VERDICT: WE GAVE 5 OUT OF 5 TICKETS AND HERE’S WHY!
This guide forms part of our complete USA Travel Guide, featuring scenic road trips, iconic destinations, practical travel advice and honest first-hand travel experiences from across the United States.
This article is also part of the Ultimate Guide to Nevada, exploring the Vegas Strip, the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Area 51 and even Getting Married. Read the complete itinerary here.
Nevada is best known for Las Vegas. Nevada also offers dramatic natural wonders, historic mining towns, and outdoor adventures, making it a place where high-energy spectacle and raw Western scenery exist side by side.
Discover another side of Nevada through extraordinary landscapes, historic towns, outdoor adventures and unforgettable road trips
Nevada is a state defined by extremes and contrasts. It’s where neon-lit cities rise from arid desert, where alpine lakes sit just hours from scorching valleys, and where frontier history meets cutting-edge entertainment. While many visitors arrive for Las Vegas, those who explore further quickly discover that Nevada offers some of the most diverse travel experiences in the American West.
There is a point when driving through Nevada when the buildings disappear, the traffic thins out and suddenly there seems to be nothing ahead except desert, mountains and an impossibly long road disappearing towards the horizon.
That’s the Nevada we think more travellers should experience.
Las Vegas might be the state’s headline act, but Nevada is the seventh-largest state in America, and the vast majority of it looks nothing like the Strip.
We’ve found that one of the best things about exploring Nevada is just how quickly the landscape changes. Leave the resorts behind and you can be hiking through red sandstone, kayaking between towering canyon walls, driving through old mining communities or standing beside a huge lake surrounded by desert.
And then there are the wonderfully strange bits.
This is Nevada, after all.
Nevada is a state of striking contrasts, where vast desert landscapes, rugged mountain ranges, and wide-open skies meet some of the world’s most famous entertainment destinations.
▶︎ For Sightseers: Start With Nevada’s Extraordinary Landscapes
If sightseeing is more your style, Nevada makes it remarkably easy to experience enormous landscapes without having to embark on a major expedition.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is one of the easiest escapes from Las Vegas. Its Scenic Drive takes you through a landscape of red sandstone formations, desert vegetation and mountains, with viewpoints and trailheads along the route.
Then there’s Valley of Fire State Park. The name gives you some idea of what to expect. Red and orange sandstone formations dominate Nevada’s oldest state park, creating one of the most photogenic landscapes in the state.
Head north and Nevada changes again. Great Basin National Park is home to ancient bristlecone pines, mountain scenery, caves and Wheeler Peak, which rises to more than 13,000 feet. It also offers some of the darkest night skies in America.
Nevada really does reward travellers who venture farther.
▶︎ For Hikers: From Red Rock to Alpine Nevada
We wouldn’t necessarily have associated Nevada with hiking before spending more time here, but there are trails ranging from short desert walks to serious mountain routes. Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire are obvious starting points.
Around Lake Mead, the Historic Railroad Trail follows part of the former railway system constructed to support the building of Hoover Dam. Several enormous railway tunnels remain along the route, making this much more than simply another desert walk.
More experienced hikers can look north towards Great Basin National Park and the Ruby Mountains, sometimes described as Nevada’s Alps. One important lesson we’ve learned about the desert: never underestimate it.
Summer temperatures can become extreme, shade can be almost nonexistent and distances frequently look shorter than they actually are. Water isn’t optional here.
▶︎ For Lake Lovers: Yes, Nevada Has Beaches
Beaches in Nevada? Absolutely. They just aren’t beside an ocean.
Lake Tahoe, straddling Nevada and California, provides an entirely different image of the state. Here you’ll find brilliant blue water, mountain resorts, forests, beaches, hiking, kayaking and scenic drives.
On the Nevada side, Sand Harbor is particularly beautiful, with clear water, sandy beaches and enormous granite boulders.
Farther south, Lake Mead National Recreation Area provides another huge playground.
Visitors can boat, fish, swim, kayak, paddleboard, camp or simply drive through the desert landscape looking for viewpoints.
We’ve spent time on the Colorado River in this region, and being down at water level surrounded by canyon walls completely changes your perspective of southern Nevada.
▶︎ For Paddlers: Explore Nevada From the Water
One of our favourite Nevada-area adventures involved leaving the car behind altogether.
We kayaked from Willow Beach along the Colorado River through Black Canyon, surrounded by enormous cliffs and remarkably peaceful stretches of water.
