How to Spend Two Days in Lake Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada

Nevada, North America, Travel, United States, Weekend Trip

Lake Las Vegas is located about 30 minutes east of Las Vegas, just outside the suburb of Henderson. This is a resort community planned around a manmade lake. There are a few resorts, golf courses, many homes, and a waterfront village.

Mike and I stayed at the Westin Lake Las Vegas for a few days while I was attending a conference. We loved how peaceful it felt compared to the Strip, yet it was still only a short drive from all the action. This is a great spot to stay if you want a more relaxing trip or need a break from the Strip!

This is how I would spend two full days here.

Day One

Breakfast at Powersoul Cafe

Start your day with a delicious acai bowl or smoothie at Powersoul Cafe. It’s located just a short 5-minute drive from Lake Las Vegas. There is no dining room indoors, so you can either eat outside or take your food to go.

Walk around Lake Las Vegas

We really enjoyed our walk around the neighborhood near the Westin. There are also multiple trails nearby like the Wetlands Trail, Lake Mead Parkway Trail, and the Lake Las Vegas Overlook Trail.

Take the Scenic Route Around Lake Mead

Next, head towards the Hoover Dam, which is only 30 minutes away. You’ll take Lakeshore Road, which is very scenic, providing multiple overlooks of Lake Mead.

Hoover Dam

Once you reach the Hoover Dam, you can choose to see it briefly for free from the outside or take a tour of the inside of the dam. The Hoover Dam powers 1.3 million homes in Nevada, Arizona, and California. To get to the free parking area, pass the paid parking garage and cross the dam. There is another paid lot on the other side, followed by a free lot a little further. You can walk all the way across the dam and get a feel for how huge it is.

Soru Ramen

Once you get back from your day out, head to dinner at Soru Ramen. I got the pork chashu udon and Mike got the tonkotsu ramen. Both were amazing and the prices were very reasonable!

Sunset Station

If you like gambling, there is a large casino in Henderson. We enjoyed coming here a couple times and the game minimums were more budget-friendly than the casinos on the Strip.

Day Two

Valley of Fire Day Trip

On the next morning, head to the Valley of Fire State Park on the early side. Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park and is located only an hour away! You could spend anywhere from a couple hours to a full day here. It will most likely get hot by midday, even in the winter. So, I recommend getting here by about 7am. Highlights include Mouse’s Tank Viewpoint, the Fire Wave trail, and the White Domes trail.

See my detailed blog post about our Valley of Fire day-trip here.

Down Time at Hotel

After an early morning with lots of activity, it’ll be nice to have a little down time at your hotel. Hit the pool if the weather is warm or relax on the patio overlooking the lake. We really loved staying at the Westin!

Lazy Dog Restaurant

When you return to civilization, have dinner at the Lazy Dog Restaurant. I really liked my Thai noodles. Mike got the fettuccine alfredo, and it was just okay. We both really liked the atmosphere and how dog friendly they were!