10 Greatest Stops on the LA to Vegas Drive

ByVictoria Philpott Last Updated:

Want to know all the best stops on the impressive LA to Vegas drive? From bottle art work to saloons on the highway, here are the places, distances and timings you need to know.

Skyline of LA

You could spend days exploring the 5-hour, 300 mile journey on the iconic Highway 15 road trip from Los Angeles to Vegas.

Chock-full of beautiful landscapes, quirky displays, original gas stations, and good road trip food, it’s a memorable one!

See the road trip using this LA to Vegas road trip lin k. As you can see on the map below, it’s 8 hours 38 direct, but why would you want to do that when you can pop into all these cool spots?!

map of the LA to vegas drive

So, you’ll start in LA. There are so many great things to do here, if you need some inspiration check out my posts on the LA to the Bay tour, the best California day trips and the coolest things to do in Palm Springs too.

If you have time before this road trip, then how about driving from San Francisco to LA on the Pacific Coast Highway first?

Right, finished with LA? Let’s get started…

1. Mormon Rocks

  • Distance: 65 miles
  • Time: 1 hour 20 minutes from LA
Mormon Rocks near LA

Just outside of Los Angeles, you won’t want to miss the towering sandstone formations that line the highway.

Pull over and spend at least 20 minutes walking the mile-long Mormon Rocks Interpretive Trail, where you can get up close to learn about the odd-shaped formations. Keep your eye out for local birds and reptiles too. This is a popular spot for hiking if you have time, and water.

2. Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch

  • Distance: 97.6 miles from LA
  • Time: