Red rock around Las Vegas: Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire
Two red sandstone parks within an hour of the Strip, joined by the lonely Northshore Road along Lake Mead.
- Distance
- 241 km (150 mi)
- Driving
- 2 h 41 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 6
- States
- NV
- Updated
- June 1, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 241 km (150 mi) with 6 stops, from Las Vegas to Boulder City. About 2 h 41 min of driving in total.
Route description
Start west of Las Vegas at Red Rock Canyon, where a 13-mile one-way drive loops past striped sandstone and trailheads; book the timed-entry slot in advance for most of the year. The visitor center explains the geology.
Drive north on I-15 and turn off on NV-169 into Valley of Fire, Nevada’s oldest state park. The road passes Elephant Rock, Atlatl Rock with its petroglyphs, and the White Domes road, where short trails lead to the swirling Fire Wave. The park’s two campgrounds have sites for RVs, some with hookups.
In the Moapa Valley, the Lost City Museum in Overton displays artifacts from Ancestral Puebloan villages that now lie under Lake Mead. The town is also the place to refuel.
Return south along the Northshore Road through Lake Mead National Recreation Area, with colorful badlands and bays of the reservoir. End in Boulder City, built for the Hoover Dam workers, a quiet town where gambling is not allowed. Spring and fall are best; summer days are dangerously hot.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Las Vegas
NV - 231 km
Red Rock Canyon
NatureLas Vegas, NVA one-way scenic drive past red and cream sandstone cliffs just west of Las Vegas. A timed-entry reservation is needed for much of the year.
- 3106 km
Valley of Fire State Park
NatureOverton, NVNevada’s oldest state park, with flaming red sandstone, petroglyphs at Atlatl Rock and short trails like Mouse’s Tank. Some trails close on the hottest summer days.
- 47 km
Fire Wave
NatureOverton, NVSwirling stripes of red and white sandstone at the end of a short trail off the White Domes road. The colors glow most in late afternoon.
- 511 km
Lost City Museum
HistoryOverton, NVA small state museum of Ancestral Puebloan artifacts rescued from sites later flooded by Lake Mead, with a reconstructed pueblo outside.
- 685 km
Boulder City
NV
