While the 434 km, 270 mile stretch from Los Angeles to Las Vegas may seem short, there is no shortage of fantastic stops and beautiful desert scenery along the way.
There are a few different routes to decide between for this journey …
Along the drive to Las Vegas, there are many sights to behold, from a forest of glass, to rainbow rock mountains. There are desert sunsets so vibrant and colorful, they mesmerize anyone who gazes upon them.
Without further ado, here is the ultimate road trip guide for Los Angeles to Las Vegas!
Renting an RV or Motorhome in Los Angeles for a road trip to Las Vegas is an excellent option. There are several benefits to an RV rental. One of which is that it turns transportation into a place to sleep, cook, and shower!
Renting an RV for this drive offers freedom, and convenience.
There are many options for renting an RV to drive from LA to Vegas. Some of the biggest brands include:
To see all of the options for motorhome rentals in one convenient place, check out the best resource - Motorhome Republic!
To find the perfect RV/Motorhome rental for any budget, just make a quick search using Motorhome Republic, and reserve a motorhome. Then, transportation and accommodations will be all set for the Los Angeles to Las Vegas road trip!
For those who'd prefer not to drive something that big, check out our guide to the best car rental sites...
The Mormon Rocks are an interesting rock formation located right off of Interstate 15. This sandstone rock formation was created as a result of the shifting San Andreas Fault line, and the rocks are riddled with lore and legends.
One such legend claims that Mormon Pioneers camped in that exact rock formation.
Another legend is that they were once called the “Chanting Rocks” because winds blowing against their holes and crevices created a sound that resembled a low chant, or hum.
There is a 1.6 km, 1-mile walking loop around the Mormon Rocks open for hiking and exploring. This trail begins at the Mormon Rocks Fire Station, and plenty of wildlife is visible from the trail- including owls, hawks, lizards, and more.
The Wigwam Motel is not only an actual motel but also a historical landmark! The motel consists of a series of “Wigwams” in a circle.
Built in 1949, the Wigwams are 32-foot tall teepee structures that function as motel rooms!
The architecture design for the Wigwams was inspired by Native American settlements.
The California Route 66 Museum is a large, interactive museum.
Walking through the Route 66 museum is like stepping back into the ‘50s.
There’s a frozen-in-time 1950s diner, and old Route 66 road signs plastered along the walls. There are also plenty of cool relics around, like old car models.
The best part of the museum is an old 1917 Ford Model T that is open to take photos inside!
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is one of the most unique stops on a drive from LA to Vegas. The Ranch is an art installation that resembles a forest of glass.
It all started as an old collection of colorful glass bottles that Elmer Long wanted to use to create something beautiful and different.
With pipes and the bottles, he created a forest. The pipes stand upright like tree trunks and their branches and leaves are an assemblage of glass bottles.
This glass forest is remarkable, and full of photo opportunities.
Back in the 1800s, Calico was a populous, Old Western mining town. Once silver lost its value, the town was completely abandoned, and became a “ghost town.”
Today, all of the buildings in Calico have been completely restored to exactly what they looked like in their 1800 prime.
In Calico Ghost Town, one can walk around and picture themselves in the 1800s. There are also shops, a restaurant, and a place to pan for gold!
Peggy Sue’s Diner combines lunch and history all in one.
This diner was built in 1954 and has continued to embrace the 50’s style.
The food is tasty and reasonably priced, and the vibrant 50s art, music, and decor make it a worthwhile stop. There’s even a dinosaur park in the back!
Whether or not it’s time to fuel up, Eddie World is a great stop. It’s located off Interstate 15 and is marked by a 65-foot tall ice cream cone.
Eddie World has been described as the “Disneyland of Gas Stations”.
It's huge, clean, and full of any goodies (including the famous Alien Fresh Jerky!) one could desire while driving from LA to Las Vegas.
The World’s Tallest Thermometer is not only a cool landmark but also represents the gateway to Death Valley. It is 134 feet tall, indicating the hottest ever recorded temperature in Death Valley: 134 degrees Fahrenheit, 56 degrees Celsius.
Pioneertown was built in the 1940s as a Hollywood movie set for Western movies.
The land surrounding Pioneertown was once riddled with mines from the 1800s, and one of which, the Lost Horse Mine, is available for visitors to check out, along with the Pioneer Motel.
Not to be confused with Pioneertown, the Pioneer Saloon is the oldest saloon in the state of Nevada and has been open since 1913. There is a full bar and food menu, so people can dine and drink while envisioning themselves in a western movie.
Speaking of movies, the Pioneer Saloon is even featured in a number of blockbuster movies. Also, it is allegedly haunted- which only adds to its historical allure.
The Seven Magic Mountains are a massive outdoor art installation.
