AAA Traveler - Summer 2020 - 19

A former desert truck stop, Las Vegas is now one of the most popular
destinations for travelers in the United States. From the glittering lights of
The Strip to non-stop entertainment on stage and off, Sin City has plenty to
pack into a vacation. Many visitors never make it off Las Vegas Boulevard.
However, if you seek adventure, you'll hit the jackpot outside the city.
Here are seven worth exploration.

Lake Mead National
Recreation Area

Seven Magic
Mountains

Hoover Dam

Valley of
Fire State
Park

About 26 miles

27 miles

37 miles

53 miles

Various modes of
recreation, from swimming
to hiking, are on deck at
America's first and largest
national recreation area.
The outdoor playground
here includes desertscapes
and two lakes, Mead and
Mohave, among its 1.5
million acres.

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone
created this public art
installation of seven towers
of neon rainbow-hued
stacked boulders. The
towers stand more than
thirty feet tall. Built in 2016
and originally scheduled to
be on view for two years, the
permit has been extended
through 2021.

This concrete arch
structure in the Black
Canyon dams the Colorado
River between Nevada and
Arizona. Take a guided tour
of the historic tunnels and
ride the original elevator to
the top of the dam.

The colors of fire - red,
yellow, orange and pink
- come alive in 40,000
acres of Aztec sandstone
outcrops and archways.
The landscape is world
renowned not only for the
geology, but also for the
ancient petrified trees
found here.

The recreation area
preserves nine wilderness
areas, protecting their
natural beauty and the
solitude they provide. After
the buzzing Strip, these
wilderness areas may be just
the oasis you crave.

There's little to do here other
than appreciate the art and
snap a few photos, but the
selfie is worth the drive!

Outfitters such as Black
Canyon River Adventures
guide river float trips
beneath the dam. It's the
best vantage to take in the
726-foot-tall, 1,244-footlong structure.

People from the
Basketmaker culture carved
petroglyphs in the rocks
here some 2,500 years ago.

Find places to stay in Las Vegas >

TRAVELER SUMMER 2020

19

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AAA Traveler - Summer 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAA Traveler - Summer 2020