The 7 Best Long Road Trips to Las Vegas
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Whether you’re planning a summertime adventure, a National Parks odyssey, or a chance to reconnect with nature, Las Vegas is the perfect gateway.
I can think of 7 different road trips to Las Vegas, and they’re some of the country’s best!
I traveled across the USA for a year and a half, and the area around Las Vegas was one of my favorite destinations. There’s just SO much to do!
You could say it’s the outdoorsy epicenter of the West… and that’s a surprise to most. Las Vegas is mostly known for its bright lights and entertainment, but it’s on the doorstep of some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the USA.
Trust me, these drives will leave you itching to pack up and hit the gas.
So, I created this list of the 7 best long road trips to Las Vegas. They all work as road trips FROM Las Vegas too.
First, here are some travel tips you need to know before you go on your road trip to or from Las Vegas!
Road Trip Travel Tips (Know Before You Go)
Where to Stay
Camping:
This is the cheapest option, and it can even be free (my favorite thing about the American west is how easy it is to find free camping).
The most convenient camping will be inside the national parks and destinations you’re visiting. The free camping is rarely convenient, though.
I camped for free everywhere during my years road tripping the US, and you can find exactly where I did that in each guide I’ll link throughout this article.
To find free camping yourself, use the app Campendium, where you can find all sorts of spots. Best of all, you can also read people’s reviews of the areas.
Hotels
The idea of camping is nice, but sometimes that’s as far as it goes.
Believe me, I feel like I aged 10 years after sleeping in my SUV for 1.5 years.
When you’re driving a lot and hiking even more, sleeping well in a nice, soft bed is worth the price you pay for it.
My recommendation is to compare hotel prices on a platform like TripAdvisor, which shows you options from all the popular websites, and choose the cheapest option at the time (it’s always changing).
My other recommendation is to book way in advance, because a lot of the destinations I’ll cover here are very popular.
Rent a Car
If you’re driving from your state to Las Vegas, obviously just use your car.
But if you’re flying to Las Vegas for your epic road trip, you’ll have to rent a car. Sometimes that’s better anyway – put those 1t,000 miles on another car!
Renting a car through Discover Cars is a seamless way to compare prices and find the right car for you. Look for vehicles with ample trunk space for luggage and snacks (I’m a Subaru fan – they never let you down).
Stock Up on Groceries
A lot of the destinations in this list of road trips to Las Vegas are remote, and groceries can get pricey in isolated areas.
I’ve been a victim of $6 dollar bread at the General Store of a national park.
Save money by grabbing essentials like snacks, drinks and non-perishable food before hitting the road. Consider bringing a cooler for perishable items.
All the trips listed below are a handful, and they’re spectacular. Each one has iconic views and trails. They also include amazing detours, so you can obviously adjust these road trips to fit your preferences and location.
If you really want to get the most out of these journeys, I’ve created individual itineraries for each suggestion, which you can check out in more detail.
Let’s start with my favorite!
1. The Grand Circle
The Route: Las Vegas → Zion National Park → Bryce Canyon National Park → Capitol Reef → Arches & Canyonlands → Monument Valley → The Grand Canyon → Horseshoe Bend → Las Vegas
The Grand Circle road trip has been my second-favorite road trip ever, and it’s widely regarded as America’s ultimate road trip.
It features six of America’s best national parks (7 if you extend it) that showcase the very best of the American Southwest. Every stop boasts jaw-dropping beauty, from the towering cliffs of Zion to the glorious arches of Arches National Park.
Why its Great: There are 3 main reasons I consider the Grand Circle one of the best road trips in the USA.
- It’s iconic. You get to experience some of the most well-known, most photographed places in the USA, like Angel’s Landing, Horseshoe Bend, Delicate Arch, and Monument Valley.
- The scenic drives are unbeatable. Seriously… this whole road trip is one big scenic drive, from the mars-like landscape of the Bentonite Hills to the mountains of Colorado and Forrest Gump Point, the driving is a huge part of this road trip.
- It’s the most customizable. The number of stops on this road trip will make you want to spend 3 months traveling. There are state parks, national monuments, giant trees, and so much more in between the official Grand Circle stops!
This road trip is so grand that you can start it and end it from a variety of big cities too – it doesn’t HAVE to start in Las Vegas. And since it’s a loop, you always end up where you started.
You could do it from Salt Lake City, Denver, or Pheonix.
My favorite stops during the Grand Circle were:
- Zion National Park: I spent 2 days in Zion and it was my favorite national park for a long time (my ranking has since changed). The views are unmatched, and going here first for the road trip is actually a hard act to follow.
- Telluride and the million-dollar highway: this is part of the road trip’s extension into Colorado, and it’s SO worth it. Most of the Grand Circle is classic Utah (towering, mars-like, red rocks), and the detour into Colorado is refreshing. You get a vibing ski town, green pine trees and jagged mountains.
- The Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend: I spent 2 days in the Grand Canyon and 1 day in Page, and it was perfect. You end the Grand Circle with the grandest views on the whole road trip.
