I got a great deal on air to Vegas so booked a long weekend for the end of Feb. We are not into casinos and will enjoy seeing the strip etc one night but would like other options for the rest of the time. I have seen Red Rock Canyon mentioned several times. Is there a nice place to stay near there? What about other off the beaten path type places or activites? Our interests are nature, history etc. Thanks!

Red Rock is only about half an hour from the Strip, and there are no ( as far as I know) places to stay. There are some ranches and trailers in a little area, it is the desert, not much around.
Valley of Fire is good. Lake Mead is good.
For nature and hiking, Red Rock is great, the trails are clearly marked and range in difficulty.

I too was reluctant to stay in the Strip during my first trip to Las Vegas but budget limits made it necessary, and it wasn't so bad. We took a day trip to Red Rock Canyon area (it seemed a bit further than half and hour and it is in the middle of nowhere - pack a lunch) and it was worth the effort. We did a loop so as not to backtrack and on the return passed a fancy resort about 5 miles outside of town that looked like a perfect mix of luxury hotel and a desert setting (sorry, I'm blanking on the name, but I'm sure you will come across it while researching or some Fodorite will tell you). My folks did a trip to the Grand Canyon from their base in Vegas.
Have fun.

You do not have to be into casinos to enjoy the strip and one night is not enough time to see the major hotels (which are really site's themselves).

Red Rock is about 55 miles - figure about one hr. drive. It's a park and they have a website.

You can also take in Hoover Dam (lots of history in the way it was built) and Lake Mead if that interests you. A ride up Mt. Charleston (altho there might be snow in Feb.) is pleasant as well.

While it is "man made" Lake Las Vegas, the Ritz and Hyatt Hotels are a short ride from the Strip (about 17 miles).

You just may be surprised at how much you can enjoy the strip without gambling. There are lots of nice restuarants (all price ranges), and for free entertainment there is the fountain show at the Bellagio, volcano and tiger habitat by front entrance at the Mirage, Siren's show at Treasure Island, Lion Habitat at MGM, tons of shopping (or window shopping) -- really you never have to gamble if you do not want to.

None of the following are around red rock but still just as interesting:

Try Death Valley- very off the beaten path. Very beautiful and there is a hotel within the park. About 2 hours from las vegas. If interested e-mail me and I know a great shortcut.

There's also Zion national park in utah about two hours away. there is a beautiful hotel run by the NPS right outside the park. Very dramatic scenery.

-Matt
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Red Rock Canyon is about 15 miles from Las Vegas. There is a ranch/motel close by. http://www.bonniesprings.com/

Valley of Fire State Park is about 50 miles away, in the direction of Utah. As already mentioned, you could go to Zion or Death Valley. There are several hotel/motels in Death Valley, but they are rather pricey (over $100) each. It took me about 2.5 hours to drive to Death Valley (and that was to the border, not the interior).

I wouldn't necessarily classify any of these places as off the beath path though, as they're all fairly popular. The two national parks (Death Valley and Zion) might be relatively quiet in late February, especially if you go mid-week. There is a small town (Springdale) outside Zion that has lodging. If you do a search on here, you'll find a bunch of threads about it.

Thank you Weasel! Bonnie Springs it is! We drove around there one visit and thought it was a ghost town lol.

Zion Canyon is more likle 3 hours from LV rather than 2 as an earlier post stated. It is still a great place to visit.

You could combine a drive up there with a stop at Valley of Fire State Park which is off I-15 between LV and the Nevada state line.

I highly recommend Valley of Fire for a nice "off the beaten path" trip, you will see the NV desert at its best and ancient petroglyphs. It is really nice and Feb. is a great time to go (not busy and not hot). There are a couple of hotels real close to Red Rock (Sun Coast & the other is slipping my mind...Regent? or Marriott? anyway they are on Rampart). But as mentioned Red Rock is only 30 min. from the Strip area, if you go also stop at Spring Mountain Ranch they have a few historic buildings and is next to Red Rock. Zion is 3 hours...also well worth it. Perhaps visit Boulder City (20-30 min. from Strip), also has historic buildings and is the only town in NV where gaming is illegal.

another vote for not short-changing the strip. The designs and decor of the each casino is not to be missed. Also, the spas at the luxury hotels are amazing and worth considering for an afternoon of pampering (not sure how it works for non-guests, but surely there must be some accommodations). Also the restaurants are amazing and more world-class ones are opening up every evening. And the shopping is terrific, too. Definitely enjoy the sidetrips everyone recommends, but you'll probably do more on the strip than you think. Oh, and check out the downtown Fremont Experience -- an outdoor light show that's pretty fun, too.