Las Vegas Outdoor Activities: Red Rock, Lake Mead & More
The best outdoor activities near Las Vegas — Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston, ziplining, off-road ATV, and desert golf
Top Outdoor
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
A 195,819-acre BLM-managed conservation area 17 miles west of the Strip with a 13-mile scenic drive and 26 marked hiking trails.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
America's largest reservoir by volume — 1.5 million acres of desert, water, and the Hoover Dam backdrop, 25 minutes east of the Strip.
Mount Charleston
An 11,916-foot peak in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area — pine forests, summer hiking, and Lee Canyon snow 45 minutes from the Strip.
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
A 528-acre former Howard Hughes ranch at the foot of the Red Rock escarpment, now a Nevada state park with picnic lawns and summer theater.
Clark County Wetlands Park
A 2,900-acre urban wetland on the Las Vegas Wash with paved trails, a nature center, and 300+ bird species — 20 minutes east of the Strip.
Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs
A 680-acre former 1930s dude ranch turned city park in northwest Vegas with four spring-fed ponds, peacocks, and shaded picnic groves.
Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
A 48,438-acre conservation area south of Henderson protecting more than 300 ancient petroglyph panels in the Petroglyph Canyon.
Seven Magic Mountains
Ugo Rondinone's seven 30-foot stacks of fluorescent boulders rising out of the Mojave 25 minutes south of the Strip.
Shadow Creek Golf Course
Steve Wynn and Tom Fazio's ultra-private 1989 course in North Las Vegas, opened to MGM resort guests at $750+ a round.
Bali Hai Golf Club
A South Pacific–themed 18-hole course on the south end of the Strip, the closest full-length course to the Las Vegas resorts.
Calico Basin
A free-access pocket of red sandstone outside the Red Rock fee gate — Red Spring picnic area, boardwalks, and bouldering walls.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
A 22,650-acre monument on the north edge of the valley protecting Ice Age fossil beds — mammoth, ground sloth, and dire wolf remains.
Own a Business in Las Vegas?
Get listed on Las Vegas's top tourism site and connect with travelers planning their trips
Las Vegas Outdoor Activities & Tours
Book outdoor experiences — Red Rock, Lake Mead, and more