglyphs. You may even catch a glimpse of the region’s native bighorn sheep! 

So, give the one-armed bandits a break and enjoy some fresh air! Las Vegas has a lot to offer beyond its glittering façade. From hiking trails to scenic drives to aerial travel, there are plenty of outdoor activities in Las Vegas worth your attention!