There’s a lot more to Las Vegas than the stereotypes would have you believe. RealFoodTraveler.com’s Health & Fitness Editor, Carole Jacobs, suggests a multi-day itinerary that will help you discover another side to the area – the out-side! 

Save this itinerary for enjoying outdoor Las Vegas to Pinterest to help you plan. Photos by Carole Jacobs. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

5 Day Itinerary Exploring Outdoor Las Vegas

Think the action in Vegas is limited to The Strip? Think again! As any local will tell you, the city’s biggest jackpot is found in the Great Outdoors.

For starters, there’s the weather. At a time of year when most of the country is still encased in ice, Vegas is basking under sunny skies and balmy temps –idyllic weather for any outdoor recreational pursuit you could imagine—and Vegas has them in spades.

The city is also ringed by a staggering variety of bewitching scenery — from red rock canyons to sandstone cliffs and spires; wrinkled badlands to lush, flowering oases; blistering desert flats to jagged, snowcapped peaks.

Another thing Vegas is also never short of is crowds, especially on weekends and holidays. Plan, if you can, to visit during the week so you won’t be shut out from the region’s most dazzling natural wonders. Some are so popular that reservations are needed fall through spring.

There’s a lot to see, and a lot of ground to cover, so buckle up for a 5-day/4-night whirlwind tour of the best of Outdoor Vegas.

Sunday night

3pm:  It’s a quick dash—just 26 minutes- from the Vegas airport southeast to historic Boulder City, a quaint outpost of 15,000 souls tucked between austere mountains and serene Lake Mead.

“BC,” as the locals call it, was built as a model company town in 1931 to house the 5,000 workers building Hoover Dam. Both gambling and alcohol were banned.

Today, BC’s picture postcard setting, scrumptious food, truly unique outdoor adventures, and all things Hoover Dam, more than compensate for its continued absence of slots, although the city’s many craft breweries and wine bars are more than making up for lost time. BC’s whopping 60-year Prohibition lasted from 1907 to 1967!

4pm: Settle in at 1933 Boulder Dam Hotel in BC’s historic district. The charming white Dutch Colonial mansion hosted many dignitaries when the dam was being built, and was also a big hit with the rich and famous: The reclusive Howard Hughes recuperated here after crashing his Sikorsky S-43 plane into Lake Mead (where it continues to RIP), and both Cornelius Vanderbilt and Boris Karloff honeymooned here.

4:30-5:30pm:  Relive BC’s intriguing past on the self-guided, cell phone-based, audio walking of the historic district, with 11 stops around a one- mile loop that starts and ends at the hotel.  A block in, drop by the fetching, pint-sized Dam Roast House & Browder Bookstore for a pick-me-up espresso.

Perk up at Dam Roast for a day in outdoor Las Vegas.

Continue past art deco buildings housing restaurants, cafes, shops, and museums to Public Art Scape, where 30 striking bronze sculptures depict workers who built the dam –from “puddlers” who stirred and smoothed the cement, to Alabam the toilet paper man, who serviced the outhouses.

6-9pm: After completing the loop, have an early dinner at The Dillinger, housed inside the historic Bank of Nevada building. The Dillinger takes its “gangster” design cues from the infamous bank robber John Dillinger, but the food here’s a real steal, too. Try one of the “elevated” gourmet burgers with roasted artichokes or gangster fries tossed in a garlic miso truffle aioli and wash it down with a craft beer. The food here is so outstanding it was voted “Best of Las Vegas,” even though The Dillinger isn’t even in Las Vegas.

9:30pm: Back at Boulder Dam, have a nightcap at Cleveland’s, the hotel’s historic speakeasy.

Hungry for more? Read about 8 great places to eat in Laughlin, NV.

Monday

7-8am: Dress for the active day ahead in hiking gear, and pack water, sunscreen, and a swimsuit.

Breakfast is just a block away at the Coffee Cup Café. This bustling restaurant gained an international following when it was featured on the first episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in April 2007. Owner Al’s pork chili-verde omelet and tall-glass bloody Marys, served with a thick wedge of bacon as a stir-stick, are as popular today as when celebrity chef Guy Fieri raved about them on the show. A morning coffee klatch of old geezers who call themselves the “Circle of Knowledge” are breakfast regulars at the café. Al’s wife, Carri, keeps a chalkboard list of their names near the kitchen. If one of them doesn’t show up, she calls them at home to make sure they’re OK.

