10 Best Outdoor Adventures Around Las Vegas

1. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Wander past petrified sand dunes, waterfalls and red-tailed hawks on a free guided hike with Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, or explore on your own by car, foot, bike or horseback. Main entrance to the park is off State 159, 17 miles west of the Strip.

2. Badger Pass Mountain Bike Loop. A Cottonwood Valley 6-mile single-track loop with some tricky maneuvering and moderate climbing. Catch nice views of the surrounding desert at Badger Pass. Park at the Late Night parking lot, off State 160, about 41Z2 miles west of intersection with State 159; head south under highway via the tunnel.

3. Awesome Adventures Horseback Ride (800-519-2243; www.awesomeadventureguide.com). An Old West-style horse ranch inside Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (see below). Head out for a sunrise tour in the crisp morning air followed by a picnic lunch, or ride into the sunset and enjoy a cowboy-style steak supper. 

4. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (6375 State 159, Blue Diamond, NV; 702-875-4141). This peaceful 520-acre homestead at the base of Wilson Cliffs has the second-oldest and one of the tiniest buildings in all of Las Vegas. Tours daily.

5. Valley of Fire State Park. One of Nevada's oldest state parks, dedicated in 1935, is a sci-fi-like land of red sandstone and gray limestone formations. Today the stark landscape sees more lizards than it does visitors. Winter, when temperatures are mild, is the best time to go. Delineated hiking trails here are relatively short, but you're free to explore on your own. From Las Vegas, take I-15 55 miles to the park. Or, for a more scenic route, take Lake Mead Blvd into Lake Mead National Recreation Area; bear left at Northshore Blvd and continue to Valley of Fire State Park.

6. Boulder City Outfitters (702-293-1190; www.bouldercityoutfitters.com). These veteran paddlers are the go-to folks for rental canoes and kayaks. Head downstream along the Colorado.

7. Black Canyon/Willow Beach River Adventures (800-455-3490; www.blackcanyonadventures.com). Let a motor-assisted pontoon raft do the work while you and up to 35 other folks float the Colorado.  You'll miss the hot-springs stop, but your arms will thank you later. 3 to 3-1/2-hour trip.

8. Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa, Casino (866-782-9487; www.greenvalleyranchresort.com). The first off-Strip luxury resort to cater to the locals. Decor is Mediterranean-style timeless as opposed to up-to-the-minute trendy, and the pool, with its private cabanas and sandy beach, is as hopping as any you'll find on the Strip.

9. The Platinum Hotel and Spa (211 E Flamingo Rd; 877-211-9211; www.theplatinumhotel.com).  A (gasp!) non-gaming hotel off the Strip by a block-and-a-half. 255 suites come with full kitchens, plus two pools and a 17th-floor rooftop terrace with telescopes.

10. Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa. Dripping in more than three million crystals and walled in mahogany, wenge wood, and splashes of real red sandstone mined from the nearby canyon, Red Rock is the first billion-dollar hotel to be built off the Strip. No crazy lines at check-in and a separate casino entrance – one with windows, no less! – make the place quieter, and lighter, than your typical Vegas high-rise.