Beyond the Brim

You've seen the shows, eaten at all the buffets, and visited your fill of themed casinos. But you still have some time to spend in Las Vegas, and decide to go on a day trip.

There are several options for day trips from Las Vegas. You could go see the Hoover Dam, or visit the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, or maybe even try to make it to Death Valley.

But the Hoover Dam won't really fill a whole day. The West Rim of the Grand Canyon is perhaps a little overrated. And Death Valley is 2.5 hours away, meaning it requires a lot of driving for a day trip.

So where can you go that's close to Vegas, not too expensive, and will truly give you a taste of the Nevada desert?

Located about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, Valley of Fire makes for an easy day trip. Just hop on I-15, and you'll be there in under an hour.

Valley of Fire State Park covers more than 40,000 acres and is known for its bright red sandstone rock formations, petrified trees, and petroglyphs that date back thousands of years. The area is so stunning that it was made Nevada's first state park in 1935.

But the thing that truly makes Valley of Fire the best day trip from Las Vegas? The park isn't *too* big, making it the perfect size to explore in just one day.

The Fire Wave trail is actually fairly easy. You'll hike past some rock formations on a sandy trail first, and then over stacked slickrock until you get to the “wave.” The Fire Wave truly does look like a wave of rock, with alternating layers of red and white stone.

Much of Valley of Fire was formed when sand dunes leftover from an evaporated inland sea were shaped and hardened by the wind. Looking at the Fire Wave, it's very easy to see the whole area as undulating waves of ancient sand. It's an incredible place.