Beyond the Strip: What Las Vegas Does Better than LA
Sailing instead of sharks, Red Rock instead of the 405.
Beyond the Strip is Christina’s name for our series about everyday Las Vegas, the part Californians never see from a casino. Red Rock Canyon is a short drive from the southwest suburbs. Lake Mead and Lake Las Vegas put real water in the desert. Mount Charleston has a ski area less than an hour from the Strip. The valley has three major-league teams. We’ll be honest about the downsides too: July is hot, the spring wind is real, and the beach is a long drive away.
The idea came from a simple, slightly stupid question Matt likes to ask: what’s better about Vegas than LA? Then you just show the pictures.
LA has the 405. We have four off-road vehicles.
Matt’s pitch for this one is two photos. On the left, LA traffic. On the right, four off-road vehicles out in the desert.
The numbers back him up. Los Angeles drivers lost 87 hours to traffic congestion in 2025, according to the INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard. That’s more than two full work weeks of sitting on the 405 looking at somebody’s bumper sticker.
Here, you can spend those hours outside instead:
- Nellis Dunes is a public off-highway vehicle area about 20 miles northeast of downtown, at the Apex exit off I-15, run by the Bureau of Land Management. Sandrails, dirt bikes and ATVs, with trails from beginner to expert.
- The mountains around the valley. Matt goes four-wheeling up in the mountains. Watch for it in the series.
Yes, the 215 has a rush hour too. It’s just not a lifestyle.
LA has sharks. We have sailing.
The second Beyond the Strip photo pair: a shark fin in the Pacific, and Matt sailing on the lake.
People don’t expect water out here. There’s a lot of it.
Lake Mead is the big one, part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area east of the valley. Entry is $25 per vehicle for seven days or $45 for an annual pass, and boats pay $16 for seven days or $50 for the year, according to the National Park Service. The park went cashless in 2024, so bring a card. Boating, paddling, fishing, swimming coves.
Matt sails an old boat, and he’s honest about it: “We sail an old sailboat and everything’s mechanical. Nothing fancy about it. It’s work.” No sharks were involved.
Lake Las Vegas is the other one, a private lake in Henderson with homes, condos and a village around it. Christina loves it. “I’m from Minnesota and I love the lakes. I miss the lake,” she says. Her take on this one: “It’s quiet, it’s like a small town.” See our Lake Las Vegas guide if you’d like to live on the water instead of visiting it.
LA has Griffith Park parking. We have Red Rock Canyon.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area sits on the west edge of the valley, with a one-way, 13-mile scenic drive through red sandstone and trailheads along the way. The details:
- $20 per vehicle for a day, or $50 for an annual pass.
- Timed entry reservations are required for the scenic drive from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., October 1 through May 31. Book them on recreation.gov.
- Summer tip: go at sunrise. By 10 a.m. in July, the rocks are radiating heat like a pizza oven.
If Red Rock matters to you, look at the southwest side of the valley. From Mountain’s Edge, it’s about 10 to 18 minutes west on Blue Diamond Road.
LA has Big Bear, eventually. We have Mount Charleston.
Here’s the one that surprises Californians the most. There’s a ski area less than an hour from the Strip.
Lee Canyon, on Mount Charleston in the Spring Mountains, has a base elevation of 8,660 feet, 31 trails and an average of 129 inches of snow a year, according to Travel Nevada. In summer it switches to hiking and mountain biking. Travel Nevada says the drive up passes through seven climate zones in less than 20 miles, which is a fancy way of saying you’ll want a jacket.
On a 110 degree day in the valley, driving up to the pines is the local version of going to the beach. No traffic on the way back down, either.
LA has the Getty. We have Hoover Dam.
Okay, LA has a lot of museums. But we have a 1930s concrete dam holding back one of the biggest reservoirs in the country, and it’s a pretty great day trip.
Hoover Dam is about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Nevada and Arizona border, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. Parking at the Nevada-side garage is $10. The drive goes right through Boulder City, which is worth its own stop for lunch and a walk downtown.
LA has a lot of restaurants. So do we, off the Strip.
