World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Red Rock Canyon: Designated a National Conservation Area in 1990, Red Rock Canyon (website: www.redrockcanyonlv.org) is a 78,800-hectare (197,000-acre) park located 16km (10 miles) west of Las Vegas. The park provides a scenic drive, hiking trails, rock climbing, bicycling and picnic areas. The defining attraction of Red Rock Canyon is a geological feature known as the Keystone Thrust Fault. This was formed about 65 million years ago, when two of the Earth’s crustal plates collided, forcing a grey limestone plate up and over the younger red one, making for some of the most dramatic scenery in the Mojave Desert. Today, Joshua trees add another element to the sublimely coloured sandstone and jagged desert landscape. The Visitors Center (tel: (702) 515 5350) houses various exhibits and provides guided nature walks. Hiking trails range from easy to moderately strenuous. Travel by car, via Charleston Boulevard, is recommended, as the park features a 21km (13-mile) scenic drive – open from 0700 to dusk, entrance is US$5 per vehicle, US$2 for motorcycles, and US$2 for those on foot. Visitors Center hours are: Winter (Nov 1-Mar 31) from 0800 to 1630; Summer (Apr 1-Oct 31) from 0800 to 1730. Four-hour excursions are available from Gray Line Las Vegas (see Tours) for US$49.99.

Big Bend State Park: Situated 147km (91 miles), less than a 90-minute drive east of Las Vegas, are the sandy shores of Big Bend State Park (tel: (702) 298 1859; website: http://parks.nv.gov/bb.htm). Locals come here to boat, camp and take in a picnic lunch. The park is 1.6km (1 mile) east of the town of Laughlin, which features year-round festivals as well as several casinos. There is a fee of US$3 to enter the park, which can be reached on the Needles Highway from Laughlin.

For a Whole Day

Hoover Dam & Lake Mead: Located 56km (35 miles) from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam (tel: (702) 293 8321; website: www.hooverdam.com) is one of the most famous dams in the world. One of America’s many public works projects during the Depression, it is an unusually beautiful representative of the era’s engineering. The dam stretches 380m (1,247ft) across the Colorado River, holding back the waters of Lake Mead. Containing 2,486,250 cubic metres (3,250,000 cubic yards) of concrete, its function is primarily a power generator, supplying electricity to Nevada as well as nearby California and Arizona. Visitor tours examine the construction of the dam and explore its hydroelectric generating facilities. Security is high on site and visitors may be subject to searches.

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area (tel: (702) 293 8907; website: www.nps.gov/lame) is open daily 24 hours and offers sightseeing, sunbathing and a variety of water-oriented activities. Entrance is US$5 per vehicle, for one to five days. The Hoover Dam is open daily 0900-1700 (website: www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam) and entrance costs US$10 (including a guided tour, historic film, admission to the exhibit hall and scenic lookout). A car is recommended for visiting the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, both accessible via Highway 93 (parking costs US$ 5). Alternatively, nine-hour excursions, combining the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, are available from Gray Line Las Vegas (see Tours) for US$ 64.99. Hoover Dam Tour Company (tel: (702) 655 6060 or 888 512 0075; website: www.hooverdamtourcompany.com) offer various tours starting at US$25.99.

Valley of Fire State Park: Dedicated in 1935, this is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. It offers beautiful scenery of red sandstone formations, the beauty of the Mojave Desert and 3,000year-old Indian petroglyph. Situated 88km (55 miles) northeast of Las Vegas, and only 10km (6 miles) from Lake Mead, it is accessible from Interstate 15, exit 75. (tel: (702) 397 2088; website: http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm). The visitor centre is open all year. Entrance fee $6. SUV Tours are available with Las Vegas Grand Canyon Tour (tel: (702) 260 0796 or 866 218 3427; website: www.lvgct.com), starting at US$119 per person.

Grand Canyon: It is possible to reach the Grand Canyon (website: www.thecanyon.com) in a full-day excursion from Las Vegas whether by land or air. Scenic Airlines (tel: (800) 634 6801 or (702) 638 3300; e-mail: res@scenic.com; website: www.scenic.com) offers various tours, including overnight stays and two-day hikes. The ‘Grand Canyon Deluxe’ tour offers a narrated aerial tour of Lake Mead, the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Upon arrival at Grand Canyon airport, there is a coach tour through the Grand Canyon National Park (tel: (928) 638 7888; website: www.nps.gov/grca), with plenty of stops for staring at the stunning scenery. The entire trip (including the flight back to Las Vegas, lunch and hotel pick-up and drop-off) takes eight hours and costs US$ 279. Scenic Airlines also offer a highlights aerial tour, which lasts three hours in total from pick-up to drop-off and costs US$109. This takes in Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Colorado River and the western edge of the Grand Canyon. Other specialised trips to the closer Grand Canyon West Rim take around five hours and include either a trip to an Indian Reservation or a helicopter flight for closer inspection of the Canyon. Entrance to the Grand Canyon is US$20 per vehicle or US$10 per pedestrian or motorcycle. The main park Visitor Centre is located on the South Rim (east of Grand Canyon Village, which is 96.5km (60 miles) north from Interstate 40 at Williams) and is open daily 0800–1700. Las Vegas Grand Canyon Tour (tel: (702) 260 0796 or 866 218 3427; website: www.lvgct.com) offers bus, airplane and helicopter tours starting at $89. Excursions are available from Gray Line Las Vegas (tel: (702) 384 1234; website: www.grayline.com) starting at $139.99.

Zion National Park: Just on the other side of the Nevada Utah border, 251km (156 miles) east of Las Vegas, is the spectacular Zion National Park (tel: (435) 772 3256; website: www.zion.national-park.com). Named by Mormon pioneers, who were awe-struck by the area’s unique temple-like rock formations, Zion is a favourite location for hiking and wildlife viewing. There are several hiking trails but less energetic visitors can experience the park by local shuttle. The Zion Park Lodge (tel: (435) 772 3213 or 888 297 2757; website: www.zionlodge.com) provides comfortable accommodation and has a restaurant on site. The park is open daily 24 hours and there is a US$7 entrance fee. The Zion National Park can be reached in just over two hours from Las Vegas via Highway 15, to Utah SR-9 and Utah SR-17.