It consists of seven massive boulders, stacked perfectly vertically at heights of up to 30 feet.
What makes them “magic”, are their vibrant, day-glo colors! These colorful stacked rocks are an incredible contrast against the dry, desert landscape.
They were also built on public land, so they are completely free to visit.
Zzyzx Road (pronounced zei-zix) is a peculiar road located right off Interstate 15. To get there, take the Zzyzx exit and drive to the end of Zzyzx Road, where there is an abandoned Mineral Hot Springs Health Resort.
The abandoned Health Resort contains old pools, spas, and guest houses. It is all open to the public to explore, and offers a beautiful view of the dry shore where Soda Lake once existed.
This sign is for a since-abandoned diner called Jenny Rose.
Jenny Rose Diner was a popular diner back in its prime, and diners such as this were quite common out West in the 1900s.
The reason this sign is so famous is that popular singer Sheryl Crow used it as art on the back of her debut album.
While the Jenny Rose Sign no longer leads to a restaurant, it’s still a nice little photo stop to take along the way from La to Vegas.
Red Rock Canyon is a National Conservation Area located just outside of Las Vegas- and only a quick detour on the drive from LA to Las Vegas!
This area can be explored both by car and on foot.
There is a scenic 13-mile drive that loops through Red Rock Canyon that is perfect for sightseeing from inside the car.
For outdoor lovers, there are 26 hikes in this area, as well as plenty of rock climbing!
Joshua Tree National Park is breathtaking. This large park is trademarked by epic, sprawling rock formations, and its namesake: The Joshua Tree.
This national park has a lot to offer, including gorgeous landscapes, unmatched stargazing, cross-country hikes, and famous rock climbing.
Whether it be a quick pit stop to marvel at the landscapes, or an overnight camping trip to truly take in the beauty of this park, Joshua Tree should not be missed.
This is the quickest and most direct route from Los Angeles to Vegas. It takes Interstate 15 all the way from La to Vegas. It also overlaps with a large portion of the historic Route 66.
To make the drive from LA to Vegas quickly, but still see plenty of cool historical sites, this is the way to go!
Victorville is a historical town located right along Route 66, and just outside of the LA area.
This is a great town to get out and stretch, and also check out the Route 66 museum and Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch.
The Mormon Rocks can be spotted while driving from LA to Victorville. They can be admired from the car, or during a short hike!
Yermo, California is known for being the gateway to the Calico Mountains.
It is also home to the Calico Ghost Town and Peggy Sue’s Diner, making it a great road trip stop.
If it’s time for a fuel stop, Eddie’s World, the Disneyland of gas stations, is right outside of Yermo.
Fun fact: The name “Yermo”, is derived from one of the Spanish words for wilderness.
Baker is one of the only towns between Yermo and Goodsprings, so it’s a great place to stop and fuel up.
It is also a popular stopping point on the Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive because it is home to the World’s Tallest Thermometer!
Baker is right inside the Mojave Desert and the heat is heavy, especially in the summer months. It’s easy to understand why the World’s Tallest Thermometer is located here.
Goodsprings, Nevada is the last pit stop before Las Vegas! It’s a good one too, as it’s home to the famous Pioneer Saloon.
The Pioneer Saloon is a great spot to grab a meal, and if visiting around Halloween, there are even haunted house tours.
The final stretch! Goodsprings to Las Vegas will go by quickly, especially as anticipation builds up while getting closer and closer to Vegas.
Along the way, are the colorful Seven Magic Mountains. This giant art installation is certainly worth a stop, and serves as a great place to get out and walk around, before reaching Las Vegas.
For desert lovers, or anyone wanting to see Joshua Tree or the Mojave Preserve, this is the perfect route.
It traverses through San Bernardino, Palm Desert, Joshua Tree, the heart of Mojave, and ends in Las Vegas of course.
This route takes the I-210 getting out of Los Angeles, CA-62 past Joshua Tree, takes park roads through Mojave, and rejoins with the I-15 once out of the Mojave National Preserve.
While this route can be done in one day, there are plenty of opportunities for camping, and it can easily be turned into a multi-day long adventure!
San Bernardino is the first stop on this route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas!
Not only is San Bernardino home to the historic Mormon Rocks and Wigwam Motel, it also has its very own mountain range in the San Bernardino National Forest.
San Bernardino can either be a quick road trip stop on the way to Las Vegas, or it can be the beginning of a multi-day outdoor adventure in the National Forest.
Either way, this is a great first stop.
Palm Springs is an optional detour on the drive from La to Las Vegas.
This small desert town is quite popular, and known for its cute downtown area, beautiful canyons, and hiking.
Visiting Palm Springs adds about an hour to the drive, but the plentiful opportunities for hiking, exploring, and sightseeing are well worth it.
