The Spontaneous Road Trip Through Nevada That Is The Perfect Weekend Of Adventure

Are you spending a weekend (or longer) in Vegas? Have you suddenly found that all the lights and people and sounds and activity are a little too much for you? Do you like road trips? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then this spontaneous weekend Nevada road trip is for you! This road trip will take you to the very best spots to enjoy the quiet, natural beauty near Las Vegas. You'll love getting away from it all and out into these outdoor spaces, away from the hustle and bustle of it all. Not only that, but a quick and easy road trip takes two days, but you can even head back to wherever you're staying or live for the overnight with ease and then return to the loop on Sunday morning. Read on to learn more and get ready to dive in!

Over 650,000 people live in Las Vegas and over 40 million people visit this great city every year. However, very few of them leave the confines of the city to head out into the absolutely beautiful and truly breathtaking natural areas that surround it. This road trip will allow you to do just that, though, and you'll be amazed by what you see.

This road trip is short as distance and driving time goes. It's only about 300 miles and it would only take you 6 hours to drive it all if you just drove through and didn't make any of the stops. You'll want to make some stops, though, for sure! That's why spreading this relatively short trip out over two days is what we recommend. Safe travels! Let's go!

1. Corn Creek Visitor Center - Desert National Wildlife Refuge

Depart your departure point fairly early in the morning, if you can. It'll be cooler and that way you can hopefully avoid any traffic. Your first stop will be at the Corn Creek Visitor Center at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. This is the largest national wildlife refuge outside of Alaska and covers 1.6 million acres. The main objective of this refuge is protecting the habitat of desert bighorn sheep. The rangers at the visitor center will be on hand to answer your questions and tell you about hikes and drives around the refuge. There's a great deal of wildlife and native Nevada plants all over this beautiful place.

2. Mount Charleston Wilderness

After you're done at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, you'll drive 45 minutes to Mount Charleston. This mountain is part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. The peak itself is 11,918 feet and it's the eighth highest mountain in the state. The area around it is quite elevated too, and you'll find this place to be a cool respite from the desert heat. Stop by the visitor center, take a hike, have a picnic lunch, or just take in the views. This natural area is vastly different from all the others you'll visit on this road trip.

3. Red Rock Canyon

Just a 50 minutes away from Mount Charleston, you'll find an entirely different landscape at Red Rock Canyon. This is one of the most popular scenic excursions for people visiting Las Vegas, so it's unlikely you'll be alone here, but its beauty is worth dealing with some crowds. Take the 13-mile, one-way, scenic drive through this park and get ready to take lots of photos.

4. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

Your next stop on this road trip is at nearby Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. This 538-acre state park was the site of the first working ranch in the Las Vegas area and was also later a retreat for millionaire Howard Hughes. Check out a living history program to learn about Nevada ranch life in the 1860s, walk the trails, or enjoy some birdwatching during your time here.

5. Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area

Your last stop for day one is about 40 minutes away - you'll love watching the sunset at Sloan Canyon Conservation Area in Henderson. This spot is home to a vast number of Native American petroglyphs; over 300 rock art panels have been found on site with over 1,700 different images included. Unfortunately, their locations are not publicized due to recent problems with vandalism. Consider taking a hike on one of the park's trails and see if you can find them yourself. Then, get a room in Henderson or head back to Vegas for the night to rest up for tomorrow's adventures!

6. Boulder Beach - Boulder City

Start your day with a swim! The first stop on day two of this road trip is Boulder Beach in Boulder City. You may be many miles fom an ocean, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a few hours swimming and sunning at the beach on Lake Mead. It's a little rocky so you'll want to bring water shoes and don't forget your sunscreen, too!

7. Valley of Fire State Park

From Boulder Beach, you'll head north about an hour and a half to Valley of Fire State Park. Like Red Rock Canyon, this state park is popular with Las Vegas locals and visitors, so you'll probably encounter quite a few other people here. However, this place is so gorgeous that you probably won't even notice them! This 46,000-acre state park is full of unique and spectacular sandstone formations that will blow you away. Plan to spend quite a bit of time here exploring by car and on foot.

8. Warm Springs Natural Area

Another 40-minute drive and you'll have reached the final stop on this road trip. Warm Springs Natural Area is not like anywhere else on this list so far. It's a 1,250-acre oasis full of bubbling springs, streams, and lush vegetation. You'll never believe this green and woodsy place is in Nevada, so close to so much desert! You'll love walking the 2/3-mile trail and looking out for birds - over 200 different species have been spotted here.

9. Las Vegas

Your final drive on this trip is about an hour back to Las Vegas. This will give you plenty of time to reflect upon all the amazing and beautiful natural things you saw on this road trip! Isn't it great to be spontaneous sometimes? You've now seen parts of Nevada that few visitors to Las Vegas even know exist, let alone even get to see, and you're richer for it. Frame up some of your photos when you get home and you're sure to always look back fondly upon this trip.

Ahhh... this spontaneous weekend Nevada road trip is sure to be refreshing and invigorating! There's so much beauty to see in The Silver State and this road trip will give you a great taste of its incredible variety without having to go too far from town. Have a great trip!

And hey - you're sure to get hungry along the way - so don't forget to pack some snacks!