12 Best Hikes Near Las Vegas to Explore
In this article I want to share the 12 best hikes near Las Vegas that I have uncovered over the many years I’ve traveled to this city. If you’re like me and you’re more into nature than the casino life, then you’re going to want to check out the places the next time you’re visiting.
The beauty of where Las Vegas is located in is that it’s basically in the middle of much diverse terrain ranging from mountains, to slot canyons and much more. I’ll be sharing with you hiking trails and regions near Las Vegas that are perfect for day or overnight hikes too.
Here is the list of the 12 best hikes near Las Vegas to do:
- Mary Jane Falls trail (1 hour from Vegas)
- Ice Box Canyon trail (30 minutes from Vegas)
- Fire Wave and Red Vista Trail (1 hour from Vegas)
- Shoreline trail (30 minutes from Vegas)
- Gold Strike Hot Springs hike (30 minutes from Vegas)
- Canyon Overlook trail (3 hours from Vegas)
- Snow Canyon trail (2 hours from Vegas)
- Cedar Pocket Narrows trail (40 hour away from Vegas)
- Black Mountain trail (30 minutes from Vegas)
- Owl Canyon trail, Lake Mead (20 minutes from Vegas)
- Arizona Hot Springs Trail (30 minutes near Las Vegas)
- Historic Railroad Trail (30 minutes from Las Vegas)
Note: GPS details for all these trails are provided below.
1) Mary Jane Falls trail:
- Location: Mt. Charleston area.
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 45 minutes
- Hike distance: 3 miles in and out
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 4 out of 5
This was one of the first hikes near Las Vegas that I discovered and it was absolutely beautiful. There are 2 things which of the things which make the Mary Jane Falls hike so interesting:
- You can find a cave near Mary Jane Falls itself which is where I took that picture you see.
- Mary Jane Falls is a cool waterfall to check out, but in my case because it was so cold, the water flow here was barely seen but either way, this waterfall, the cave and the hike itself are a really cool way to escape Vegas for a day or so and enjoy amazing spots nearby.
2) Ice Box Canyon Trail:
- Location: Red Rock Canyon
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Hike distance: 2-3 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Red Rock Canyon is probably the most popular place to find many hikes near Las Vegas and there’s many options besides Ice Box Trail. However, I chose this one because it’s short, very beautiful (canyon hike and amazing red and white rock views), popular and it leads people to a beautiful waterfall in the Red Rock Canyon that in my opinion is way more popular, closer to Las Vegas and more beautiful than Mary Jane Falls and that’s something that’s tough to find in this region.
For more trails in Red Rock Canyon, use programs like Alltrails (great way to find many more options). Icebox Canyon trail is maybe 1 of potentially dozens of hikes near Vegas to check out and a lot of them are longer but potentially more exciting.
3) Fire Wave trail:
- Location: Valley of Fire State Park.
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 45 minutes
- Length of the hikes: 2-3 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- My rating: 5 out of 5
Valley of Fire State Park is a very “cool” place to explore and I do believe it’s the closest state park you’ll find near Las Vegas. It’s not a big park, but it is very beautiful and there are many hikes to check out here too like in Red Rock Canyon, but they are more accessible in this park as the elevation isn’t nearly as high and so it’s easier to check out multiple hikes in one day.
In this case, I’m recommending you see the Fire Wave trail. The Fire Wave trail is a really scenic hike that is actually one of the best alternatives to the Wave Trail you may have heard about at one point but it’s only a simple 3 mile in and out hike.
4) Shoreline Trail:
- Location: Lake Mead
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Hike distance: 3-4 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- My rating: 4.2 out of 5
Lake Mead isn’t just a giant lake and dam area near Vegas, it’s actually a giant region east of the city which has a lot of different hiking trails and the one I’m recommending you check out is the Shoreline Trail. It’s located pretty much directly east of Vegas and it does require you enter a national park area (pay to get in), but then what you will find is a long and beautiful scenic drive with several hikes and scenic overlooks to check out (among other things).
The Shoreline trailhead in this case is on the northern side of Lake Mead and is a trail that has you walk along a beautiful river that flows into Lake Mead (with great views on just every part of the trail). It’s scenic, simple to follow, easy to find and makes for a great hike near Las Vegas to check out.
5) Gold Strike Hot Springs trail:
- Location: Near Hoover Dam
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Length of the hike: 5 miles
- Difficulty: Hard
- My rating: 5 out of 5
Gold Strike Hot Springs is a very popular hike whose trail head is literally off Interstate 11 as you cross into Arizona from Nevada. It’s also very close to Hoover Dam. Anyway, the hike itself involves scrambling down a canyon for about 3 miles before finding the actual hot springs area.
There is rope climbing involved in parts of the hike and it can be pretty difficult for some people, especially the further down it goes. But it is also a very fun and challenging hike you can undertake which would only take you about a half day to do in most cases if you’re in Vegas and want to escape the city. I’ve done this hike already and can tell you it’s a 5 out of 5 if you enjoy scrambling, rock hopping, challenging rope climbs and scenic canyon hikes, because this trail has all of this and much more!
