Las Vegas: Red Rock Canyon Slingshot Tour & Blue Diamond Stop

4.54

(153 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

It started with a laugh — the kind that comes when you’re not sure if you look cool or ridiculous sitting in an automatic slingshot outside Las Vegas. Our guide, Eric, handed me the keys and grinned, “Don’t worry, it’s easier than it looks.” I believed him, mostly. The engine had this low purr, and the seat felt like it belonged in some comic book car. We set off down Highway 159, wind already tangling my hair (should’ve brought a hat), and that dry Nevada air just everywhere. You don’t realize how big the sky is until you’re out there — no buildings, just those wild red rocks on both sides.

The road curves along the edge of Red Rock Canyon — not inside the conservation area, but honestly, the views are still something else. At one point Eric slowed down so we could hear the gravel crunch under the tires and pointed at some wild burros off to the side. I tried to snap a photo but fumbled my phone; ended up with a blurry shot and dust on my jeans. We stopped in Blue Diamond for photos and water (which tasted way better than expected after all that sun). There was this old guy outside the general store who waved at us — he said something about “slingshots always bringing city folks out here.” I liked that.

I didn’t expect to feel so much like a kid again — maybe it was just being out in the open or maybe it was how simple everything felt for those couple hours. The ride back into Las Vegas was quieter; everyone seemed to be thinking their own thoughts. I kept glancing at those colors in the rocks — pinks and oranges and shadows that moved as clouds drifted by. Even now, I still think about that stretch of highway sometimes when things get noisy back home.