This part of the drive is where the desert landscape starts to stretch as far as the eye can see, and there are many great photo opportunities. Once in Pioneertown there is plenty to see, including Old West movie sets, the Lost Horse Mine, and Pioneer Motel.
Joshua Tree National Park is only a short, exciting drive away from Pioneertown. Once inside the park there is so much to do!
This stop can be as short or as long as desired, but it is important to know that there are days’ worth of hiking and exploring to be done in Joshua Tree National Park.
If possible, staying overnight is highly recommended, as the starry night sky in Joshua Tree is unparalleled.
The Mojave National Preserve is a whopping 1.6 million acres large. It’s much more wild and desolate than Joshua Tree, and not uncommon to drive miles and miles without seeing any other cars.
There is plenty of camping in the preserve, although for any unpaved dirt roads, a 4x4 vehicle is necessary.
The final stretch of this drive from La to Vegas reunites back with the I-15, and zips right along to Vegas. This stretch is very scenic, and passes right by Pioneertown and the Seven Magic Mountains.
This route is similar to route 1, but follows the historical Route 66 all the way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and also passes through the Mojave Desert. Without traffic, this route takes just under 6 hours, and is 558 km/ 347 miles long.
With an approximately 8 hour drive time that covers about 724 km/450 miles, this is the longest route dedicated to those who want to explore a combination of not just the desert, but also part of the Sierra Nevadas.
This route is best taken split into several days to fully enjoy and take advantage of what these National and State Parks have to offer.
The best times for a LA to Vegas drive are the fall and spring when the weather is mild.
The spring is a particularly wonderful time to make this drive because Joshua Tree National Park becomes blanketed in beautiful wildflowers.
During the summer and winter, the weather in the desert is harsh, and can make for rather unpleasant temperatures for hiking and being outdoors.
That being said, it’s never really a bad time to do a Los Angeles to Las Vegas road trip!
There is a mix of both indoor and outdoor stops and attractions on the road between Vegas to LA, so there will be something for everyone, regardless of the season.
Without any traffic or stops, the quickest drive from LA to Vegas is just over 4 hours.
To make a few stops to see some of the awesome landmarks along the way, it is worth budgeting in an extra 4 hours to total trip time.
The main Interstates from Los Angeles to Las Vegas are in excellent condition.
If camping or driving through Death Valley National Park, or the Mojave National Preserve, it is worth renting a 4x4 vehicle.
Those roads are not as well maintained, and getting stuck in the desert could be a problem.
The number one thing to bring is water. This is a drive through the desert, and while there are plenty of stops and cities between Los Vegas and Los Angeles, it’s always better to be safe!
Another important thing to bring on a drive from La to Las Vegas is plenty of food and snacks- it is a road trip after all!
If camping or hiking, it is a good idea to bring all the proper gear for it.
Even when traveling in the summertime, it is important to bring some warm layers for nighttime.
Despite the desert reaching record high temperatures during the day, at night the temperature can dip quite low.
This drive is great in either direction!
It is important to note that the Vegas to Los Angeles drive typically takes longer than the Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive. This is due to traffic.
The best time to start this road trip is as early as can be. An earlier start means less traffic. This leaves more time for sightseeing!
If planning to make a few stops on the Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive, time should be budgeted accordingly.
While many stops are right off the Interstate, some are a couple of miles away so be sure to factor that into trip planning.
The last thing anyone wants while driving from La to Las Vegas is to run out of gas in the desert.
There are a few stretches of these routes that go 48 km/30 miles without fuel.
It’s prudent to always take advantage of nearby gas stations rather than waiting to fuel up.
Anyone planning on entering any national parks on the drive to Las Vegas, should consider investing in a national park pass!
If visiting more than two national parks within 12 months, a national park pass will save money.
Even though the drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is a short one, there are still some awesome camping spots along the way. This drive could also just be one small part of a great American road trip!
Either way, there are some great camping spots on the Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive- especially in the national parks.
In Joshua Tree, some of the best campsites include Hidden Valley Campground, Black Rock Campground, and Indian Cove Campground.
Another cool camping spot is the Hole-in-the-Wall Campground in the Mojave Nature Preserve.
This is a remote campground, and it has spectacular desert views. The sunrise and sunsets here are particularly magical.
So there it is! The full-throttle guide on the Los Angeles to Las Vegas drive.
There’s really a Los Angeles to Las Vegas road trip route for everyone, from the National Parks lovers, to the Old Western history fanatics.
I hope I’ve included everything you need to know about making this drive.
Feel free to drop a comment if you have any more tips to add!
Now that you’ve seen all the possibilities, which Los Angeles to Las Vegas road trip route would you choose?
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