Believe it or not, there are a number of great slot canyons near Las Vegas, Nevada! These may not be the slot machines you had in mind for Vegas, but they are still worth a look.
Slot canyons are natural rocky passages that are fun and pleasant for photos. Everyone is different and the colors can be awesome. Some hikes are family-friendly and ideal with children or pets.
We recently drove through the state of Nevada towards Yosemite National Park and decided to stop and discover some of these slot canyons while we were there.
Some of them are located very close to the city, while others require a little driving or even a full-day excursion.
What Is A Slot Canyon?
A slot canyon is a narrow passage that has formed in the rock (usually sandstone) and has been eroded by the water over time, eventually creating a keyhole-like crack in the rock that is just wide enough for a person to pass through.
While the densest collection of slot canyons in the world is located in Utah, there are also some excellent ones in Arizona and Nevada, and many of them are family-friendly and easy to browse for beginners.
Note: Always pay attention to the weather forecast before entering a slot canyon. Do not go inside if rain is predicted, even if it is outside your immediate area. Flash Overflows can be very harmful in a slot canyon.
Best Slot Canyons Near Las Vegas Nevada
1. Path of the White Domes
The White Domes Trail is a small, short, gentle circular hike with a beautiful slot canyon in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.
It’s a 1-hour drive from Las Vegas to the trailhead, and then you can reach the slot area after just a 10-minute hike!
It is a good choice for families with children and also very photogenic. Even if it’s just a short hike, it’s worth it! As an added bonus, this place was used as a filming location for the 1966 Western film “the Professionals”, and there are still remnants of the film set today.
Keep in mind that this trail may be closed during the summer months (June to September) due to extreme heat for safety reasons, so check the current condition before you set off. There is very little shadow on the way, except when you are in the slot.
2. Birthday Shrinks
The Anniversary Narrows is a unique slot canyon in Nevada with dramatic layered rock patterns, located about 1 hour east of Las Vegas.
Even if it’s a little hard to find, it’s definitely one of the best slot canyons near Las Vegas! To get on the trail, you need to cross a washing place, and then a rocky dirt road until you reach an rejected mining area.
A little free space helps, but the road should be passable for most vehicles as long as it doesn’t rain. Even the little driving in the laundry near the start is very tame.
To get to the anniversary passage, you need to do a little “Google-fu” with your card. I will explain it here.
You can not direct your card directly to the parking lot, because the route will drop off the road for a short section in the wash. If you try, an error message will appear on your map that no direction has been found.
Instead, the closest place where you can forward your card is this deactivation. From there, you will briefly walk through the laundry room, then you can open your card again on the other side of the laundry room and use it for the rest of the trip to the place where you will park.
Here is the route we used to get to our last parking lot after going through the laundry. Remember to download an offline map of the region before you leave, as you are unlikely to have a reception there.
