A road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas covers 270 miles and takes just 4 hours to complete.
One of the most popular road trips in the world, it takes you between two of the most famous cities in the United States, through some of its most incredible landscapes, as you travel across the southern portions of the states of California and Nevada.
With plenty to do and see on this fantastic journey, I highly recommend you read on if you want to avoid missing anything along the way.
A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Las Vegas: How Far Is It & How Long Will It Take To Get There?
A road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas covers 270 miles and will take you a shade over 4 hours to complete if you just drive from A to B.
However, this isn’t one of the most popular road trips in the United States just because it goes between two famous cities. It is also popular because of all there is to do and see along the route, which means, for most people, it is going to take significantly longer to complete.
Best Route For A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Las Vegas
The best route for a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is very straightforward. Begin by getting on the I-10 and follow it east until you reach Exit 58A, where you join the I-15 going north. Other than detours to see the various attractions along the route, you then stay on this all of the way until you reach your destination in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Best Time For A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Las Vegas
The best time for a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is from mid-April to mid-June.
Climate wise, this period will see you enjoy temperatures that are very warm yet not overbearing like they can be during the height of summer, both along your route and at your destination. You will then also miss the height of California wildfire season, which usually runs from early August to late October.
During this period, you will also find that all of the attractions in Las Vegas are open, such as the pools and shows, but you will get to enjoy better prices and smaller crowds than what you will find if you visit during summer vacation.
Top Attractions On A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Las Vegas
As we mentioned above, while a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas can be completed in as little as 4 hours, most people will want to take much longer to complete it, due to the incredible number of attractions that you will pass by along the way. In this section, we will now take a look at some of the very best such options.
Barstow, California
Barstow is a town located on the historic Route 66 that is best known for its historic railroad depot, which was established at the same time as the town in 1847. It is a truly fantastic place to stop for anyone who is interested in cars, trains, or the railroad in general.
Among its most popular attractions are the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum, which contains artwork, historic vehicles, photographs, and artefacts dedicated to Route 66, as well as the various exhibits and locations dedicated to the railroad.
Calico Ghost Town
An abandoned silver mining town located in the southern California hills, it is easily visible from the road, as its name adorns the side of the mountain in white rocks. It has been preserved and restored to give visitors one of the best opportunities to explore an authentic wild west town that they will find anywhere in the United States.
Boasting exciting attractions like a train ride down into the mine, recreations of stores that show just how traditional goods were made, and even an authentic saloon where you can sit and enjoy some peanuts and old-fashioned sarsaparilla, there are options available to enable everyone to enjoy the town.
With plenty of great photo ops and even a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and locally made handicrafts, it is a truly wonderful little town that everyone should experience.
Baker, California
Baker is a small roadside town that, admittedly, may not seem like much of an attraction at first glance. However, it boasts a couple of unique features that make it a great place to visit for tourists looking for something a little different.
The first such attraction is the “World’s Tallest Thermometer”. A gargantuan monument, it was created to commemorate the fact that Furnace Creek in nearby Death Valley National Park hit the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth on the 10th of July 1913, which was 134°F (57°C).
At 134 feet (41 meters) tall and a weight of 76,812 pounds (34,841 kilograms), it is a behemoth that is a true feat of engineering mastery. It even boasts a functional feature too, as the thermometer itself is fully operational, with a gauge that maxes out at Death Valley’s record temperature.
The other notable attraction in Baker is Alien Fresh Jerky. An alien-themed store that specialises in a wide range of fresh jerky, it also boasts a collection of sculptures, models, and alien-themed gifts that make it far more than just a simple snack stop.
Throw in the last good collection of gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants that you will see for miles, and this little unassuming town is a place that most people will want to make a stop at.
Mojave National Preserve
Mojave National Preserve is a 1.6-million-acre desert wilderness in the Mojave Desert that is the third largest location in the entire United States National Park System.
A great place to experience what the desert is really like for people who have never seen one before, its landscape includes features like dense Joshua tree forests, dunes, hills, mountains, and natural formations.