The Strip has the celebrity chefs. The neighborhoods have the places locals actually go on a Tuesday.
- Chinatown, along Spring Mountain Road, a few minutes west of the Strip, is where a lot of locals go for dinner. It’s plaza after plaza of restaurants in strip malls, which is exactly how you know it’s good.
- The Arts District downtown has independent restaurants, bars and galleries, and a First Friday art walk scene.
- Neighborhood spots. In Mountain’s Edge, the regulars include El Luchador Mexican Kitchen + Cantina for birria tacos, The Bounty for pizza and beer, and Locale for Italian.
LA has more teams. Ours keep winning.
For a valley that had zero major-league teams until 2017, this is a pretty good run:
- Vegas Golden Knights (NHL). Started play in 2017. Won the Stanley Cup in 2023, in their sixth season. Home games at T-Mobile Arena.
- Las Vegas Aces (WNBA). Champions in 2022, 2023 and 2025. The 2025 title came with a four-game sweep of Phoenix, per ESPN.
- Las Vegas Raiders (NFL). Moved from Oakland in 2020. Allegiant Stadium is very impressive. We’ll leave it there.
What we’ll warn you about
This is a sales website, and we’re still going to tell you the downsides. That’s kind of our thing.
Summer is hot. Really hot. July 2024 was the hottest month in Las Vegas history, with an average temperature of 99.9 degrees counting the overnight lows, and the valley hit 120 degrees on July 7 of that year, according to National Weather Service data reported by KTNV. You’ll live on a morning schedule from June to September. Your car will need a windshield shade. Your AC is not optional.
It’s windy in the spring. Some afternoons the patio furniture tries to leave. Pick heavy furniture.
There’s no ocean. We have lakes, a big river and a lot of pools. If you need salt water, the Pacific is a road trip.
You’ll drive everywhere. The valley is built for cars. Redfin gives Henderson a Walk Score of 30. Most errands mean the car.
Summer utility bills. The AC runs from May into October. Our cost of living guide has the real numbers, and the upside (no state income tax) is in our Nevada vs California taxes guide.
And then October shows up, it’s sunny and mild until spring, and nobody shovels anything. That’s the deal most people here are happy to take.
Frequently asked questions about living in Las Vegas
Is Las Vegas a good place to live?
For many Californians, yes. Homes cost about half of what they do in Los Angeles, Nevada has no state income tax, and Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead and Mount Charleston are all within about an hour. The trade-offs are very hot summers, spring wind, no ocean and a car-dependent layout.
What is there to do in Las Vegas besides the Strip?
Hike or drive the 13-mile scenic loop at Red Rock Canyon, boat or paddle at Lake Mead or Lake Las Vegas, ski or hike at Lee Canyon on Mount Charleston, tour Hoover Dam, ride at Nellis Dunes, eat in Chinatown on Spring Mountain Road, and catch the Golden Knights, Aces or Raiders.
How far is Red Rock Canyon from Las Vegas?
Red Rock Canyon sits on the west edge of the Las Vegas Valley. From Mountain’s Edge in southwest Las Vegas, it’s about 10 to 18 minutes by car. The scenic drive costs $20 per vehicle, and timed entry reservations are required from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., October 1 through May 31.
Are there lakes near Las Vegas?
Yes. Lake Mead, inside Lake Mead National Recreation Area east of the valley, is open for boating, fishing and swimming, with a $25 seven-day vehicle pass. Lake Las Vegas in Henderson is a private lake community with homes, condos, paddling and a village along the water.
What are the downsides of living in Las Vegas?
The biggest is summer heat. July 2024 averaged 99.9 degrees and the valley hit a record 120 degrees that month. Spring can be windy, there’s no ocean, and most errands need a car. Summer power bills run higher because air conditioning runs from May into October.
Want to see it for yourself?
Come out for a weekend, or let us show you around on video first. Tell us what you do on a Saturday in California and we’ll tell you where you’d do it here, and which neighborhoods are closest to it.
Matt: 702-324-8685 · Christina: 702-827-6146 · Send us a note
More guides for Californians moving here are on our resources page.