The Other Las Vegas – Best Hiking, Biking, Outdoor Adventures

With the well-earned nickname “Sin City,” Las Vegas is the cruise ship of cities, associated more with sloth and overindulgence than physical activity. But that definitely does not have to be the case.

If you’ve ever flown into Las Vegas and looked out the window, you may have noticed the city appears out of nowhere, surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. Only it isn’t really nothing, it is surprisingly high mountain peaks, the gorgeous landscape of the Mojave Desert and beautiful formations of red rock. The area around Vegas is a less-publicized hotbed of outdoor recreation, including climbing and skiing, but most notably, road cycling, mountain biking, hiking and increasingly, e-biking.

Years ago, I wrote a travel feature for USA Today on using Vegas as a hub for a fun and very different – but powder packed – ski trip, including its own nearby Lee Canyon ski resort (Mt. Charleston), and Southern Utah’s Brian Head and Eagle Point. Having driven out of the city to ski, and also to play golf many times (the Vegas suburbs are full of excellent golf courses), I became increasingly curious about all the mountains, trails and bikes I saw. I visit Vegas regularly and yearned to explore the city’s more active side, and on a recent wellness-centric trip, I got to do just that.

A cycling industry acquaintance recommended a company called Escape Adventures, which gets excellent ratings from past customers. Escape offers turnkey, guided, fun and affordable group trips right from the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard, aka “The Strip.” The company also runs biking, hiking and multi-sport trips worldwide, but they have a few home base offices, in Moab, Utah, Bentonville, Arkansas and right here in Las Vegas – located at the city’s top bike shop, Las Vegas Cyclery (and as a bike shop junkie, I was blown away by the size and breadth of selection). As a result, they have a very high-quality fleet of road, mountain and e-bikes at their disposal, and had no trouble fitting my friend, who is 6’5” for a road bike. Their guided trips pick up at the Mirage, near the center of the Strip and a pretty easy walk from all the major resorts (or a very short Uber or Lyft ride if you’re saving energy).

I opted for the Half-Day Las Vegas Road Bike Tour, which has morning and afternoon options and at least one departure scheduled every day of the week. It can be done by pretty much any level of cyclist, with route options from 12-30 miles, mostly through the gorgeous Red Rock National Conservation Area. The park’s loop road is the heart of the ride, and while it is open to automotive traffic, it is an ample two lanes wide and one-way, so cars are never coming at you from the front, those behind have lots of room to pass, and there just wasn’t much traffic to begin with – but it is surprisingly hilly for the desert. If you go for the longest permutation, it adds a section of bike path outside the Conservation Area, completely separated from traffic. It can be done guided ($150) or self-guided ($140, better for the longer options and stronger riders) and includes roundtrip shuttle from the Mirage, guide/driver, bike and helmet rentals, and water bottles. This trip is also offered as an e-bike (electric motor assist) tour.

A similar itinerary is available for off-road enthusiasts, but with half and full day mountain biking options, as well as e-mountain bikes. The Red Rock Conservation Area includes over 100-miles of single-track trails, and trips cover 7-12 miles with the extensions aimed at more experienced mountain bikers. The standard bike supplied is a full-suspension Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, and you can upgrade to a Stumpjumper Expert or for e-bike, Specialized Turbo Levo FSR. Half-day trips run $150-$170, and full-day $290-$330.

For the more ambitious riders, Escape Adventures also offers Vegas-based all-inclusive 5-day road bike and mountain bike trips combining Red Rocks and Death Valley.

For non-cyclists, all those trails around Las Vegas are ideal for hiking, and Escape also offers half-day guided hiking trips, morning (8-12) or afternoon (1-5), with the same shuttles from the Strip. There are several trialheads and route options, selected by the guide based on the composition and ability of the group ($130), but any of these trips can also be organized as a private tour.

The thing about Las Vegas is that you always end up with more time than you need, and especially during the day, this can lead to dubious choices such as frittering away chips at the tables or day drinking (or both). I’ve visited the city more than 50 times, and rarely felt that I was too busy to get out for a few hours in the morning or early afternoon, so why not embrace a healthy, fun, outdoor alternative? The Red Rocks road was stunning in terms of scenery, great riding with little concern about cars, and to get back to the hotel by lunchtime with a few hours of outdoor exercise under our belts felt like a real accomplishment – and was way more fun then the hotel gym. What I love about Vegas is that there is so much to do, and you can do lots of things in a single trip, including getting away from the Strip for a few hours.