8:30-10am: Work off breakfast along the nearby Historic Railroad Trail. The 3.7-mile rail-trail follows a high cut above grey-blue Lake Mead that was blasted from the volcanic mountains so trains could pass through carrying stone to the dam site. The panoramic views are breathtaking — peaks of ancient volcanic mounds rise above the lake surface of the drowned valley, and in the distance, the austere, hauntingly beautiful, smoky blue South Virgin Mountains soar to the clouds. You’ll walk through five long, dark tunnels, each one about 25 feet wide to accommodate the trains, and each with an arched ceiling shored up by planks to support the massive weight above. Past tunnel five, the trail snakes up steep hillsides to the top of the Hoover Dam parking area for mind-bending views down to the dam and river.

The historic Railroad Trail in Las Vegas.

10am-1pm: To reach the Hoover Dam Visitor Center, simply take the elevator down to the first level. For millions of years, the 1,400-mile-long Colorado snaked its way untrammeled from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. The Herculean task of taming the river and creating 110-mile-long Lake Mead, at the time the world’s largest reservoir, took 10 months of tunneling to divert the river and another 24 months to block the canyons with seven million tons of concrete –enough to pave a 2-lane road from San Francisco to New York.

Today, Hoover Dam is considered an architectural, sculptural, and engineering marvel — renowned for its graceful, art deco design as for its functional role of harnessing the mighty Colorado. The sculpture of the Winged Figures of the Republic — part angel, part symbol of the strength of man– are dramatic sentries to the entrance of Hoover Dam.

After touring the exhibits, see the inner workings of the dam on the 30-minute power plant tour. An elevator will whisk you 530 feet down into the belly of the beast to see the gigantic pipes that transport water from the lake to the dam’s seventeen generators. Back up in daylight, you can get astounding views of the dam on sidewalks that cross over it and go around and far above it.

1:30pm: Uber back to your car and follow the signs to the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (also known as the Hoover Dam Bypass), the second tallest bridge in the U.S. For a walk on the wild side, follow the bridge’s pedestrian walkway across the gaping abyss. Arching nearly 1,000 feet above the river, the walkway offers straight-down vertigo views of the dam and river as it carves its way between chiseled cliffs and stark, ghastly mountains.

Hoover Dam’s pedestrian walkway.

1:45pm: Get lunch with more vertigo views of the dam at Bighorn Café at the Hoover Dam Lodge Hotel & Casino. Everything from the quiche and prime rib chili to the sweet and savory hand-held pies (from blueberry rhubarb to steak-and-mushroom) are made from scratch.

2-5pm: Then drive to nearby Gold Strike Hot Springs Trail, which plunges about two miles into a spectacular canyon to crystal hot springs. The hike is not for the faint of heart: You’ll have to scramble up eight fixed ropes that weave in and out of house-sized boulders. But the payoff is a series of steaming pools, hot waterfalls, and grottos, plus lots of cliff-jumping ops.

5:30-6pm:  Back in BC, get a cold one at Boulder Dam Brewing Company (14 beers on tap and homemade sangria) before heading back to the hotel to clean up.

8pm: It’s a 5-minute walk to Milo’s Cellar, a Parisian-style bistro whose elegant fare runs the gamut from Chianti Braised Boneless Short Ribs to Crab & Lobster Stuffed Salmon — and Deconstructed Homemade Citrus Cheesecake served in a martini glass for a grand finale.

Hungry for more? Best places to see the Death Valley Superbloom.

More Outdoor Las Vegas Exploring

Tuesday

8-9am: It’s a 2-minute drive from the hotel to Southwest Diner, another BC icon. Good luck choosing between the pork chili verde omelets, and the heaping chili relleno breakfast casseroles served with potatoes and homemade banana bread. Before leaving, go online and make a reservation to visit Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on Wednesday morning.

The Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area.