The next road trips to Las Vegas in this article all have parts of the Grand Circle road trip. I’ll cover them quickly, but they do have some key things to know.
2. Utah to Las Vegas (The Mighty 5)
The Route: Moab → Arches → Canyonlands → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Las Vegas
The road trip from Utah to Las Vegas is known as The Mighty 5 because you go through Utah’s 5 incredible national parks.
People from around the USA usually start by flying to Las Vegas, but you can start in Moab if your final destination is Las Vegas. Moab is a super cool, outdoorsy town and both Arches and Canyonlands National Park are 30 minutes away.
From there, you drive through Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion, to finish up in Las Vegas.
Like in the Grand Circle, there are BUNCHES of other stops you can do between every national park, such as Pando (the world’s largest Aspen tree grove), Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Valley of Fire State Park.
This may be controversial, but Valley of Fire alone is more amazing than Bryce. THAT’S how amazing the road trip is – even the optional stops are mind-blowing.
Why It’s Great: You get a crash-course in the geography of southern Utah. Every national park is a vastly different landscape – from the massive arches of Arches National Park to the weirdly artistic hoodoos of Bryce Canyon.
What I liked most on the Utah Mighty 5 road trip:
- Delicate Arch at sunset. It might look delicate, but it’s a gigantic, thick arch in a perfectly shaped coliseum. Even the hike to it is gorgeous.
- The scenic drive getting to Capitol Reef National Park. It passes through the Bentonite Hills, which looks like another planet. There’s even a Mars Research Center here because of how much it actually looks like mars. There are some crazy hikes here, but I didn’t do them – I just enjoyed the drive.
- Hiking to the top of the cliffs in Zion. Just like hiking to the top of Yosemite Valley, few people do it… but it’s the best way to enjoy this national park. To hike all the way up, do the Observation Point or Cabin Springs (my favorite) hikes.
3. Denver to Las Vegas
The Route: Denver → Rocky Mountains → Grand Junction → Utah Mighty 5 → Las Vegas
Add a road trip through the Rocky Mountains to the Utah Mighty 5 and you have yourself a spectacular road trip through 3 US states!
It starts out in Denver and crosses the entire Rocky Mountains. You can take a detour into Rocky Mountain National Park and then take I-70 west to Grand Junction. On the way, stop in Breckenridge, Vail, Glenwood Springs and Rifle.
Consider a detour to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and, once in Grand Junction, make sure you visit the Colorado National Monument.
Then, finish off with the Utah Mighty 5 (above) and finish in Las Vegas!
Why It’s Great: This Colorado to Utah road trip is a crash-course in both Colorado’s stunning mountains and Southern Utah’s crazy desert.
I didn’t exactly do this road trip, but I’ve done it all in two parts.
I did the Utah Mighty 5 during the Grand Circle road trip. Later the same year, I crossed the Rocky Mountains from Grand Junction during my big Colorado road trip, which is my favorite road trip of all time.
4. Arizona to Las Vegas
The Route: Tucson → Phoenix → Sedona → Flagstaff → Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
I haven’t been to all the destinations on this road trip, but this Arizona road trip is on the top of my bucket list.
This Arizona to Las Vegas road trip has 6 incredible stops:
- It starts out in Tucson, where you can visit Saguaro National Park and Mount Lemmon.
- Then you drive to Phoenix, where I can recommend hiking Camel Back Mountain in the middle of the city (I did that when I was little). And these two first stops are just the tip of the iceberg.
- From Phoenix, you drive to Sedona, which is one of the coolest places in the US. There are hikes on hikes on hikes to do, and each one is more amazing than the last. I really want to go soon.
- The next stop, Flagstaff, isn’t a typical Arizona landscape. This city is nestled in a forest in the middle of giant mountains. It’s really outdoorsy, has that small town charm and is an International Dark Sky City. That means the whole city has minimal light pollution – you can step outside at night and see all the stars!
- After Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon is just an hour and a half away. You can enter the South Rim and go the long way around the entire park through Page and passing Zion National Park. Otherwise, go the short way (west) to visit Grand Canyon West, the Hoover Dam and finish off in Las Vegas
Why It’s Great: This road trip is an eclectic mix of vibrant cities (like Tucson) and astounding natural wonders. From the cacti of Saguaro National Park to Sedona’s red rock formations and the Grand Canyon’s impressive scenery, this trip isn’t short on variety.
5. San Diego to Las Vegas
The Route: San Diego → LA → Whitewater Preserve → Joshua Tree National Park → Mojave Desert → Las Vegas
This road trip is a sensory overload because of the number of different ecosystems you get to see.
The road trip starts with a few days in San Diego. Enjoy the palm trees and beaches. What I love about southern California is how you get hills and forests right next to the ocean.
Then, you have the option of going through Los Angeles. However, I didn’t enjoy LA very much. We tried the touristy things and it was just crowded and not that fun. If you visit, stick to the beaches!
Once you pass over the mountains, it starts getting dry. Before saying goodbye to the color green, stop by Whitewater Preserve for a gorgeous hike in Sand to Snow National Monument.
