It’s time for cowboys and counterculture. Wildlife and wilder tales. Open roads and open hearts. If you’re looking for road trip ideas, Nevada highways lead to destinations you can only dream of. Here, you’ll find the best road trips and Nevada scenic drives, from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe, visiting ghost towns, hot springs, and other Nevada treasures. Because in the Silver State, “taking the road less travelled” isn’t just an idea—it’s practically a guarantee.
Who goes to Nevada
Photo Credit: Travel Nevada
Nevada is a destination for everyone. Adventure seekers will love the wide-open spaces just ready for hiking and exploring. Families all the way to solo travellers can enjoy endless road trip itineraries taking in some of the best the state has to offer. There is plenty of family-friendly accommodation along the way and activities and sights to keep even the fussiest of children occupied. Couples will enjoy the romantic scenery and the ability to stay in some gorgeous properties. Fun seekers will find Las Vegas thrilling and the nightlife entertaining.
How to get to Nevada
Australians can access Nevada with by just one stop layover after flying direct to the USA (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas Fort Worth). Both Las Vegas (LAS) and Reno-Tahoe Airport (RNO) act as a gateway to Nevada. There are other airports in Nevada that are smaller, offering domestic and regional flights.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS)
Las Vegas Airport is the main airport when travelling to Las Vegas. It’s the largest Nevada airport and one of the busiest airports in the USA. The airport is located in Paradise town, some 8 km south of Las Vegas Downtown. Several airlines use LAS airport as a major hub – Alaska, American, Delta and Canadian WestJet and Air Canada, to name a few. Las Vegas airport is fairly large, with 2 terminals and 92 gates. As for transportation, there are really a lot of options. From public buses and intercity shuttles to taxis and limousines, there are a lot of ways to reach Las Vegas.
Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
Reno-Tahoe Airport is the second busiest airport in Nevada, although classified as a small-hub US airport. It serves Reno city and Washoe County in general. It’s located 6 km SE of Reno centre, and to get there one can use City Bus public buses, shuttles and taxis. The airport’s focus is domestic routes, so Las Vegas is the top connecting airport, while Southwest Airlines handles most passengers. Many Australians will fly into Tahoe during the winter for the snow season, but it can also be a gateway for road trips, making an open-jaw flight with Las Vegas a fantastic option.
Smaller airports include Boulder City Municipal Airport (BLT), North Las Vegas Airport (VGT), and Elko Regional Airport (EKO).
By Road
If you are driving to Nevada, you will find driving in the USA is similar to driving in Australia. Many of the same laws exist in the States as are enforced in Australia. For example, you cannot use your mobile phone while driving, you must always wear a seat belt and there are limits on the amount of alcohol you can consume before driving. However, one major difference is driving on the right-hand side of the road. Your steering wheel will be positioned on the left, an unfamiliar arrangement for many Australians. Overtake other vehicles to their left, and always use your indicators. Australian driving licences are generally acceptable in the US. However, you will not be able to rent a car if you still have your learner or provisional licence. If your licence was issued in another country and is not printed in English it is a good idea to check whether you need an International Driving Permit.
Top 10 things to do in Nevada
Photo Credit: Travel Nevada – Photographer: Sydney Martinez
Nevada is the most mountainous state in the United States and home to magnificent National Parks. It’s also where you will find Las Vegas which has an edgy excitement all its own and some of the best shopping, drinking, and dining in the country. However, there is more to Nevada than its world-famous ‘Sin City’.
While there’s no denying Las Vegas offers plenty of excitement, nothing can compare to the thrill of exploring Nevada’s stunning natural landscape. The Valley of Fire, the state’s oldest and biggest state park, draws visitors from around the world who come to marvel at dramatic red rock canyons, sandstone cliffs and ancient petrified trees. Along with catching a big-name show or partying the night away in Las Vegas, you can explore the wilderness on two wheels, hike through incredible backcountry, spot peregrine falcons in the wild, marvel at the mighty Hoover Dam and raft through the Black Canyon.
Here are Nevada’s best things to do and see.
Road Trippin’
You can’t visit Nevada without doing some sort of road trip. Nevada road trips are among the best in America, in large part due to the huge expanses of open space and the stunning stops along the way. The scenic drives all across the state are worth the visit alone. From world-famous canyons to Lake Tahoe and some great small towns to stop in along the way, there is a route here for everybody. It could be a short day trip for some sightseeing, or a longer holiday over a few days exploring this truly majestic state. Get ready for open roads, and a big sky and make sure to bring lots of water to quench your thirst in that hot Nevada weather.
https://travelnevada.com/road-trips
Paranormal
We don’t bill Nevada as “The Weirdest, Wildest West” for nothing. Between multiple haunted hotels, mannequin cities built just for the atomic bombing, and a world-famous clown motel located adjacent to a cemetery, the Silver State is a hotbed of spectral experiences.
