…that don’t involve heading to The Strip.
For the majority, Las Vegas calls to mind the desert and debauchery. But unbeknownst to some, the best time of year to visit isn’t during the steamy heat of summer. Nope, to get the most of Sin City itself, Las Vegas connoisseurs recommend Autumn.
While the draw of the casinos and the endless number of other attractions remain relevant all year round, the weather does not keep its consistency in quite the same way. In the summer months, the temperature may reach uncomfortable highs of 41°C and although the average temperature in winter is 15°C, it often fluctuates and can drop to chilly lows of 0°C.
With temperatures sitting at an average of 21°C in October and early November, it’s much easier to actually get out and explore in the daylight, rather than being baked alive in the blistering desert heat or shivering under the ‘always on’ setting of the casino air conditioning.
Vegas is about so much more than that. And in that spirit, here are 7 things to do in Vegas in Autumn that don’t involve heading to the strip.
A TRIP TO HOOVER DAM
When visiting Las Vegas, it’s important to remember that there’s life beyond the strip. And surprisingly for a city of such manmade opulence and lavishness, some of the best sites of the surrounding region are comprised of natural wonder and majesty.
Indeed, the cool Autumn weather is the ideal time to appreciate some of the city’s outdoor offerings in the season’s milder temperatures. If you’ve ever wondered quite how a city in the middle of the desert actually exists, then your first stop should be the Hoover Dam, which made this great city sustainable (well, kinda). Said to be ‘the greatest damn that was ever built’, it provides power to Nevada, Arizona and California, and is reachable by car from Vegas in just forty minutes.
VISIT THE RED ROCK CANYON
For an outdoor excursion even closer to base, The Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area is just 20 miles (and around a twenty minute drive) from the Las Vegas strip, with most hotels offering a complimentary shuttle there and back if you ask nicely.
Here you can hike, have a picnic whilst admiring 3,000 foot high red rock, and rent a car or motorcycle and take the 13 mile Scenic Drive which loops through the conservation area. Entry is just $5 per person, plus $15 per vehicle if you intend to drive through the park rather than take on the challenge of a little hiking. Should you be visiting later in the year, at the tail end of Autumn, you may just catch the start of the Ice Box Canyon’s seasonal waterfalls. Surely a better display than the famous Bellagio Fountains, don’t you think?
BOTANICAL GARDENS
The Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens are just a couple of miles west out of Downtown Vegas, but the difference in atmosphere is enormous. Here, 180 acres of gardens show off flora, fauna, cacti, herbs and plants indigenous to the Mojave Desert, making Springs Preserve is a wonderful way to experience a different, more natural side of a place so famous for its manmade spectacle.
If you’re keen to see how this part of Nevada looked before The Strip, then Springs Preserve is the place to head. Autumn represents one of the best times to visit, as the relatively mild temperatures make conditions comfortable for the leisurely canter at which this tranquil place should be taken. What’s more, there are various ‘Haunted Harvest’ and Halloween events through the second half of October.
THE FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE
We promised an experience away from The Strip, right? Well, Fremont Street Experience is often said to be Las Vegas’ second most famous ‘strip’, and before the main drag rose to prominence, this was the iconic centre of the fun and frolics in Sin City. Today the experience covers six downtown blocks, with much of the live entertainment, performance and theatrics free to watch. For all the frivolity on offer, we think it’s well worth stepping away from the city’s Bright Lights to stand under some only slightly dimmer.
Autumn, when the crazy crowds have died down after a sweltering, boisterous summer, is the best time to enjoy the fun, but be warned, night times do get a little chilly, so it’s worth layering up.
Some of the highlights on offer here include the world famous Slotzilla zipline, which starts at the world’s largest slot machine (a twelve story tower!) and sends you soaring through The Freemon Street Experience’s Viva Vision light canopy, which also incorporates the world’s largest video screen.
What’s more, here you can visit The Golden Nugget casino, which contains a massive aquarium including a 200’000 shark tank and adjoining swimming pool. Wow! Or, if you’re up for a deep dive of a different kind, into history, then the Neon Museum details Sin City’s enduring relationship with flashing lights and neon signs.
And should you be keen on a flutter without the big money pull of the roulette wheel or blackjack table, you can experience how things used to go down in Vegas by playing penny slots at Binion’s. Compared to The Strip, it feels almost quaint.
PUMPKIN PICKING
What could be more quintessentially American than pumpkin picking during Halloween season in the Battle Born State? Vegas actually boasts several pumpkin patches open all through October, with the Halloween Town Pumpkin Patch (which actually has three locations across the city) and Gilcrease Orchard perhaps the most popular. Part of the former’s trio is Summerlin at Boca Park, which is aimed specifically at the little ones (aged 2 to 11) with Halloween themed events and attractions providing the perfect Autumn festive fun!
HOP ON, HOP OFF BUS
Taking a hop-on, hop-off bus is a great way to see the city. Indeed, buses and shuttles serve Las Vegas reliably, with The Deuce, a double decker bus which runs 24 hour a day, the cheapest mode of transport and a great way to see the strip at your own pace, sitting comfortably and taking in the sights. A three day pass (ideal for anyone on a weekend break) only costs $20 and you can use it limitlessly, getting on and off wherever takes your fancy.
There’s also the Las Vegas monorail, which stops at seven points on the strip; a day pass is $13. Finally, several bus tours run services around the city made for sightseeing without any need to hit the slots or take a table seat.
TAKE A ROAD TRIP DOWN ROUTE 95
There’s loads of weird and spectacular stuff near Vegas (it is America after all) which is most comfortably seen when the temperature cools. If you’re looking for something different, leave the neon lights behind and take a road trip down US Route 95. Also known as the Free Range Art Highway, it runs between Las Vegas and Reno, and lining the road are colourful murals, crazy sculptures and other odd objects rising from the desert floor.
We’re fond of the offbeat art installation Seven Magic Mountains where stacks of funky fluorescent rocks aim a nod at Stonehenge. If you’re visiting during Halloween, there are some ghost towns lining this strange stretch of road should you want to send some shivers down your spine.