Things to Do Outdoors in Las Vegas: 7 Picks Near the Strip

You can fill a day outdoors from Las Vegas without much planning. Pick by how much effort you want and how far you will drive. Each pick below gives the fees and closures, and a table near the end sorts all seven.

1. Red Rock Canyon: the easiest hiking day from the Strip

Red Rock Canyon is the closest big hiking area to the Strip. The Bureau of Land Management says the conservation area lies 17 miles west of the Strip, about 30 minutes by car. It offers a 13-mile scenic drive and hikes that last from a few minutes to a full day. For a short walk, the BLM lists the 0.6-mile Red Spring Boardwalk and the 0.1-mile Sundial Trail. The BLM's trail guide lists two real half-day hikes: Calico Tanks, about 2.5 miles round trip and 2 hours with 450 feet of climbing, and Ice Box Canyon, about 2.2 miles and 2 hours, rated difficult. Either one fits a morning with the drive. The BLM gives no time for Pine Creek, so ask at the visitor center about it.

From October 1 to May 31 you need a timed-entry reservation to drive the scenic road between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You book it on Recreation.gov or by phone at (877) 444-6777. The Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association lists the fees: $20 for a car, $10 for a motorcycle, $8 for a bicycle and $5 for a person on foot. A yearly Red Rock pass costs $50.

Public transportation does not reach the canyon. Without a car, a guided Red Rock Canyon tour is the simplest way in, and the BLM says tour buses may be available from your hotel. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park sits next to the conservation area. It adds shaded picnic tables, hiking trails and 1860s ranch buildings for $10 a vehicle, or $15 with out-of-state plates.

Hiking is only one way to see this desert. If you would rather ride, Las Vegas off-road tours cover similar land on wheels, and entry 4 below shows the options.

Pro Tip Book the Red Rock timed entry before you drive out. From October to May the scenic road is closed to cars without one between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., so arrive early or hike after 5 p.m.

2. Valley of Fire State Park: red sandstone and a hard summer closure

Valley of Fire is the best pick for red rock scenery, but it has the strictest closing rules on this list. The state park has 40,000 acres of red sandstone, petrified trees and petroglyphs more than 2,000 years old. It opens daily from sunrise to sunset, and a vehicle costs $10, or $15 with plates from outside Nevada.

Two closures matter for your dates. The whole park shuts from December 1 to 14 each year, including to people on foot. From May 15 to September 30, the park closes many popular trails, such as White Domes, Fire Wave and Pink Canyon. The state gives the reason: frequent medical calls, rescues and deaths from heat. So in summer, walk at sunrise, carry plenty of water and skip the middle of the day. The same advice holds for Red Rock and every other hike here.

The park's page also lists a temporary closure of the west entrance. Check the park page and road conditions on the day, because the page does not give a drive time from the Strip.

3. Seven Magic Mountains: the free stop in the desert

Seven Magic Mountains costs nothing to visit. The artwork is a row of towers of painted boulders, set in the desert about 10 miles south of the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Rose Parkway. The official visit page says no reservations are needed, and there is no admission fee.

Plan for a car, because no public transportation goes there. The site has no restrooms, and the nearest ones are about five miles away in Jean. Bring water and a hat, since the site's own page says summer highs average above 104°F. The organizers prefer visits from sunrise to sunset, and camping is not allowed.

The towers are art, so do not climb them. Photos for private use are fine, but tripods and lighting gear are not allowed. The producers also say they do not run tours and warn you not to book with anyone who collects parking or entrance fees.

4. ATV and UTV rides: the easy way into the desert

A guided ATV or UTV ride is the most popular outdoor booking near Las Vegas, and you do not need your own car. Things to Do in Las Vegas's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 22 ATV, UTV and off-road tours, from €52 to €848, with a middle price of €192. Many listings have few reviews, so we picked two with the most. Is a tour worth it? A ride needs a machine, a guide and a place to ride, so you cannot do it on your own, and a tour with a shuttle saves the drive and the rental car.

The guided desert ATV ride, from €97 per person, runs 3 hours and holds up to 10 people. GetYourGuide shows a 4.5 rating from 835 reviews. The listing includes the return shuttle from Mandalay Bay, a helmet and goggles, and water. Children under 18 and pregnant women are excluded on this ride, and you need closed-toe shoes and long pants.