Then, you’re met with the surreal landscape of Joshua Tree – and are now fully in the desert. One day in Joshua Tree is enough to get to know the national park well. Then, finish off with optional detours to dune fields or rocky mountains in the Mojave National Preserve.
The road trip ends in Las Vegas, where you can party hard or spend days and days enjoying the outdoors.
Why It’s Great: This road trip is a great mix of city and nature. It’s an adventure during which you soak in the Pacific coast vibes before heading inland to the arid beauty of Joshua Tree and Las Vegas.
For an itinerary for your trip from LA to Las Vegas with even more details, check out Josh’s guide from California Through My Lens.
6. San Francisco to Las Vegas (Eastern Sierras)
The Route: San Francisco → Lake Tahoe → Yosemite (optional) → Mammoth Lakes → Bishop → Death Valley → Las Vegas
The road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas is one of the most scenic drives in the US. It’s known as the Eastern Sierras road trip.
Start off in the bay area (where 2 days is more than enough) and continue to Lake Tahoe. From there, it only gets better.
The road trip takes you south all along the Sierra Nevadas, the tallest mountain range in the US.
And while they aren’t very impressive from the western side, they have no foothills on the eastern side. that means you have sheer 14,000-foot mountains rising out of the ground right next to you as you drive down Highway 395.
These are the stops on the Eastern Sierras road trip:
- Yosemite Valley. If Tioga pass is open (only in the summer), you can drive into Yosemite from the east, and the drive this way is better. Alternatively, you could drive straight from the Bay Area to Yosemite and on to Highway 395, skipping Lake Tahoe. Spend AT LEAST 2 days in Yosemite!
- Drive south to Mammoth Lakes, a gorgeous ski town with amazing restaurants, hotels and hikes. One of my favorite things to do there was bike because they have bike paths all over!
- Hike and rock climb in Bishop. There are hikes all over this desert landscape, but I spent 3 weeks in Bishop bouldering. It also has some great hot springs!
- Consider a detour through Big Pine to the Eureka Dunes, which are in the northern part of Death Valley National Park (it’s a tough road).
- Visit the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, where a BUNCH of movies have been filmed, and to see the United States’ tallest mountain: Mount Whitney.
- Explore the eerie beauty of Death Valley for 1, 2 or 3 days. It’s a HUGE national park. But if you’re short on time – no worries – 1 day is enough to get a good gist of it. From here, you’re just 2 and a half hours from Las Vegas.
This road trip to Las Vegas is a spectacle, and it’s one of my favorite road trips to date. I’d say it’s my 3rd favorite!
7. Portland to Las Vegas (Volcanoes and Mountains)
The Route: Portland → Bend → Crater Lake → Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway → Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway → Las Vegas
This is pretty much an extension to road trip #6 above. I traveled to all these destinations during my west coast road trip all the way to BC, Canada (except I did it the opposite way, FROM Las Vegas).
Portland gets a bad rep, but it’s a cool city with lots to do. The culinary scene is great and there’s so much nature around the city to enjoy.
But the good stuff does start once you leave Portland for your road trip:
- Bend: a SUPER cool city where all the houses are gorgeous, but the landscape is the best part. Check out Smith Rock State Park and visit as many waterfalls near Bend as you can (there’s a LOT of them).
- Crater Lake: I visited in May, which meant there wasn’t that much to do unless you are experienced in snowy conditions. But I LOVED it. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and the story of how it came to be is terrifying and amazing.
- Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway: this scenic drive goes through Southern Oregon and Northern California, passing by Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
- Eastern Sierras: This is the road trip I described in detail above, from Lake Tahoe all the way down to Death Valley and Las Vegas.
Why It’s Great: You start off in the lush green of Portland, experience jagged mountain peaks and alpine conditions and end up in the dazzling desert. This road trip has everything from vast forests and volcanic landscapes to mountain escapes and desert fun. It has it all!
Bonus Mini Road Trips Starting in Las Vegas
If you’re traveling to Las Vegas and have just enough time to explore a bit, these mini road trips are perfect for short (1–2 day) escapes from the city.
- Death Valley National Park: Spend a full day exploring the park’s unforgettable landscapes, like Badwater Basin and Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
- Joshua Tree National Park: A 1 day trip might be too short for all the driving, but with 2 days you can enjoy both a stunning sunset and sunrise in this iconic park.
- Valley of Fire & Zion National Park: You can spend 2 days hiking in Valley of Fire State Park or spend 1 day there and 1 day in Zion National Park… your mind will be blown after these parks.
- Grand Canyon West: Visit the Grand Canyon Skywalk and even consider going for a helicopter ride on an easy day trip with awe-inspiring views. You’ll pass the Hoover Dam on the way, and you can Kayak on the Colorado River if you make it a 2-day trip!
Final Thoughts – Why Visit Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is more than just a glittery city.
It’s the hub for some of the best road trip adventures in America. Whether you’re exploring red deserts, towering mountain ranges, or coastal forests, these routes will immerse you in the diversity of the American landscape.
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