It stupefied me how wild and exotic nature is just a 20 minutes drive from the lights of Las Vegas!

Las Vegas means “The Valleys” and it’s indeed surrounded by rocky hills and canyons.

One of the most visited attractions outside Las Vegas is the Red Rock Canyon, a conservation area known for the beauty of the rock formations and their colors, and visited by one million visitors every year!

There are several tours that takes you from Las Vegas to the Red Rock Canyon daily, but I preferred to choose a different option: horseback riding! 

After have browsed the net for the best solution I decided to go with the Cowboy Trail Rides. They provide hotel pick up and drop off service and have different types of horseback rides, from absolutely beginners to expert riders, from short to long rides, from cheap to expensive.

I chose the “Red Springs Ride” and I was pretty satisfied with it.

I wanted to choose a sunset ride but figured that could be cold in wintertime plus wanted to enjoy the sun rays on my face during the ride, which I really did!

We were 3 riders guided by one wrangler, and she guided us throughout the path sharing with us some interesting info and anecdotes about the desert and the desert life.

As an unconventional and unique experience I would totally recommend it!

I felt like a cowboy!

After the horseback ride we spent some time around and had a bite and a walk at the Bonnie Springs Ranch.

Bonnie Spring is an original Ranch built in 1843 as a stopover for the wagon trains going to California down the Old Spanish Trail!

Today it’s an area hosting a very cute restaurant, a venue for events, and a park with lots of memorabilia from the Old West days. It’s a must to witness the true soul of Las Vegas surroundings.

Have you ever been to Las Vegas?

Did you try some different activity like this one?