https://travelnevada.com/weird-nevada/
Hot Springs
Nevada proudly boasts more natural hot springs than any other state. Many Nevada hot springs are in a natural pool, old bathtub, or, in classic Nevada style, a “cowboy tub”—AKA a reimagined, upcycled cattle trough—with water flowing or piped into it from a nearby source. If that’s a little too backcountry for you, there are resort hot springs ranging from kid-friendly pools to luxury spa getaways paired with wellness treatments.
https://travelnevada.com/hot-springs/natural-hot-springs/
Spencer Hot Springs. Photo Credit: Travel Nevada
Uncommon Overnighter
From historic mining cabins to backcountry yurts, haunted hotels and beyond, places to stay around here are far from average. Bring your sense of adventure and get ready to overnight it in memory-maker mode.
https://travelnevada.com/hotels/unique-stays /
Extra-terrestrial
Ready for some otherworldly encounters? Nevada is the home of Area 51, the infamously once-secret unit of the U.S. Government’s Nevada Test and Training Range that is rumoured to house a fleet of extraterrestrial spacecraft and extraterrestrial life forms themselves. Whether you make extraterrestrial contact or not, you may still get into the lore or, better yet, have a close enough encounter with a storytelling local or two.
https://travelnevada.com/extraterrestrial/what-is-an-extraterrestrial/
Rockhounding
Can you dig it? (The answer is yes, you literally can.) Nevada leads the country in gold and silver, but keep digging. These hills also yield a kaleidoscopic spectrum of precious and semi-precious gems too.
https://travelnevada.com/rockhounding-mining/mining-and-rockhounding-in-the-silver-state/
Basque
Festivals, folklore, and family-style feasts have always been central to Basque culture, which is alive and thriving here in Basque Nevada. Don’t forget to also drink in the culture—quite literally with Nevada’s Unofficial State Cocktail, the famous Basque creation called a Picon Punch.
https://travelnevada.com/basque/basque-nevada/
Burning Man. Photo Credit: Travel Nevada – Photographer: Sydney Martinez
Stargazing
With millions of acres of rugged, untamed wilderness, and thousands of miles of get-outside potential, it’s safe to say the Silver State offers dark sky lovers a lifetime of some of the most stellar exploration on Earth. With very little light pollution to be found in Nevada—apart from our two biggest metropolitan areas, which are hundreds of miles apart—you’ll find the darkest, quietest skies in the Lower 48 right here in Nevada.
https://travelnevada.com/stargazing/stargazing-in-nevada/
To give you a helping hand, Travel Nevada has a list of some trip ideas for your clients here https://travelnevada.com/trip-ideas
The best time to travel to Nevada
Fire & Ice Winter Festival in Ely. Photo Credit: Travel Nevada
Nevada is actually a year-round destination from skiing to water sports to shopping and more. Camping to Luxury hotels. Hot Springs and Ghost towns, Stargazing and more. If you had to pick the best time to visit Nevada, we suggest March and April during the spring and fall seasons. Being mostly desert, the state experiences extreme temperatures both during summer and winter. March and April in Nevada are the ideal months to take a trip to the city and explore its outdoors.
Top 5 tips for first-time visitors to Nevada
Photo Credit: Travel Nevada – Photographer: Sydney Martinez
- When visiting Nevada’s state and national parks, remember to always leave these sensitive pristine places better than you found them—and to help keep ‘em that way by never geo-tagging them on social media.
- When road-tripping, be aware that much like fuel stations, restrooms and drinking water, access to cell service can be a bit scattered in some rural parts of the state. Map out your #NVRoadTrip with gas stations, night stops, and be extra safe by letting someone know where you’re venturing, plus when you plan to come back.
- Do note that Nevada is HUGE! So when planning your visit, take into account the amount of time you will be travelling.
- Fancy an off-grid dip? Before you head out to Nevada’s natural hot springs, be sure to brush up on what to know before you go soaking.
- When trying your hand at rockhounding, do abide by Nevada’s Dirt Road Code so you can get after that unfenced, backcountry action safely, legally, and while moving the Nevada story forward.
How to book Nevada
Photo Credit: Travel Nevada
You can book your clients to Nevada through your preferred wholesaler, who will be able to offer organised tours, accommodation, day trips, car hire and much more.
How to learn more about Nevada
Photo Credit: Travel Nevada
Travel Nevada is encouraging agents to reignite their passion for travel and adventure by learning about the abundance of quirky and quaint experiences the Silver State offers, via a new Travel Nevada Specialist Program. The program, which launched on August 12 2022, provides agents with the tools to be able to best promote, match and sell Nevada products to their clients.
Agents who complete the program will go into a draw to win Nevada FAM opportunities, and the first 50 agents to complete the badge will receive a special gift from the headquarter office in Carson City. Check-out the Travel Nevada Specialist Program at https://travpro-nevada.netlify.app/main
The Travel Nevada website is also packed with travel information, itineraries and helpful information for your client’s trip at https://travelnevada.com. You can also get in touch with the Travel Nevada team via email at info@canuckiwi.com
Where to find updates for COVID-19
Nevada is open for travel and updates can be found online at Nevada Travel Advisories | COVID-19 in Nevada | Travel Nevada
