Las Vegas road trips

Las Vegas is more than just glitz and casinos. It’s the perfect launchpad for an unforgettable Southwest road trip. This Las Vegas to Flagstaff road trip covers about 4½ hours of driving, weaving through desert wilderness and iconic stretches of Historic Route 66 Arizona.

It’s the end of your journey – so what next? If the open road has you firmly under its spell, then we recommend continuing to the Route 66 town of Holbrook, gateway to Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert.

Alternatively, if you’re heading back to Vegas and don’t want to retrace your tire tracks, Flagstaff serves as the obvious junction for circling back via the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Southern Utah.

Not every adventure needs a full tank; some of the best sights sit less than an hour from the Vegas lights.

The Valley of Fire State Park is another eerie desert landscape, often used as a location for film and TV productions. The Professionals, starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin was filmed here in 1966, and more recently Total Recall, Star Trek Generations and Transformers all used the otherworldly rock formations as a backdrop.

This is one of the world’s most scenic regions. If you have more time, and are prepared for a very early start then visits to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park over the border in Utah are also possible.