An Unforgettable Road Trip Out of Las Vegas

Photo by Dan Cutler

The Colors of the Rainbow Come to Life in this Tri-state Road Trip  

Words by Ashley Bowling

Just 30 minutes from the glitzy lights and ringing slots of Vegas sits a landscape that feels uncharted, lying peacefully underneath baby blue skies filled with beaming rays of sun, waiting to be explored. 

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Stumbling upon Lake Mead National Recreational Area lends itself to undulating terrain while driving the winding roads alongside sparkling blue waters juxtaposed against rust-colored hills. It’s a treat to explore what feels like the world’s largest playground, dipping in and out of sandstone caves and red rock formations under the bursting Nevada sun. 

Valley of Fire State Park by Ashley Bowling

Continuing along the route, another stop that will blow you away is Valley of Fire State Park. The colors are profoundly out-of-this-world. From cream-colored slot canyons to Native American huts built into cliffs to purple peaks, the panoramic display of the park’s colorful hues proves exactly why it’s called the Valley of Fire. 

Arrive in Zion National Park by sunset to fully experience the brightness of the citrus shades as they reflect off desert walls. Two miles from the Zion entrance, Driftwood Lodge rests on the Virgin River with spacious rooms, spectacular views, and savory food at their onsite restaurant. Rise with the sun for a wildlife sighting as you make your way into the park. This magnificent piece of parkland is speckled with maroon, orange, and cream rocks jutting out as if they were reaching for the heavens. This place truly makes one feel as if they are a tiny ant next to rocks that climb so high that it’s rare to capture the earth’s floor and the open sky in the same lens. No trip here is complete without a hike wading up the Virgin River through the renowned section called The Narrows.  

Upper Emerald Pools at Zion by Ashley Bowling

Just 40 minutes west, adventurists are in for a completely different experience at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Next, make reservations ahead of time to experience Antelope Canyon as you wander below the earth’s surface through sherbet-swirled caverns that have been carved smooth over millennia by desert winds and rain. Next stop is Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. From The Wave (which looks like an orange ocean on dry land) to the yellow limestone Vermillion Cliffs intercepted with steep canyons to White Pocket area formation that appears as foamy waves rising up from the desert, it’s no wonder the Pueblos settled on this dreamy plateau. 

As one of the seven wonders of the world, a stop at the Grand Canyon needs no further explanation. Walk the South Rim or explore its depths with a hike or mule ride all the way down to the Colorado River. 

Toward Vegas, make a pit stop at Hoover Dam. The stop is delightfully more serene and breathtaking than the 1997 film “Vegas Vacation” makes it out to be. Next is a photo op at the increasingly popular art installation: Seven Magic Mountains. Constructed by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, these carefully crafted boulder-(not rock)-stacks, rising out of the desert landscape, are larger than life and are painted in bursting rainbow colors. 

It’s no wonder there are so many Native American settlements and parklands within such a short drive of each other. The landscapes here are painted with colorful, yet delicate, brush strokes and dotted with alien formations carved by Mother Nature herself. There is really no wrong time to explore this color-filled land of natural art.