Our guide took us past historic sites associated with the construction and monitoring of Hoover Dam before we reached the beautiful green water around Emerald Cove.
It remains one of the best outdoor excursions we’ve done in the region.
The wider Black Canyon Water Trail opens up opportunities for kayaking, canoeing and guided rafting, while Lake Mead and Lake Tahoe provide completely different paddling environments.
Nevada from the water is something we’d absolutely recommend.
▶︎ For Road-Trippers: Nevada Was Made for Driving
Some states are simply better explored by car. Nevada is one of them.
The state’s highways cross enormous open spaces between mountains, desert valleys and communities that sometimes seem to appear from nowhere.
The Extraterrestrial Highway — Nevada State Route 375 is probably its most famous quirky drive. We’ve done this one.
The route takes you through remote central Nevada towards Rachel, the tiny community most closely associated with Area 51.
We stopped at the wonderfully named Little A’Le’Inn, explored Rachel and drove as far towards the Area 51 boundary as visitors can legally go.
Was it strange? Definitely. Would we drive all the way out there again? Probably not. Are we glad we did it? Absolutely.
▶︎ For History Lovers: Mining Towns, Railways & Hoover Dam
Nevada’s history extends far beyond casinos. Mining shaped much of the state, creating boomtowns that grew extraordinarily quickly and sometimes disappeared almost as fast.
Virginia City became one of America’s great mining towns following the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859. Today its historic buildings, museums and old-fashioned streets provide a fascinating glimpse into Nevada’s boom years.
Nevada also has numerous ghost towns. Rhyolite, near Death Valley, is among the best known, with abandoned buildings and ruins creating an eerie reminder of the state’s mining past.
Then there’s Hoover Dam.
We’ve visited the dam and found the scale of it difficult to appreciate until we were actually standing there. The engineering is extraordinary, but equally interesting is the human story behind its construction during the Great Depression and the development of nearby Boulder City.
It’s one of those places where we’d recommend taking the tour rather than simply stopping for photographs.
▶︎ For Travellers Who Prefer the Air
Nevada’s scale becomes particularly obvious from above.
We’ve taken a small aircraft flight from the Las Vegas area towards the Grand Canyon, flying above desert landscapes, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Colorado River.
The plane was small, tight and hot and one flight was probably enough for me, but the views were extraordinary.
Seeing the landscape from the air reveals geological formations and vast distances that are almost impossible to comprehend from the ground.
Helicopter and fixed-wing sightseeing flights operate from the Las Vegas area, with itineraries covering Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Grand Canyon and the Strip. For travellers short on time, it’s an impressive way to see an enormous amount of landscape in a few hours.
▶︎ For Wildlife Watchers
The desert might initially appear empty. Look closer.
Nevada supports desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, jackrabbits, wild horses and an impressive variety of birds.
One of our easiest wildlife encounters came at Hemenway Park in Boulder City, where bighorn sheep regularly wander down from the surrounding mountains and gather on the grass.
We stopped there following our Colorado River kayaking adventure and couldn’t believe how close they were. They are still wild animals, of course, so we gave them plenty of room.
▶︎ For Those Who Like the Unexpected
This might actually be our favourite Nevada category. There are places here that don’t fit neatly into a conventional sightseeing guide.
There’s the UFO culture surrounding Rachel and Area 51. There are abandoned mining settlements slowly being reclaimed by the desert.
You’ll find strange roadside art, old saloons, isolated communities and roads where you can travel considerable distances without seeing much of anything at all.
Nevada even has the International Car Forest of the Last Church near Goldfield, where old vehicles have been planted nose-first into the desert and transformed into an enormous outdoor art installation.
It’s weird. Which means it fits Nevada rather well.
▶︎ Nevada Is Bigger Than You Think
The biggest mistake visitors can make is assuming everything in Nevada is close together. It isn’t.
The state covers more than 110,000 square miles, and driving from southern Nevada to Reno or Lake Tahoe can consume much of a day. That’s why we’d explore Nevada in regions rather than trying to see everything during one trip. Las Vegas makes an excellent base for Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Boulder City and Colorado River adventures.
Northern Nevada deserves a completely different trip built around Reno, Lake Tahoe, Virginia City and the surrounding mountains. And then there are the enormous spaces in between. That’s really what makes Nevada interesting to us.
We’ve enjoyed the hotels, restaurants and entertainment of Las Vegas, but some of our strongest memories involve paddling down the Colorado River, standing above Hoover Dam, spotting bighorn sheep, flying across the desert or following a lonely highway towards a place supposedly filled with aliens.
