I mentioned the other day in my blog post, Sundays in the Wild, how almost every Sunday I would go on a hike while I lived in Las Vegas to help clear my head and to get a few extra cardio miles in.

You may be thinking, Las Vegas is where you go to see the bright lights, magic shows, gamble at the casinos, and eat some of the most amazing foods in the world. While you’re right, living in Las Vegas, you see the city in a whole new perspective. Plus, I think deep down we all have a yearning for an adventure. If you look hard enough, you can find it - even in Las Vegas!

Most people don’t know, but Las Vegas has several hiking trails you can visit while you’re there. Here are my top 3 trails that I enjoyed hiking while I was there.

1. Gold Strike Hot Springs

If you blink while trying to find this place, you’ll definitely miss it. The Gold Strike Hot Springs is on the Nevada side of the Colorado River located just off Highway 93 (I-11), this trail, in my opinion, was the most challenging trails I came across.

Most of the first mile is through an easy-to-follow gravel trail. As you get closer to the bottom, there are several obstacles where you have to use a rope to get down and back up out of the canyon. If you have great upper body strength, you won’t have a problem on this trail - definitely an advanced trail.

Once you get to the end, you can enjoy some amazing hot springs and even indulge in some cold water therapy in the Colorado River.

2. The Valley of Fire State Park

The Valley of Fire State Park is a really unique destination located just under an hour north of Las Vegas off of Interstate-15. This park has many hiking trails to choose from and awesome rock formations to view along the main roads. You’ll feel like you’ve set foot on another planet.

Once I entered the park, I was immediately greeted by desert bighorn sheep - these animals are truly majestic in the way they roam and climb up the mountain.

While I was there, I obviously had to get in a workout after going on a hike. Here is the YouTube video I filmed when I traveled there… I even got some footage of the desert bighorn sheep!

3. Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon is a place I visited the most since it was only 30 minutes away from where I lived in Vegas. There are tons of trails that I could choose from, depending on how long I wanted to hike and whether I wanted to explore the Red Rocks or hike some of the other trails on the opposite side of the park.

But, be careful, especially during the busy season!

While I was hiking, a mile away from my vehicle down a long trail, up the side of the mountain, I witnessed someone breaking into my car, and there wasn’t a thing I could do. If you get the opportunity to visit, try to bring only the bare minimum.

There’s a really good book called, Wild At Heart (That link will take you straight to it).

A really good friend of mine that I haven’t spoken to in a few years gave me his copy when I was going through a rough time back in 2012. It’s actually my favorite book. There’s a quote in the book that says, “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.”

This quote rings true on so many levels.

Once you get a couple of pages in, you’ll want to put the book down and go on an adventure. I love reading this book for that exact reason - for an adventure! That is why I loved going on these hikes.

Luckily for me, the two things I enjoy doing the most are going on adventures and working out. Thankfully, they go hand in hand. What better way to burn some extra calories than hiking in some of the most breathtaking views.

My hope for you is that one day you can experience some of these amazing places God created.

SHOP MY FAVORITE HIKING APPAREL