Nevada Travel Guide
The Las Vegas Strip at night. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Nevada is a study in contrasts. The Las Vegas Strip is the most concentrated entertainment district on earth: casino resorts, residencies, and shows on a scale no other city attempts. Ninety minutes away, Red Rock Canyon's sandstone cliffs begin the real Nevada: the vast, empty Great Basin desert.
Beyond Vegas: Reno's smaller casino scene and riverwalk, the Loneliest Road (US-50) across the basin and ranges, Great Basin National Park's bristlecone pines and Lehman Caves, and the Black Rock Desert, home of Burning Man.
Destinations in Nevada
The Las Vegas Strip4 miles of casino resorts: Bellagio's fountains, the Venetian canals, the Sphere.
Hoover DamThe 1935 engineering marvel on the Arizona border, 45 minutes southeast.
Valley of FireNevada's oldest state park: Aztec sandstone, petroglyphs and the Fire Wave.
The SphereThe 17,600-seat LED globe; the most talked-about venue in live entertainment.
Red Rock CanyonThe 13-mile scenic drive through red sandstone, 25 minutes west of the Strip.- Great Basin National ParkWheeler Peak, 5,000-year-old bristlecones and Lehman Caves.
- Fremont StreetThe old downtown canopy of LED light, vintage casinos and street performers.
- Reno and Lake TahoeThe 'Biggest Little City' and the alpine lake an hour west.
- Black Rock DesertThe playa that hosts Burning Man each late summer.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Nevada
Regional food
- Buffet dining (the classic Vegas institution, from Bacchanal to Wicked Spoon)
- Basque cuisine (northern Nevada's sheepherder heritage, especially in Reno and Elko)
- Shrimp cocktail (the old-school downtown Vegas ritual)
Getting there
Las Vegas (LAS) is one of the country's best-connected airports. Reno (RNO) covers the north. The Strip is walkable in sections; a car is essential for Red Rock, Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam.