“The Outdoors” is pretty much the last thing you think of when you heard the words “Las Vegas”, right?!

I don’t know about you, but my only experiences of Vegas are the big flashing lights, resort pools and clubs and famous DJ’s, the Bellagio fountains, magic shows and famous performers, old town Fremont Street, the sound of slot machines at 4am, the sweet smell of cigarette smoke in the casinos, and crisply shuffled cards (BlackJack is my personal fave…I’m up like $200 historically LOL). The standard vision of Vegas is a sort of mental montage of all of these things, which in part is an amalgamation of all of the things we most closely associate with Vegas, but also a result of all the popular movies we’ve seen that show this too (Ocean’s Eleven, anyone?) And for the most part, this is totally accurate because hey, it’s Vegas Baby!

But I really feel like the Millennial generation is going to change Vegas as we know it. Think about it, Millennials spend money on such different things than our former generations. Yes, we will always drop frivolous cash on some crazy things like brunch, music festivals, and bottle service, and take a year off life to travel the world or live in a camper and journey cross-country, but I truly believe that we spend money on things more methodically and on things we actually care about – like experiences.

Actually, slot machine popularity has drastically decreased with the Millennial generation, which will force Vegas as we know it to adjust to offer things we do like. And that’s not because we’re lower on cash than our parents – they played the slots when they were our age, too! What Millennials still love (and I think will always love) however is sports betting (legal sport better in the U.S. counts Nevada among its earliest adopters, which means the Sportsbooks in casinos are still very popular. The live table games still beat any digital options, mainly I think because we just naturally love social interaction and meeting new people, so you’ll see plenty of Millennial poker, blackjack, and craps players as well. But Vegas has also had to increase its focus on side activities to make the whole area more entertaining and engaging beyond the casinos as well. 

And people have begun to realize that Vegas is more than its casinos and that it is part of one of the most beautiful regions in the country (in my opinion): the good ‘ol Southwest. Neighboring two of the most beautiful “Red Rock Country” states, Arizona and Utah! You’d be surprised to hear that the city is actually quite close to a lot of magnificent outdoor areas to explore.

Valley Of Fire State Park

Valley Of Fire State Park may be the biggest attraction in the area around Las Vegas, at least as far as outdoor activity goes. Named for its endless formations of orange-red sandstone, it’s the oldest state park in Nevada, and a very expansive one at some 46 thousand acres of space. The state park can be explored in all sorts of ways, but it has several specific hiking areas, including Mouse’s Tank, Fire Wave, and, perhaps most famously, White Domes. It’s all in all an amazing area in which to experience some classic, beautiful Southwest nature. 

Colorado River

Did you know that the Colorado River runs through seven states?! Only a small part of it flows through Nevada, but it’s just as beautiful as in the other states! It’s still one of the main natural attractions in the Vegas vicinity, if for no other reason than that it’s an excellent spot for kayaking. You can even tour the river in a glass kayak! If you want to bring your own portable one, we love our Sea Eagle inflatable!

Red Rock Canyon

Oh, the Red Rocks of the Southwest! I think it’s my favorite thing about living in this region of the country. Red Rock Canyon is somewhat like Valley Of Fire State Park in that it’s essentially a natural expanse packed with idyllic Southwest beauty, and full of hiking trails. Located in the Mojave Desert, it’s actually a bigger space than Valley Of Fire from an acreage standpoint, and includes a few more specific landmarks, such as La Madre Mountain, various other peaks and waterfalls, and areas known for Native American history. You can hike or climb Calico Tank, Ice Box Canyon, and Lost Creek Falls, to name a few specific spots. 

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Ash Meadows is a little bit different. It’s a designated natural area of roughly 23,000 acres, but as you can tell from the name it’s more about wildlife and preservation than pure geography. There are some more specific areas to explore where you might see some of the wildlife, or at least some glimpses of clean water and pristine nature so appealing one travel write-up characterized it as being like visiting another dimension. Crystal Springs Boardwalk in particular is a must-see spot within the refuge. 

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