These have helped make it a popular destination for outdoor recreational activities like camping, hiking, horse riding, and four-wheel driving. There is then also a particularly noteworthy attraction to be found hiding within, which is the Kelso Ghost Town and its historic rail depot, while historic markers throughout the preserve will help you learn more about the history of the region and landscape.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States and 5th largest in the nation overall, as it covers a whopping 3.4 million acres. Infamous for its hot, barren, beautiful landscapes, much of its infamy comes from the various records that the park holds.
These include if featuring the lowest point in the United States, Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level, and the hottest location on Earth, Furnace Creek, which hit a temperature of 131.4 °F (56.7 °C) in 1913 and routinely comes close to breaking it each year to this day.
Some visitors are drawn in by its ominous name and history with Charles Manson and his family, while others are simply interested in exploring the vast wilderness areas, deserts, mountains, and dunes, either on foot or on a scenic drive, or spotting the abundant wildlife it offers and snapping some photos.
It is even a popular spot for movie buffs who are looking to visit some iconic filming locations, as countless films have been shot here through the years.
Beatty, Nevada
Beatty is a small town affectionately known as “The Gateway To Death Valley” that lies a mere 5 miles from the northeast entrance to Death Valley National Park. Despite its proximity to the park, it is perhaps most often visited due to how close it is to Rhyolite, a historic mining community and ghost town located just a few minutes away.
The town itself boasts a number of features that are worth visiting for on their own, like Goldwell Open Air Museum, an outdoor sculpture park, and a great range of eateries, shops, motels, and RV parks.
In the nearby area, you then also have attractions like Yucca Mountain, which offers incredible views and landscapes, Bailey’s Hot Springs & Bathhouses, and the Nevada Test Site, a former nuclear testing site that offers guided tours of recreations of towns and communities in the middle of the desert.
Best Place To Stop On A Road Trip From Los Angeles To Las Vegas
At a little over 4 hours, many people will try to complete a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in one day, including all of the attractions that it offers. However, people who want to really enjoy the journey and not rush will want to take a little longer and maybe make an overnight stop.
If that is something you would be interested in doing, there is simply one place that is head and shoulders ahead of all other options.
Primm, Nevada
Founded as State Line in the early 1920s, Primm is a town in Nevada right on the California – Nevada border that was established to take advantage of the fact that gambling was legal in Nevada but not in California. Named after its founder, Ernest Jay Primm, it is a great place to get you warmed up for what lies ahead in Las Vegas, as it features a number of casino resorts and unique attractions.
Being the location of the infamous car that Bonnie and Clyde were driving when they were killed will be enough of a draw for many people on its own. Meanwhile, the Primm Valley Resorts, which include Buffalo Bill’s, Whiskey Pete’s, and Primm Valley Resort, will give people the chance to scratch that gambling itch.
Add in other attractions like the Star Of The Desert Arena, Primm Valley Golf Club, and Fashion Outlets Of Las Vegas mall, as well as facilities like gas stations and convenience stores, and Primm is the perfect opportunity to enjoy some of the conveniences of the big city in between jaunts out into the desert.
Best Hotel To Stay At In Primm – Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino
One of the big three resorts in Primm, Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino is a fantastic place to stay for people who truly want to experience everything that the town has to offer.
The luxurious, beautifully decorated rooms all feature air conditioning, comfortable furnishings and linens, and modern amenities like large flat screen TVs and high speed Wi-Fi, while most also offer stunning views of your desert surroundings.
Then, in the rest of the hotel, you will get to enjoy the many features that are on offer in the resort, which includes a golf course, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool, and casino featuring 39 table games, live poker, and 1,723 slot machines, as well as various restaurants and bars of all price ranges.
A pet friendly hotel that boasts a number of large, spacious family rooms, you can even make the most of a number of conveniences of offer like meeting and banqueting facilities and a 24 hour front desk that will do their best to meet your every need.
You put all of this together, and there simply is not a better place to stay in the desert to enjoy a little bit of luxury and entertainment than Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino.
Conclusion
A road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is a truly exhilarating journey that everyone should get to experience. From ghost towns and Route 66 attractions to desert wilderness areas, you have the chance to enjoy a little bit of everything as you travel between two of America’s most famous cities.
All you have left to do now is work out where to stay while you are in Las Vegas, what to do while you are there, and how to achieve all of that without breaking the bank. Luckily, the links above have tips to help you out with all of that as well.
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