10 fantastic places to visit in Nevada with kids

Road crossing Valley of Fire in Nevada USA

Our handpicked selection of ten of the best places to visit in Nevada with kids for a fantastic family vacation.


The very first time we visited Nevada with kids was during a US Southwest road trip.

Nevada was supposed to be a pit-stop to see Las Vegas, a place that sparked the imagination of my kids and me especially and we hadn’t planned on seeing much more of this stunning state.

However, Nevada had other plans for us: its beautiful landscapes, variety, and otherworldliness captured our imagination, and we ended up wanting to see as much as possible.

Visiting Nevada with kids is a real treat.

You have attractions ranging from crazy Las Vegas to the otherworldly beauty of the Valley of Fire and the man-made wonder of the Hoover Dam, each of them easy to enjoy for children and adults alike.

Based on our own experience, we highly recommend planning a family vacation in Nevada with kids!

In this travel guide, you find our favorite things to do in Nevada with kids and Nevada kid-friendly attractions worth the trip (we fly to Nevada from Europe; if we say the trip is worth it, you can trust us it is, that’s no short journey!!)

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Las Vegas with kids

I have mixed feelings about visiting Las Vegas with kids or at all.

We are not casinos and big-ticket attractions people; we prefer national parks of big cities with lots of culture and museums, so the chances of a Vegas experience missing the mark was high.

Night lights in Las Vegas with the Panoramic Wheel in the background

However, while I cannot say Vegas is my favorite place, we found visiting Las Vegas with kids was fun and unique in its particular way.

We stayed on the strip, so we had everything on our doorstep and we found very many kids attractions that made out stay fun and different.

Enjoying Las Vegas with kids is surprisingly easy.

If you only want a taste of the city, you can walk down the Las Vegas strip.

Here, you see the famous Venetian hotel, with its fun artificial Venice canals, the Bellagio and its fabulous fountains and the crazy-looking Caesars’ palace.

A little further down, you find the Las Vegas Eiffel tower that my kids thought was hilarious, in a place so obviously non-Parisian as Vegas!

We mostly however enjoyed Las Vegas Town center and the tall ferry wheel: you can take a ride and see the whole of Vegas under your feet or just admire it from below.

In the evening, you can sit at one of the many outdoor restaurants under the wheel.

You eat to your heart content (the food in Vegas is fantastic and there are so many kid-friendly restaurants!) and enjoy the light show on the wheel and the music blaring out and filling the street.


If you love shows or theme parks, Vegas is a perfect family destination but as we were happy to discover, this is a fun place in Nevada for families even if you are not into all that!

The Valley of Fire, Nevada with kids


Valley of Fire State Park is a stunning place for a day out with the kids in Nevada.

Road crossing Valley of Fire in Nevada USA

Located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas, this state park is filled with red rock formations made from Aztec sandstone.

During the daytime, the strong Nevada sunlight makes these rocks look as if they’re on fire, making the park’s name pretty accurate!

Valley of Fire State Park is well organized and there are many easy hikes suitable for kids.

Depending on your child’s age and experience, you may enjoy Fire Wave, White Dome trail, Petroglyph Canyon and Elephant Rock trail. I highly recommend you all come equipped with proper hiking shoes, water and sun hats.

Always check at the visitors’ center trail conditions and potential hazards on the day.


A visit to the Vally of Fire is a fantastic family day trip from Las Vegas and a wonderful way to get familiar with the dry and stunning Nevada landscape.

If you don’t have your own car, several companies offer fun day tours to the Valley.

Check out >>> Small group tour from Las Vegas to Valley of Fire or this one that also includes Red Rock Canyon (see below)

Red Rock Canyon Nevada with kids

If you want to experience the desert with the kids, you can also plan a day trip from Vegas to Red Rock Canyon.

Set 15 miles from the city, Red Rock Canyon remains a bit of a hidden gem in Nevada and is the perfect antidote to the crowds of Vegas or more popular parks.

Highway in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada, USA

Red Rock Canyon owes its name to the red rocks faces and the unique red rock formations emerging from the desert terrain. The peculiarity of the landscape makes the place feel almost otherworldly.

The park has many things appealing to kids. You can pick up an activity booklet for children and your junior ranger badges at the visitors center.

Inside the park, you can just take a drive along the stunning Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive or get active on some of the trails.

Red Rock is a great place for hiking, with many trails running through the entire area, all of which provide incredible vistas you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Driving and hiking will reward you with stunning views: High Point Overlook, Calico Hills, and Red Rock Overlook are among the most beautiful overlooks on the drive.

The park has many child-friendly hikes: some children may enjoy are Calico Trail (stroller-friendly), First Creek Canyon, and Calico Tank.


Make sure you are well equipped for lack of shade and uneven terrain. Appropriate clothing, shoes and drinking water are mandatory.

If you don’t want to drive, you can join one of the day tours on offer from Las Vegas such as this one, which also includes the Valley of Fire or this Red Rock Canyon sunset tour that makes the most of the evening light to showcase the color of the rocks.

Hoover Dam


The Hoover Dam is on the border between Nevada and Arizona is one of the best places to visit with kids in Nevada and the whole of the US.

Must have stop on any American Southwest Itinerary: hoover dam and its incredible view (photo from the dam looking towards the river below)

Hoover Dam is a colossal dam built in 1931 along the Colorado River and now providing electricity to the whole US southwest all the way to the San Diego area in California!

Find here >>> fun facts about the Hoover Dam for kids.


The dam is breathtaking, incredibly educational and a fantastic place to visit with kids.

You get a first glimpse of the dam from the road as you drive towards it but you only fully appreciate its magnitude as you park the car and enter the visitors’ area.

