Nevada's Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has miles of trails and hundreds of climbing routes just a short drive from the Strip.

Bring your boat and your boots—you'll need both for this trip.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

Follow the Fletcher Canyon wash northwest through a pine forest and into a slot canyon. by Chelise Simmons

Trek 1.4 miles to the summit of Cathedral Rock. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

Ascend through aspen groves and pine forests and below limestone cliffs on this high-altitude adventure to killer views on the hike from Trail Canyon to North Loop. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

At 11,918 feet, Mt. Charleston is a peakbagger's dream. This strenuous, high-altitude (nontechnical) climb brings you to the top of the most prominent peak in Nevada—and it's only a short drive from Las Vegas. BY CHELISE SIMMONS

Visit Little Zion in Red Rock Canyon for sandstone canyons, springs, waterfalls, and massive ponderosa pine trees.

Leave the desert scenery behind as you hike beneath twisted rock spires and towering ponderosa pines en route to the Hidden Forest Cabin. This hike can be done in a day or as an overnighter.

Looking to escape the Las Vegas crowds? You better work! The trail up to Turtlehead Peak is strenuous—but the payoff is 360-degree views that you’ll likely have to yourself.

People come from all over the world to see Fire Wave, an unusual wave shaped rock that rises out from the sandstone.

Perfect in the winter, this desert hike snakes through ancient and colorful canyons to the hidden Arizona Hot Springs.

Visit Corn Creek, one of Nevada's best birding sites and a desert oasis.

Check out the Calico Tanks Trail in Red Rock Canyon and you'll be face-to-face with interesting geology, cultural history, and diverse life.

This hike will tempt you to pack a parachute as sandstone peaks reach 1,500 feet above Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area's valley floor.

Escape the glitter and gridlock of the Strip on this 11.7-mile loop, which cuts across open desert to explore contorted rock figures and massive red-rock cliffs.

This 4.4-mile hike leads to splendid red rock formations, a beautiful mesa overlooking the Colorado River, and a dose of gold-mining history.

This giant rock rises above a forested oasis in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Fill your water bottle before hiking this easy 3-mile, out-and-back.

Close to the city but far from the gridlock, this 5-mile out-and-back takes you over an arid lunar land­scape and pays off with expansive desert views.

Cash in on big-money views above Lake Mead and the Vegas Valley on this rugged 4.6-mile loop in the River Mountains.

This 8.3-mile loop wins big for its endless slots, splashy waterfalls, huge buttes, incredible stars--even lions, and yeah, a few unmentionables, too.

This 22-mile Toiyabe Range loop offers a front-row vantage of vibrant aspen glades, crowdless peaks, and the frozen-wave geography of central Nevada.

See trees older than the Bible, the only glacier in Nevada, and more on this 4.4-miler through the rippling Snake Range of eastern Nevada.

Over the course of 6 miles, you'll see wild horses, tag a summit with stellar desert views, and, if you're up for it, return via an off-trail route.

On this 7.5-miler, you'll roam the geologically rich Red Rock Canyon, where bighorn sheep wander through desert gardens and piñon-juniper forests.

You'll climb 2,000 feet in 2 miles on this strenuous hike to Turtlehead Peak where rewarding summit views stretch for miles across the Las Vegas Valley.

Sparkling gypsum deposits, weathered mining ruins, and a twisted slot canyon highlight this scenic 6-mile hike—less than an hour from Las Vegas.

Summit a lonely wilderness peak in the stunning Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Explore an abandoned railroad used to build the Hoover Dam on this 7.8-mile trail-and-tunnel route through the Aztec Sandstone Mountains of southeastern Nevada.

This 6.3-mile out-and-back climbs 2,000 feet to the top of Gass Peak—the highest point in the Sheep Mountains just north of Las Vegas.

Master one of the Silver State's most challenging climbs.

Trek across a sparsely populated corner of northeast Nevada.

An eclectic mix of trailside finds--from blooming cactus to abandoned cars and hot tubs to wandering coyotes--pepper this 7.5-mile hike to a summit overlooking Las Vegas.

Escape the heat of the Las Vegas Valley by trekking through a forested alpine canyon en-route to a waterfall, caves, and stunning vistas on this out-and-back 3.5-mile hike.

Trek a high-mountain route bookended by colorful canyons.

This crowd-free, 4.2-mile hike in Red Rock Canyon features five-star views of the Sandstone Bluffs. You may even spot a flock of the area's resident bighorn sheep.

This 8.3-mile loop wins big for its endless slots, splashy waterfalls, huge buttes, incredible stars--even lions, and yeah, a few unmentionables, too.

Tired of the bright lights & slot machines of the Vegas Strip? Head out to Red Rock Canyon for a rewarding hike that will take your breath away (in more ways than one).

This 1.1-mile loop in Valley of Fire State Park features towering rock formations, tight slot canyons, and picturesque desert landscapes.

Explore a slot canyon outside Las Vegas on this 3.6-mile out-and-back in the Spring Mountains.

This 2.2-mile out-and-back in Red Rock Canyon explores a rocky, tree-lined wash pinched by towering cliffs and dotted with pools after a rain.

Dazzling high-country lakes, glacier-carved cirques and miles of stunning alpine scenery render this secluded 38-mile National Recreation Trail a must-hike.

This trail goes through the desert. You'll pass cactus flowers in March and April, abandoned cars & hot tubs and you might see a coyote or two. You can follow any road up to the radio tower - either at the base of the hills or near the railway. Bring water as it's very dry and there's no shade.

This moderate, 6.2-mile hiking (or running) trail in Red Rock Canyon winds around sandstone and limestone hills with postcard views.

Navigate a vertical sandstone maze to guaranteed solitude on a high-desert summit.

Leave the glitz of the Las Vegas Strip for dazzling views on top of Griffith Peak, an 11,060-foot peak an hour northwest of the city.

Climb out of the desert heat to breezy alpine solitude.

Climb out of the desert heat to breezy alpine solitude.

Navigate a vertical sandstone maze to guaranteed solitude on a high-desert summit.

Expect unexpected challenges to reach the summit