Las Vegas

LAS VEGASSTARTER

From the Sign to the Fountains

≈ 5,000 steps2.4 mi · about 2.5 hoursStarter · 3 stops · 500 credStart where you live.

Three stops on foot up the south end of the Strip after dark, from the 1959 Welcome sign in the boulevard's median to the Statue of Liberty at Tropicana Avenue and the fountains in front of the Bellagio. About two and a half hours, free throughout. County law makes it a misdemeanor to stop on the Strip's pedestrian bridges, so take every photo from the sidewalks.

LAS VEGASSTARTER

Under the Canopy

≈ 2,000 steps1.0 mi · about 2 hoursStarter · 3 stops · 500 credStart where you live.

Three stops on foot through downtown after dark, from the neon cowboy under the Fremont Street canopy to a rescued sign at the start of Fremont East and the shell-shaped lobby of the Neon Museum. About two hours, and free from the street at every stop; the museum's Boneyard is a separate ticket.

LAS VEGASSTANDARD

Fountains, Canals and the Sphere

≈ 2,500 steps + 2.8 mi by car1.2 mi on foot · about 3.5 hoursStandard · 4 stops · 600 credOne trip earns it.

Four evening stops up the middle and north of the Strip, from the fountains Evel Knievel tried to jump to the Venetian's bell tower, the lit skin of the Sphere and the city's Gateway Arches below the Strat. Walk the first three and take a bus or a car to the last. About three and a half hours, free throughout; do not stop on the pedestrian bridges.

LAS VEGASSTANDARD

Springs, Courthouse and Paintbrushes

≈ 4,500 steps + 3.6 mi by car2.2 mi on foot · about 5 hoursStandard · 4 stops · 600 credOne trip earns it.

Four daytime stops, from the springs where Las Vegas began to the courthouse where the mob was put on the stand, the Smith Center's carillon tower and the giant paintbrushes of the Arts District. Drive from the first stop to the second, then walk. Go Thursday to Monday, when the Springs Preserve is open; it charges admission, and the rest is free from the street. About five hours.

LAS VEGASADVANCED

Red Rock to the Pines

58 mi by car1 day or more · + 3 stretches not routedAdvanced II · 8 stops · 800 credGetting there is not the hard part.

Two days in the Spring Mountains. Day one follows Red Rock Canyon's one-way Scenic Drive past sandstone cliffs and rock art and ends at a free overlook on Highway 159; day two climbs to Mount Charleston's pines for a Cold War memorial, a summit trail and an old atomic-test lookout. The drive is $20 per car and needs a timed booking October to May. Start early and carry water.

LAS VEGASADVANCED

Red Sandstone at Valley of Fire

17 mi by carabout 7 hours · + the walk in to 2 stopsAdvanced · 6 stops · 800 credGetting there is not the hard part.

Six stops in Nevada's oldest state park, an hour northeast of the city: a rock shaped like an elephant, red towers, two walls of petroglyphs, the striped Fire Wave and the White Domes slot. Entry is $15 per car, $10 with Nevada plates. The park closes December 1 to 14 each year, and through 2026 the west entrance is shut Monday to Thursday. A full day; start at sunrise and carry water.

LAS VEGASADVANCED

The Road to Hoover Dam

41 mi by cara full day · + the walk in to 1 stopAdvanced · 6 stops · 800 credGetting there is not the hard part.

Six stops by car southeast from the valley: a desert wetland, a Hoover Dam turbine in Boulder City, a tunnel on the old dam railroad, Lake Mead from above, the dam crest and the bridge walkway. A full day. The tunnel trail needs a Lake Mead pass, $25 per car; the rest is free, though the dam garage costs $10 and every car may be inspected at the checkpoint.