Nevada can be luxurious, rugged, historic, beautiful and occasionally downright weird.
Sometimes all on the same trip. And that’s exactly why we’d keep exploring it.
Favourite Destinations:
Emerald Cove: Kayak through dramatic Black Canyon to discover Emerald Cove’s brilliant green waters.
Gondolas in Vegas: Cruise Venetian canals beneath bridges & balconies on a Vegas gondola ride.
Area 51: Follow Nevada’s Extraterrestrial Highway into the desert searching for mysterious Area 51.
Best Experiences:
Hoover Dam: Discover the extraordinary engineering, history and immense scale of America’s iconic Hoover Dam.
Grand Canyon: Experience the Grand Canyon from above for breathtaking views of this natural wonder. Take a tour by air. It’s worth it!
Las Vegas: The Entertainment Capital of the World
At the heart of Nevada tourism is Las Vegas, a global icon for entertainment, dining, nightlife, and spectacle.
Highlights
- World-famous resorts and themed hotels
- Headline residencies by top musicians and magicians
- Michelin-level dining and celebrity-chef restaurants
- Casinos, nightlife, shopping, and pool culture
- You can also get married or renew your vows! (Drive through Wedding!)
Las Vegas is also a gateway city, making it the perfect launch point for road trips across southern Nevada and beyond.
Food, Resorts & Wellness
Beyond casinos, Nevada excels in:
- Luxury spas and wellness retreats
- Farm-to-table dining in Reno and rural regions
- Resort experiences combining entertainment with relaxation
Las Vegas alone hosts one of the highest concentrations of fine dining restaurants in the world.
When to Visit Nevada
- Spring & Fall: Best overall weather for cities and parks
- Summer: Hot in the south; ideal for Lake Tahoe and mountain regions
- Winter: Snow sports in the north; mild, busy season in Las Vegas
Why Nevada Works for So Many Travellers
Nevada appeals because it offers choice:
- High-energy city breaks or total desert solitude
- Five-star luxury or rugged road-trip freedom
- Cultural spectacle or natural silence
Few places let you watch a world-class show one night, hike ancient landscapes the next morning, and swim in an alpine lake a day later, all within the same state.
Bottom Line
Nevada is far more than Las Vegas, yet Las Vegas remains its dazzling centerpiece. Together with iconic landmarks, outdoor adventures, historic towns, and dramatic scenery, Nevada delivers one of the most surprisingly diverse travel portfolios in North America.
Continue Exploring The Grand Canyon and Las Vegas
- Kayaking the Colorado River with Desert Adventures USA: Glide through calm stretches of water framed by towering canyon walls. Ideal for first-timers or experienced paddlers.
- Antelope Canyon: A spectacular slot canyon famous for its colourful sandstone walls and incredible light beams. Guided tours are required.
- Hoover Dam: An engineering marvel spanning the Colorado River, offering guided tours and panoramic views over Lake Mead.
- Sedona: Renowned for its striking red rock formations, scenic drives, hiking trails, art galleries and vibrant downtown.
- Visit Fremont Street Experience: Enjoy the spectacular LED canopy light show, live entertainment, zipline and classic vintage Vegas atmosphere.
- Explore Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: Just 30 minutes from the Strip, this spectacular desert landscape offers scenic drives, hiking, rock climbing and incredible photography opportunities.
Nearby Attractions And Things To Do In Las Vegas
- Walk the Las Vegas Strip: Experience the world-famous resorts, themed hotels, dazzling fountains, nightlife and free attractions that make Las Vegas unlike anywhere else.
- Visit Fremont Street Experience: Enjoy the spectacular LED canopy light show, live entertainment, zipline and classic vintage Vegas atmosphere.
- Stay at the Venetian Hotel: One of the city’s top hotels. It is a little pricier, but the environment, rooms, and the feeling of Venice is steps away. Quite a magical stay!
- Try out Nine Fine Irishmen and Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill: There are so many restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed both, great food and fantastic hospitality.
- Get Married!: On the Strip you will find numerous opportunities to tie the knot. It all can be arranged in a day. Even get the marriage licence on the day! We did it!
Planning Your Trip?
Before you go, don’t forget to book the essentials:
- 🏨 Hotels & unique stays
- 🚗 Rental cars
- 🎟️ Top-rated tours & attractions
- 📶 eSIMs for easy connectivity
- 🛡️ Travel insurance
- 🎒 Packing Lists
- 🎒 Travel gear from The Venturio
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