9:30am: Pick up lunch-to-go at Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. The “Bobbie” turkey sub was voted the “Best Sandwich in America,” but their artisan salads and homemade brownies and blondies are also prize worthy.

10:30am-1pm: Drive back to Hoover Dam and board a large, cushy raft for the narrated Postcard Tour down the Colorado River’s Black Canyon National Water Trail. You’ll get up-close views of the concrete slabs, steps and rails used to build the dam, and journey just far enough down river to feel the Black Canyon’s surreal magic–without risking white water or getting wet. Complimentary beverages and snacks are served during the journey.

1pm: Back in the car, drive to Lake Mead Visitors Center for an overview of the 110-mile-long lake and Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a 1.5-million acre sweep of eroded rock formations, multihued canyons, and towering domes. Then head out on the 62-mile-long scenic drive along Lakeshore and Northshore drives. The highway rollercoasters from sagebrush flats to crimson canyons and past panoramic views of crystalline Lake Mead backed by ragged peaks.

Plan to visit Lake Mead as part of your outdoor Las Vegas adventures.

1:30-2:30pm: Brake at Redstone Picnic Area (Mile 27). Picnic tables are set beneath soaring red sandstone cliffs and a one-mile loop trail weaves in between the boulders for a closer look.

2:30-3pm. Lake Mead’s scenic highway dead ends at Valley of Fire State Park. Just 10 miles wide by 23 miles long, the pocket park is a fiery mirage of fantastical peaks, canyons, cliffs, spires, and pillars sculpted by wind and water.

3-6pm: From the entrance gate, Valley of Fire Scenic Byway threads 23 miles between towering cliffs and bottomless canyons shimmering in jewel-toned hues. Keep your eye peeled for bighorn sheep posing on rocky outcroppings, and polished cliff faces bearing mysterious petroglyphs etched by the Anasazi 1,000 years ago. Stretch your legs on the 3.2-mile Fire Wave, White Domes and Seven Wonders Loop, which weaves through colorful arches, tunnels, and canyons in myriad hues of pink, orange, and purple, and ducks into narrow slot canyons where tortoises linger in cool recesses.

Big horn sheep look on at the Valley of Fire Scenic Byway.

6-7pm: Leave the park at least a half hour before dusk for the “magic hour” drive back through Lake Mead Recreation Area to BC. As the sun sets, the cliffs and canyons glow gold, orange, rose, and purple in a dazzling display of light and shadow.

7:30-9pm: Back in BC, freshen up at the hotel, then drive a half mile to Fox Smokehouse BBQ for a rib-sticking feast: Smoky brisket, sweet cornbread, creamy mac and cheese, and fried, crispy collard greens.

9-10pm Cap the night at Beer Zombies, just a half mile away. The outdoor patio is the perfect place to sip Fremont Dark Star and try to catch a falling star.

Hungry for more? Read about winter adventures in Southern Utah.

Wednesday

8am: Check out, then drive a few minutes to Chilly Jilly’z Bakery & Café for take-out espresso, breakfast burritos, homemade pastries, and fruit smoothies for the scenic 40-minute drive to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, located west of Vegas in swank Summerlin.

9am-1pm: Red Rock Canyon is a vast maze of canyons and peaks, ledges and chimneys, chutes and gullies where 26 different hikes and trails take you from the deepest canyons to the highest peaks. Get an overview at the stunning visitor center, where an outdoor exhibit details the two hundred different mammals that call this unlikely wilderness-in-the- ‘burbs home: from hummingbirds and golden eagles to wild horses, burros, bobcats, and even bighorn sheep and mountain lions.

Then hop in your car for a 13-mile scenic drive through astonishing scenery. Consider braking for the 2.5-mile hike to Calico Tanks, where rare pools of rainwater collect in the sandstone indentations and lure wildlife; or the 2.6-mile Ice Box Canyon trail, which leads to a seasonal waterfall.

Just outside the park is Calico Basin, which you can visit without reservations. If you have energy to spare, hike the startling 3.5-mile Kraft Mountain Loop. The trail circles the base of Kraft Mountain, then climbs up through a remote desert wash flanked by colorful frozen sand dune formations. You’ll scramble up and down a series of boulders and sandstone ledges before reaching a high ridge overlooking lost valleys. On the long, rocky descent back down to the parking lot, you’ll get astounding panoramic views of the entire red rock wonderland, and beyond it, the vast sprawl of Vegas.

