{"id":73098,"date":"2017-05-30T23:47:48","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T23:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/05\/30\/desert-adrenaline-5-ways-to-get-a-vegas-rush-without-stepping-in-a-casino\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:38:59","slug":"desert-adrenaline-5-ways-to-get-a-vegas-rush-without-stepping-in-a-casino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/off-duty\/2017\/05\/30\/desert-adrenaline-5-ways-to-get-a-vegas-rush-without-stepping-in-a-casino\/","title":{"rendered":"Desert adrenaline: 5 ways to get a Vegas rush without stepping in a casino"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your heart is racing, your fingers twitching, a bead of sweat forming on your brow. But you’re not clutching the dice at a Las Vegas craps table or shuffling chips in the poker room. You’re poised at the apex of a gnarly mountain bike run, about to catapult into a maze of downhill single-track just beyond the glare of the Strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Venture past the central knot of hotel towers and stucco, and the Vegas Valley is an outdoor playground where the most adrenaline-pumping action doesn’t happen on the casino floor. Choose your own adventure and enjoy the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canyon calling<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check your fear of heights at the trailhead for Goldstrike Canyon<\/a>, where a popular hike to the Colorado River includes scrambling down \u2014 and climbing back up \u2014 fixed ropes anchored into massive boulders. You’re rewarded for the effort with a series of natural hot springs on the way to a bracing river dip. Just steer clear during the summer when the canyon turns sweltering and hikers have been known to require rescue. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/atype-video-jwplayer>
From the bright lights of the runway strip to the neon lights of the casino strip \u2014 in Las Vegas, excitement is always in the air.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Do you even shred, bro?<\/b> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bellagio Conservatory aside, Las Vegas isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think “winter wonderland.” But just an hour from the Strip, Lee Canyon<\/a>‘s 445 acres of shreddable terrain get more than 200 inches of powder annually, along with 300-plus days of sunshine. For those who like their runs groomed, three lifts serve 30 trails and a terrain park, with additional backcountry available for advanced riders. Don’t forget your mittens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get vertical<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Got a thing for wearing tiny shoes and holding your entire body’s weight on your fingertips? Meet Red Rock National Conservation Area<\/a>, a scenic swath of desert just west of Las Vegas where you’ll often find super-fit people clinging to the terra-cotta cliffs. The area around Red Rock boasts more than 2,000 climbing and bouldering routes, so you can test your mettle and muscles on routes like Physical Graffiti, Epinephrine and Big Bad Wolf. More from Marriott Traveler:<\/i><\/b>