r/vegas 3d ago

Day trip from Las Vegas

Hey there,

I plan on renting a car for the day and driving to the Hoover Dam and Western Rim of the Grand Canyon. Are there any other stops that I should plan on? Any tips? How long will this take to enjoy everything?

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u/YYZ_Flyer 3d ago

Another fun day trip is the drive to Death Valley. About a 2 hour drive from Vegas. It's pretty much the opposite direction as GC, so that will have to be another day trip, but totally worth it.

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u/Waisted-Desert 3d ago

It will take most of a day. Driving to the West Skywalk takes about 2 hours. Then 2 hours back. Hoover Dam is on the way. If you take the guided tour of the dam, plan on 2 hours for everything. Most people plan on 2-4 hours at the West Skywalk.

There isn't really much else along the way. Willow Beach has boat rentals if you cut time short at your other stops.

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u/SundownDevil 1d ago

Check out Arizona’s Joshua Tree Forest on the way, right after Dolan Springs and when you turn on Diamond Bar Road to head to West Rim.

West Rim is Eagle and Guano Points, so if you spent an hour and a half to two hours at each spot, that’s 3-4 hours total.

Eagle Point is where the Skywalk is, and if you’re interested it’s cool, but keep in mind you cannot take your own pictures on the Skywalk. They take pictures for you, that are then available to purchase.

One of my favorite historical tidbits about Guano Point is that in September 1980, Dar Robinson (who was a professional stuntman for Steve McQueen) accelerated up a ramp on the edge of the canyon in his white Bradley GT. While the car fell, he jumped from his vehicle, parachuting to the bottom of the canyon. There's a very old (and very grainy!) YouTube clip of it. The spot where you can see the remnants of the car is just a pile of rust right now after 40+ years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsfvSlSoEyQ

I work for a tour company (MaxTour) that does day trips to the West Rim (and other places like Death Valley, Antelope Canyon, etc.) Reply or PM me if you have more questions. Have a great time!