Eat Your Way Through the Southwest's Most Picturesque National Parks

Eater

22-05-2025

Las Vegas is known for all-you-can-eat dining, but its location near some of the Southwest's most iconic national parks — including Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Death Valley — makes it a great place to jumpstart a buffet of natural wonders throughout the Southwest. In just four days, you can road trip through some of the Southwest's most iconic national parks, stopping at restaurants that help define the local culture. As you head out, desert highways unfurl beyond Las Vegas, offering the lure of adventure and the promise of great food to fuel it. Day One: Blue Diamond, Lake Mead, and Boulder City
Begin the day in Blue Diamond, a small town on the outskirts of Southwest Las Vegas. It's not a place that courts tourists, but in between the quiet rows of residential streets, you'll find Cottonwood Station, the town's first and only restaurant. Cozy and comfortable with a rustic-modern design, Cottonwood Station fits into its mountain surroundings with minimal intrusion. Grab a seat on the outdoor terrace to enjoy temperatures that are lower and an elevation that's higher than what you'll find on the floor of the Las Vegas Valley. The breakfast menu covers all the bases, from freshly baked cinnamon rolls to scratch-made pancakes and burritos overstuffed with eggs and potatoes. Get your caffeine fix from the coffee bar and prepare for a busy day ahead.
Blue Diamond is just a short drive from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, where colorful sandstone formations rise along the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley. Start at the visitor center, where you'll find panoramic viewing platforms and a desert tortoise habitat, then continue on the 13-mile, one-way scenic loop that highlights the park's greatest hits. Pull over to explore the terrain on foot with the Petroglyph Wall Trail (a short, easy walk with rock carvings dating back at least 800 years) or Ice Box Canyon (a longer, more strenuous hike with shaded, cooler paths).
By now, you've probably worked up an appetite, so swing through Henderson for lunch while driving southeast toward Boulder City. Boom Bang Fine Foods & Cocktails is an easy choice, right off Interstate 215, where Top Chef veteran Elia Aboumrad serves comfort food made with thoughtful recipes. The tarts are a house favorite, whether sweet lemon meringue or savory wild mushroom, and the burger is a thick, juicy Niman Ranch beef patty topped with aged cheddar. On weekends, you'll often find the happy hour menu running all day. If so, go for the crisp, Connecticut-style, thin-crust pizzas.
The Lake Mead National Recreational Area invites the public to enjoy the nation's largest man-made reservoir, created by the Hoover Dam, which straddles the Colorado River. It's the most prominent destination in southern Nevada for boating, swimming, and paddleboarding. If that sounds too strenuous, relax with a cocktail and hop aboard a vintage-style paddleboat with Lake Mead Cruises. You can also follow the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail, which begins near the visitor center and follows a 3.5-mile path that retraces the route of old rail tracks that once carried supplies to the dam construction site. Make it to the end, and your reward is Hoover Dam itself. Head underground with a guided tour and see the integrated electricity-generating system in action — or stay aboveground and snap photos from the rooftop terrace overlooking this modern marvel.
Wind down the day in Boulder City, one of the few places in Nevada that bans gambling, but overflows with small-town charm. The best evidence — Hemingway Park, where bighorn sheep graze near the playground like they own the place. Spend the night in the historic Boulder Dam Hotel, built in 1933, and walk across the street for dinner at the Dillinger, a Prohibition-themed bar and restaurant inside a converted bank. The burger is a local legend, but the chili deserves a shout too — as long as you don't expect beans. It's all beef here. Day Two: Valley of Fire and Southwest Utah
Fuel up at the Coffee Cup Cafe, an old-school diner that's decorated in license plates, surfboards, skis, and kayaks in a nod to Boulder City's proximity to Lake Mead. Order the meatloaf and eggs — made famous on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives — along with crunchy griddled potatoes with pork chili verde. Either one is a hearty combination of calories to begin another day.
From there, drive back through the Las Vegas Valley and into Valley of Fire, Nevada's first official state park. Towering rock formations shift from pale pastels to deep and fiery reds. Pull over to see the sights like Arch Rock and White Dunes, and the Mars-like terrain of Rainbow Vista. The best way to experience Valley of Fire is to enter through the west gates and exit to the east, emerging in the charming countryside of Moapa. The surprisingly lush desert town sits near a Lake Mead tributary. Stop by the Lost City Museum, to see artifacts and reconstructions of Indigenous pueblos which once stood in the region now covered by Lake Mead.
