Off Strip Exploration

Whenever someone says they live in Las Vegas, the most common response is about the Strip. Granted, that makes us an iconic city, but Las Vegas is so much more. 

Below are my top ten off-Strip alternative regional destinations I recommend exploring, especially if you want to move to the area.

One of America’s most incredible engineering structures is only 35 miles southeast of the Strip. Built during the Depression, Hoover Dam offers tours into the dam and various viewpoints. From there, you are close to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Lake Mead is the first and largest national recreation area with opportunities to swim, boat, hike, bike, camp, and fish. 

Hidden further south is a section of the Colorado River near the Nevada/Arizona border, only accessible by boat. In Emerald Cove, the water’s deep hue of green makes it worth the journey. Accessible from Arizona’s Willow Beach, the 12-mile stretch features a waterfall, wildlife, and towering canyon walls that rise along the route, where boaters find a cave showcasing stunning emerald-colored water. 

Another place to enjoy nature is the Clark County Wetlands Park. It is a hidden gem on the eastern edge of the Vegas Valley. A 210-acre nature preserve, the Wetlands Park features year-round access to hundreds of species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. 

Heading 17 miles west brings you to the stunningly beautiful and diverse Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It boasts miles of hiking trails, including one leading to a cold plunge, rock climbing, and picnic areas, accessible along a scenic one-way drive showcasing the diverse landscape and, if you’re lucky, desert tortoises. 

Head north from Red Rock, and you’ll find yourself over 8,000 feet in elevation amongst the pine trees at Lee Canyon Ski Resort on Mount Charleston. A regional year-round destination, it offers hiking, mountain biking, and gondola rides in the summer and snow sports in the winter. Recently purchased by Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), the southwest’s largest ski management company, plans to invest in the resort. 

Keep heading west to Death Valley National Park, approximately 2 hours away. Iconic for its name, but don’t let the name fool you; Death Valley’s diverse landscape showcases striking contracts and a world teaming with life. Within the park of extremes is the lowest elevation in the nation, painted rocks, dunes, and – when open for access – a castle. 

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, about 30 minutes northwest of Las Vegas, is teeming with fossils that date back to the Ice Age. 

Head north for about an hour to explore the Valley of Fire State Park. There you’ll discover ancient petroglyphs, petrified trees, and the bright red Aztec sandstone that inspired the name. Open year-round, the park offers camping, hiking, and picnicking. 

Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens, a short six miles west of The Strip along Highway 95, is an oasis in the desert. The award-winning garden contains a nationally accredited display of Mojave Desert cacti and succulents. It also features a butterfly habitat open during the fall and spring, and if you didn’t see one at Red Rock, you might catch a glimpse of the Spring Preserve’s resident tortoise Mojave Max.