Travel Las Vegas-Travellers Paradise Places Of Interest: With so many things to do, so nearby, Las Vegas is the ideal starting point for many, many memorable adventures. From nearly a dozen State and National Parks in Neavda alone, to hundreds of fun, educational, entertaining and fascinating side trips for the whole family, you might want to consider adding an extra day or two to your vacation just to see some of the sights! Las Vegas' centralized location makes it a stepping off point to Southern Utah (Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park), Arizona (Lake Havasu and Grand Canyon) and even Southern California (Death Valley and Disneyland). Most of which are a mere day's drive away, returning in time for an evening show or dinner. Las_Vegas Tours: 1.Mount Charleston:Located only 35 miles north of Las Vegas on route 95, Mount Charleston is where the locals go in the summer to beat the heat. Nearly always an average 30 degrees cooler than downtown Las Vegas, its a great place for horseback riding in summer, camping, skiing and snowboarding in winter. 2.Bryce Canyon National Park:Located 4 hours northeast from Las Vegas in the heart of Utah's "Color Country".Bryce Canyon National Park does not contain one main canyon, but rather a dozen smaller ravines.Appreciate the scenery from 14 viewpoints along the road, of which Bryce Point is the most famous and gives the best perspective of the extent and variety of the rock formations.Sunrise is a magical time at Bryce Canyon.  3.Zion National Park:Located in Southern Utah, a short ride from Las Vegas, Zion National Park is open year-round.This majestic park offers breathtaking scenery of waterfalls cascading down red rocks and hanging gardens. The visitor center offers a number of special programs designed for young and old. Hiking with Park Rangers is a favorite pastime here where you can learn all about the flora and fauna. This park has hiking, biking, horseback riding, river tubing, rock climbing, swimming, bird watching, rock hunting and great photography. Near the entrance to Zion National Park is the Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre which shows adventure films on a giant screen. Located 40 miles east of St George, Utah.  4.Valley Of Fire:About 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas lies the Valley of Fire. Site of numerous movies (including parts of Star Trek: Generations) this 26,000 acre desert landscape is about as far away from civilization as you can get. Here you'll find wonderful stone formations created by the wind and desert sands, ancient Indian petroglyphs (stone carvings) on the rocks and much desert wildlife. 5.Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge:A natural oasis in the Desert. Located about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas in Amargosa Valley, it consists of over 22,000 acres of spring-fed wetlands and alkaline desert uplands. Here can be found more than 20 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, including a few on the endangered list. Here can be seen environmental extremes from Sand dunes, to ash tree groves, to wetlands all in one desert environment. 6.Death Valley:Located about 140 miles northwest of Las Vegas Death Valley includes the lowest dry point below sea level in the Western Hemisphere (280 feet), a museum, Scotty's Castle at the northern tip, and even a couple of inns in case you decide to stay a while.  7.Grand Canyon:Located about 100 miles (150 km) east of Las Vegas in northern Arizona; but it requires a 300 mile (500 km) drive to reach the South Rim visitor's center. Fortunately, there are many bus-tours, helicopter tours and airplane trips departing from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon every day.One of the natural wonders of the world the Grand Canyon is more than a mile deep, 217 miles long, and 4-18 miles wide.It is among the most popular camping and hiking destinations and all around must-sees in the Southern Nevada area. Far at the very bottom flows the Colorado River offering whitewater as well as calm rafting.Sunrise and sunset are quite spectacular at the Canyon.  8.Red Rock Canyon National Conservation AreaJust 20 miles west of downtown Las Vegas is the magnificent Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Wildlife, including big horn sheep and wild burros, abounds in this region. Whether you hike, bike or rock climb internationally known rock faces, this geologic wonderland is worth the visit. 9.Spring Mountain Ranch State Park:Located 15 miles west of Las Vegas this park is nestled in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The many natural springs flowing from the mountains provided the Paiute Indians with water. Take a guided tour through the historic Ranch House and other ranch buildings on weekends and holidays. The visitor's center is open Friday through Monday and all Holidays. Visitors enjoy hiking and picnicking here. They also have a cultural events pavilion.This park was once owned by millionaire Howard Hughes.  10.Lake Mead:Only 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas,covering 300 square miles (and at least one drowned city) Lake Mead is the largest man made lake in the United States.With nearly 600 miles of shoreline it's easy to find plenty of room to pursue your interest, whether it be boating, fishing, swimming or ski-doo-ing. 11.Hoover Dam:Only 30 miles south of Las Vegas is one of mans greatest architectural achievements and one of the most popular landmarks visited by Las Vegas visitors. Still in operation since the 30's supplying electrical power to Nevada, Arizona and California, it is truly a wonder to see. Visitors can actually go into the depths of the dam and tour the inner workings. Or you can peer over the edge of the nearly 800 foot drop while standing in two time zones at once. Ghost Town Tours: Rhyolite Ghost Town:One of Nevada's most prominent ghost towns, Rhyolite was once a bustling metropolis. In 1904 gold was discovered in the area and the towns of Rhyolite and Bullfrog were born. Rhyolite was named after one of the main minerals found locally. At it's peak, this town housed almost 10,000 people.Rhyolite is a great place to take pictures, search for ghosts and learn about the history of the old west. ********************************************* Next | |