1-2pm: People drive for miles to savor Cottonwood Station’s thin crust pizzas, paninis, broccoli salads with a kick of peanut sauce, decadent homemade desserts, and craft beers. Fortunately, you’re only 12 minutes away from this gourmet eatery in the historic countryside off Blue Diamond, a former 1800s trading stop along the Old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe and California.

2-4pm: Drive 5 minutes to historic Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, a former 1870s ranch that’s had several famous owners, including Howard Hughes. Enjoy a tour of the historic ranch house, follow walking trails to historic structures and shimmering springs, and join the locals on the ranch’s massive lawn for picnics and Super Summer Theatre under the stars.

A view of Spring Mountain Ranch. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.

4:30pm: Just 15 minutes away is Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa, a swank 5-star resort that mirrors the red rock mountains and offers sleek guest rooms; a luxury spa with an outdoor swimming pool and fitness center; a classy casino, and several upscale restaurants, cafes, and bars.

5pm: Unwind at the Red Rock Spa with the Himalayan Salt Stone Massage or Desert Arnica Deep Tissue Massage.

7pm: What’s for dinner? From sushi to spaghetti, Thai to Mexican, chophouse to smokehouse, oyster bar to salad bar, it’s all here and then some. If you simply can’t decide, Red Rock’s Yard House has a bit of everything–from ahi salad and porcini-crusted halibut to spicy street tacos, plus 130 brews on tap and icy martinis.

Thursday

9am: Rise and shine for made-from-scratch pancakes in every imaginable flavor at Babystacks Café.

10-11am: Check out, then prepare for an ultra-scenic drive to what will be the literal high point of your visit. In just 40 minutes, you’ll be in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, a sky island that rises up out of the Mojave Desert like a mirage, climbing from sagebrush flats to ponderosa and white pines and peaking at 11,918-foot Mt. Charleston, often snow-dusted through March.

The mountains are Vegas’ cool, forested, spring-fed sanity haven — for people and wildlife alike. More than 25 endemic plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth shelter here, including the elusive Mt. Charleston Blue Butterfly, wild horses and burros, coyotes, deer, even mountain lions. Spring through fall, the valleys and slopes are filled with colorful wildflowers, and after wet winters, snowmelt fills the rugged ravines with seasonal streams and waterfalls.

Mt. Charleston. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com.

11am: Get an overview at Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, which also has hiking trails and dramatic overlooks of Mt. Charleston.

11:30am-noon: Drive the Mt. Charleston Scenic Byway 13 miles to Lee Canyon, Vegas’s year-round ski and summer recreation resort.

Noon-1pm: Hop on the Lee Canyon Scenic Chair Ride and glide up to 9,370 feet for panoramic views of the mountains and canyons.

1-2pm: Back down on terra firma, have lunch on the outdoor patio at the Bighorn Grill, famous for its wraps and burgers.

2-4pm:  Work off lunch on the 6.-5 mile Bristlecone Trail, which loops up through ponderosa pine and ancient Bristlecone pine to a (literally) breathtaking scenic overlook. It’s all downhill from here.

4-4:15: Refuel with an espresso or snack at Brewin’ Burro before venturing on to another part of the Springs Mountains.

4:14-5pm: Back in the car, follow the scenic Byway 13 miles to The Retreat on Charleston Peak, a rustic lodge set at 6,700 feet in rugged Kyle Canyon.

5-6:30pm: Relax over a daily draft special, a glass of wine, or a specialty cocktail like the Cucumber Mule or Elderflower Sour at the Canyon Restaurant Bar and Restaurant before feasting on baked ziti or boneless pork chops, with flourless chocolate torte for dessert.

6:30-7:30pm: It’s hard to imagine the bustling Vegas airport is just 47 minutes from this tranquil forest enclave. As your plane climbs high above the neon lights, we’re betting that what happened in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas but follow you all the way home.

-Story and photos (except where noted) by Carole Jacobs, RFT’s Health & Fitness Editor