For a private ride, the UTV ride at Adrenaline Mountain, from €214 per vehicle, runs 4 hours for your own group. GetYourGuide shows 4.9 from 103 reviews. The price includes hotel pickup, helmets with intercoms and water. People with back or heart problems should skip it. Browse more in our guide to Las Vegas off-road tours.

5. Horseback riding: a sunset ride with dinner

A sunset horseback ride is the slowest and quietest way to see the desert. The sunset ride with BBQ dinner, from €143 per person, lasts 6 hours and includes hotel pickup, riding gear, dinner and dessert. GetYourGuide shows 4.8 from 579 reviews. Groups hold up to 12 people. Pickup is at selected Las Vegas hotels, and the listing says to check availability for details.

Riders must be at least 6 years old, and the listing excludes people over 250 pounds. Tips are not included. Because the ride is at sunset, the desert air cools down, which makes this the best fit for a hot month. See more rides on our horseback riding in Las Vegas page.

6. Kayaking to Emerald Cave: a day on the Colorado River

A kayak trip to Emerald Cave is the best water activity near Las Vegas, and it takes you out of the heat. The National Park Service calls the 30-mile Black Canyon route a National Water Trail. Emerald Cave lies about 2 miles upriver from Willow Beach, which is 14 miles south of Hoover Dam.

If you drive yourself, Willow Beach has a marina with kayak and canoe rentals. Lake Mead National Recreation Area also charges $25 for a private vehicle for one to seven days. Launching below Hoover Dam needs a permit, so it goes through approved vendors.

The Emerald Cave guided kayak tour, from €128 per person, takes about 4 hours and includes transport from Las Vegas, a guide, snacks and water. GetYourGuide shows 4.9 from 479 reviews, and the trip depends on the weather. Children under 6 cannot join. Groups hold up to 20 people, and lunch and tips are not included. The exact pickup point is not published; the listing says to check availability. This is the only water trip on the list, and no pool or water ride is listed on the Strip.

7. Outdoor shooting: a range trip with hotel pickup

An outdoor shooting range is the cheapest guided activity in this list. The outdoor machine gun and rifle shooting trip, from €45 per person, lasts 3 hours and includes a van from your hotel, a safety officer, ear and eye protection and two targets. GetYourGuide shows 4.9 from 639 reviews.

Groups hold up to 14 people, and the pickup is the hotel van, so no meeting point is needed. Pregnant women and wheelchair users are excluded, and alcohol and drugs are banned. Firearms and ammunition depend on the package you choose. This is the only open-air sport in the list. For golf, the Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort north of town has three Pete Dye courses (Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain and WOLF), but no official price page was found, so check its tee times before you go. Tee-time sites show rates from about $77 to $109 per golfer. Tips are not included, and the listing states no minimum age. Compare more options on our shooting ranges in Las Vegas page.

Key Takeaway In July the normal daytime high is 105°F, so book the Red Rock hike, the ATV ride or the Valley of Fire visit for sunrise, or choose the kayak and the sunset ride.

How to choose things to do outdoors in Las Vegas by effort and season

The weather decides more than the activity does, so pick by month first. The National Weather Service's normal daily highs for Las Vegas are 58°F in January, 78°F in April, 105°F in July and 81°F in October, as listed in its monthly climate books.

The desert rewards the early start: the same trail feels like a different place at 7 a.m. than it does at 2 p.m.

The table sorts the seven picks by effort, cost and the car question. Tour prices are the lowest "from" prices on GetYourGuide, in euros. Park fees are in dollars, as the parks state them.

The honest limit of this list is the car. Red Rock, Valley of Fire and Seven Magic Mountains have no public transportation, and a taxi out and back adds a lot to the cost. Read our getting around Las Vegas guide before you rent, or pick a tour with pickup from the last four entries. For the ATV and shooting trips, the price covers the ride from town, so a tour can cost less than a rental car plus a park fee.

If you have a full day, a longer trip also works. Grand Canyon West is about 122 miles from central Las Vegas, around two hours and fifteen minutes by car, according to the National Park Service. Our Grand Canyon tours and day trips from Las Vegas pages cover those.