Eat lunch at Cablp, a classic American diner owned by Las Vegas magician Criss Angel. The restaurant leans into comfort food with flame-grilled burgers and pizzas billed as East Coast-style, with a thicker, chewier crust. Wrap up the meal with Mr. Smiles (a warm cookie in a cast-iron skillet with vanilla ice cream) or one of the house-made Italian ices. And in case you're wondering, the name (pronounced kuh-blip) stands for Criss Angel's Breakfast, Lunch, and Pizza.
Afterward, head north on Interstate 15, cruising through the dusty scenery of Mesquite and the northwest corner of Arizona before arriving in St. George, Utah. Spend the night at the Advenire, the best hotel in town, featuring a contemporary boutique design and rooftop plunge pools.
Cross the street to Ancestor Square, an outdoor plaza with a historic brick jailhouse and sheriff's office in the courtyard. It's also home to the Painted Pony, which emphasizes seasonal ingredients and an art-centric Southwest aesthetic. Uncommon proteins, like grilled bison or bacon-wrapped duck, make frequent appearances on the rotating menu. Utah is a little looser with alcohol laws than it used to be, so enjoy a nice cocktail with dinner and get a nightcap in the Advenire's lobby bar, where some of the most talented bartenders in town work their magic. Day Three: Zion and Bryce Canyon
Start the day early by filling up on coffee at the hotel and hit the road for Zion National Park. Pull over in Springdale, just outside the south gates, and order breakfast at Oscar's Cafe, where Southwestern cuisine meets European bistro sensibility. The black bean and green chile burrito is full of heat and flavor, while the country French omelet, with roasted potatoes on the side, is more delicate.
You can drive the scenic route that winds through Zion's sandstone cliffs or hop on the free shuttles to scenic trails like Weeping Rock and Angel's Landing. Either way, you'll want to exit through the east gate, which puts you just an hour away from Bryce Canyon. Covering two national parks in a single day sounds like a stretch — but from Zion to Bryce, it's well within reach.
Bryce Canyon is remarkably efficient by national park standards. Drive the scenic route, which ends at the sweeping heights of Rainbow and Yovimpa Points at 9,000 feet above sea level, before doubling back. Bryce Canyon has the most concentrated collection of hoodoos — towering rock spires carved by centuries of erosion — in the world. The main trails are paved and suitable for visitors of all fitness levels.
Retreat to the Bryce Canyon Pines, a hotel with a lodge atmosphere and one of the best restaurants in the area. The hotel restaurant charbroils beef from Utah ranches and is known for its pies and lineup of local beers.
Skip breakfast or grab something light at the hotel and hit the road early. This leg of the trip takes you west, on a scenic drive through the red canyon cliffs and green pines of the Dixie National Forest. Stop in Cedar City, a university town known for its arts and culture scene. Swing by the French Spot on Main Street, where house-made pastries and savory staples like sauteed salmon, ratatouille, and French onion soup meet with the timeless charm of the historic district.
You'll cross back into Nevada — note the time zone change — and roll through the small town of Panaca before reaching Cathedral Gorge State Park. Start at the south entrance, and step into a surreal landscape of moon caves: narrow, chilly slot canyons that carve through layers of shale and siltstone that look like melted wax dripping off a candle. Wander through narrow, chilly corridors where sunlight barely filters in. You may even spot a stone water tower built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Then loop to the north entrance for a higher vantage point on the valley of otherworldly, spire-like rock formations shaped by centuries of erosion.
Begin the long drive back towards Las Vegas with a stop in Caliente, a former hot springs resort destination that had a brief role as a railroad stop for the Union Pacific tracks connecting Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. The depot building is still there — a striking example of Spanish mission architecture — with a few retired train cars parked outside. It's steps away from Side Track, the town's best restaurant, renovated from an old saloon. Grab a seat at the bar, still topped with an Italian marble counter installed more than a century ago, and order the meatball sandwich or mac and cheese bites. Side Car is an offshoot cocktail bar with a modest speakeasy feel and backyard lounge area for games and mountain views.
The drive back to Vegas is about two hours, completing the final leg of a loop that packs in the austere beauty of two national parks, a colorful canyon, Nevada's most consequential lake, and inspiring state parks. Pull over at the Alien Research Center for a kitschy look at Nevada's fascination with U.F.O. culture and the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, which offers waterside views, for one last quiet moment in nature before returning home.
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