Beyond the Strip: day trips

Red and cream sandstone cliffs half an hour from the Strip: a 13-mile scenic drive, short hikes, rock scrambling and some of the …

Seven towers of brightly painted stacked boulders in the desert south of town: a quick, free photo stop.

America’s largest reservoir (when full) and the small town that built Hoover Dam, where gambling is still banned.

The 1930s concrete giant on the Colorado River: walk across the top between Nevada and Arizona, take a tour inside, and see it fr…

A tiny mining town with a 1913 saloon, a ghost-town atmosphere and a good burger, 40 minutes from the Strip.

Pine forests and snow 45 minutes from the Strip: where locals escape the summer heat, and where they go to sled in winter.

Nevada’s oldest state park: flame-red sandstone, petroglyphs and the Fire Wave, an hour from Las Vegas.

The lowest, hottest and driest place in North America: salt flats, sand dunes and painted badlands, two hours from Las Vegas.

The closest part of the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas, on Hualapai land, with the glass-floored Skywalk over the edge.

Utah’s most visited national park: towering canyon walls, the Riverside Walk and The Narrows, under three hours from Las Vegas.

Thousands of orange rock spires (hoodoos) in a high-altitude amphitheatre. Best combined with Zion on an overnight trip.

The classic Grand Canyon: the national park’s main viewpoints, rim walks and lodges. Too far for a comfortable day trip; stay a n…