Once in the dam perimeter, you find several observation points and a fantastic museum with hands-on exhibits for the kids.

You can also take a tour of the dam’s inner workings (restrictions apply, ask at reception).

The dam is fantastic and well equipped for kids. Many people, like us, stop here on the way between Las Vegas and the grand canyon and I highly recommend you make this a long put stop and the place is like no other.

Read here >>> all you need to know to visit Hoover Dam with kids

If you prefer an organized tour, you can join this tour or this one that combines a visit to the dam with Lake Meade (see below)

Lake Meade with kids


Twenty-five miles southeast of Las Vegas, you find Lake Meade Recreation Area.

Lake Meade it is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the United States, as well as one of the most popular destinations in Nevada.

This is a very popular place for boat loving families and once you get a glimpse of the lake, it becomes very obvious why!

Actually, before you see the lake, you are alerted of its presence by the number of cars carrying boats: suddenly, anyone on the highway seems to be carrying a vessel!


Lake Meade came to existence because of the damming of the Colorado River; however, it is surrounded by the stunning Mojave desert so you enjoy it like a natural area and it is a great place for a day (or more!) outdoors with the kids.

The area is large and you can choose between several activities, including boating (own boats and rental), hiking and biking.

The area also has nice drives and it is equipped with campsites and lodges that make it perfect for a weekend outdoors in Nevada with kids.

The best way to enjoy Lake Meade Nevada is to stay a few days, camping or anyway making the most of the lovely scenery.

If you are short on time, you can also visit the area with a day tour such as this one which also includes a visit tot he Hoover Dam.

Death Valley with kids

Death Valley National park is always fascinating for kids and one of the best West Coast National Parks for families.

Badwater Basin info sign in Death Valley National Park
Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park

The park stretches across the border between Nevada and California and it is a place of extremes: the park is famous for being the lowest altitude spot in North America and is it is also the hottest place on earth!

Despite these hars weather conditions, the park is fantastic with kids, especially if you visit in winter when temperatures are more manageable.

Here, you can drive and hike among stunning scenery.

Not to be missed are the Badwater Basin Salt Flats, the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level!), Zabriskie Point, the incredible Artists Drive and Mesquite sand dunes.

The park has family friendly lodges that make it perfect for a family getaway or an overnight stop over.

Lake Tahoe Nevada with kids

Backdropped by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe is a stunning lake that sits right on the border of California and Nevada.

The entire lake is home to breathtaking views and beaches with sand so soft you could easily confuse them for an island somewhere in the Caribbean if it weren’t for the sights of snow-capped mountains towering over them and the milder temperatures!

Lake Tahoe is a natural playground for kids and adults all year round.

During the summer months, the lake itself takes center stage with boating, swimming, and other water activities on offer.

Come wintertime, the attention shifts to the mountain ranges, where skiing on one of the 14 ski resorts available is the main activity!

Not to be missed in Lake Tahoe with kids is Emerald Lake: the sightseeing cruise is perfect for stunning lake views!

This is a fantastic place for an outdoorsy family vacation and very different from the desert adventures you can pursue in other parts of Nevada for kids.

Find here >> our guide to the best things to do in Lake Tahoe with kids

Visit Nevada’s ghost towns with kids


Nevada has many ghost towns that now tell the story of the silver and gold rush era.

Ghost towns are fascinating at any age and are educational and fun to visit with kids, especially older ones.

Among the several you can visit, a family-friendly one is Tonopah, where you can visit the historic Mining Park.

If your kids like supernatural stories and a bit of a thrill, they may enjoy a visit to the Mizpah Hotel, which is said to be haunted (!) and the Clown Motel, dubbed the Scariest Motel because of its clown theme and the cemetery nearby.

Another iconic Nevada ghost town is Belmont, where you can visit buildings and mines from well over a century ago.

As well as the historic streets and houses, Belmont Ghost Town has no electricity, no gas or food nearby (go prepared): this adds to the feeling of having stepped into a different era!

Reno with kids

If you love family city breaks with plenty of entertainment for kids, then you should look no further than Reno.

Arch in Reno Nevada saying: Reno, the biggest little city in the world

Reno has many family attractions that can keep busy kids of all ages.

A great place to start is the Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum.

Thanks to its many hands-on attractions, this interactive science and inventions museum is fantastic for kids of all ages.

If your kids are car lovers like my son, they will adore the Reno National Automobile Museum.

The museum is one of the best car museums in the country, and it has many models, from vintage cars to race cars and celebrity cars.

For family time outdoors, you have plenty to choose from in Reno. The Truckee river walk and Idlewild Park are firm family favorites.

Great Basin National Park

Set on the eastern border of Nevada and Utah, Great Basin National Park is probably one of the most diverse destinations in the state.

Boasting groves of ancient bristlecone pine (fun fact: they can survive for over 3,000 years!), wildlife, lakes, streams, and caverns, this park is great doe outdoorsy families and has several child-friendly trails.

Great Basic is a great place in Novada for kids to spot snakes, bunnies jackrabbits and squirrels.

The park is also home to many species of birds: I recommend you give your children kids’ binoculars for the best experience.

The park has two visitors centers where you can get your junior ranger booklet and badge, a list of child-friendly trails and the program for stargazing. Great Basin is dark sky are and a fantastic place to see stars and planets!

I hope you enjoyed this overview of our favorire places to visit in Nevada with kids and it inpsired you to plan a visit. Safe travel planning!

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Images of Valley of Fire, Las Vegas and Red Rock canyon with text: 10 fantastic places to visit in Nevada with kids