Southwest® flights from Honolulu (Oahu) to Las Vegas from $198

Of course, there’s so much more to the area than the bright lights and blistering pace of life on and around the Strip. The natural refuge of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is within easy reach of the city center, just about 20 miles away. Here, you’ll be surrounded by the majesty of the Mojave Desert and can enjoy a calming drive around the park’s 13-mile loop road that runs by many of the park’s most prominent features. Off the road, you’ll find numerous trails for hiking and biking, as well as rock climbing lines of all difficulties.

If you’re open to a more extended day trip, you can also make the drive to Death Valley National Park, which is just over 100 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. Spanning more than three million acres of pristine parkland, Death Valley is a park of extremes, encompassing both the low-lying Badwater Basin—the second-lowest point in the Western Hemisphere—and impressive heights like Telegraph Peak, which towers above the valley at over 11,000 feet. Enjoy hikes past these features and keep your eyes peeled for the area’s distinctive flora and fauna that are able to survive the area’s harsh climate, including everything from creosote bushes and Joshua trees to bighorn sheep and bobcats.