6) Canyon Overlook trail:
- Location: Zion National Park
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 3 hours
- Hike distance: 1 mile
- Difficulty: Easy
- My Rating: 5 out of 5
The Canyon Overlook trail is one of my favorite hikes in Zion National Park. It’s short, extremely beautiful and gives you one of the best views of the park in my opinion. I’ve done multiple day trips from Las Vegas to Zion and have explored this park in addition to other places there. Because this hike is short, there’s a good chance you’ll still have more time to explore other places in the park, so if that is the case then I recommend the following other hikes:
7) Lava Flow trail:
- Location: Snow Canyon State Park
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 2 hours
- Hike distance: 2.5 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 5 out of 5
One of the best state parks in Utah happens to be Snow Canyon State Park in my opinion and out of the many hikes this incredible place has, the Lava Flow Trail is one of the most popular and recommended for first time visitors. It has you go through some of the best parts in this park and experience the diverse terrain which includes hikes inside canyons, caves from which actual lava flowed through and overlooks of the park and the city of St. George nearby. Overall this trail is one of the best hikes in St. George that I’ve seen.
8) Cedar Pocket Narrows trail:
- Location: Virgin River Gorge Arizona
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 40 minutes near Las Vegas
- Hike distance: 5 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 5 out of 5
Firstly, the Cedar Pocket Narrows trail offers incredible views and challenges. And there are other incredible sights nearby like the Elephant Arch, kayak opportunities and much more. One of the most amazing areas I have ever driven through from Vegas (and back) from Zion was the Virgin River area, specifically in Arizona and there is a small section of it with humongous mountains in which you have the Virgin River run.
There are a large number of parking areas that will provide you with access to the hikes and other viewpoints. Make sure to first plan which hike you want to do ahead of time because once you’re in this area, you will likely not have any cell phone reception (that’s been my experience when I drive through here). If nothing else just drive through this area because I promise you, it will be unforgettable.
9) Black Mountain trail:
- Location: Right outside Las Vegas
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 15 minutes
- Hike distance: 4 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Black Mountain trail is without question the closest hike near Las Vegas you will see on this list. On this trail, you’re basically hiking in Las Vegas itself. This hike isn’t the most scenic when you start, but it is still a nice experience and a simple hike that leads to an overlook of the city.
It’s a good family friendly hike to check out if you only have a few hours to explore hikes near Las Vegas. It’s also pretty close to 2 other hiking trails in the region known as Sloan Canyon National Conversation Area and they are Hidden Valley and Dry Falls so if you enjoy Black Mountain (or not), you will still have time to see one or more of the other trails nearby.
10) Owl Canyon trail:
- Location: Lake Mead
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Hike distance: 3-4 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 4 out of 5
Besides the Shoreline trail above, Lake Mead really does have some amazing hiking near Las Vegas and the Owl Canyon is the other trail I highly recommend checking out. It’s a mix of beautiful hiking scenery, a slot canyon hike, and a variety of other scenery and hiking experiences mixed together.
If you do the Shoreline Trail, I would strongly recommend doing the Owl Canyon Trail right after as it’s literally about a 5-10 minute drive to that trailhead. The hike is also pretty easy to do (one of the easier hikes near Las Vegas) and right by it is another trail you may want to add and that’s the White Owl Canyon trail which also leads to another beautiful slot canyon. With Lake Mead, you have a lot of extra hikes to get done close to Vegas.
11) Arizona Hot Springs trail:
- Location: Near Lake Mead
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Hiking distance: 5-6 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate
- My rating: 4.5 out of 5
One of the hikes I recommended above is Gold Strike Hot Springs which is an awesome hike near Las Vegas, but if you enjoy that one, you should definitely do this one too. It has a similar experience in that you hike down through a slot canyon to the Colorado River and there are even ladders in the area to use to get to the hot springs.
12) Historic Railroad trail:
- Location: Near the Hoover Dam
- Driving distance from Las Vegas: 30 minutes
- Hiking distance: 4 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- My rating: 4.5 out of 5
This scenic hike takes you through an old rail trail, 5 tunnels and great views of Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam. It’s also very close to the Gold Strike Hot Springs trail.
Map listings for all the above hikes near Las Vegas:
- Mary Jane Falls trailhead
- Ice Box Canyon trailhead
- Fire Wave trailhead
- Shoreline trailhead
- Gold Strike Hot Springs trailhead
- Canyon Overlook trailhead
- Lava Flow trailhead
- Cedar Pocket Narrows trailhead
- Black Mountain trailhead
- Owl Canyon trailhead
- Arizona Hot Springs trailhead
- Historic Railroad trailhead
Questions about hiking near Las Vegas:
Can you go hiking in Vegas?
Outside Las Vegas, there are plenty of hiking trails you can try, the closest of which is in Red Rock Canyon and it’s only 30 minutes away.
Can you hike the mountains in Las Vegas?
Yes, there are many mountain areas outside of Vegas including Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston and the Virgin River Gorge Mountains.
