hidden gems in the Las Vegas area?

I don't live near the area, but last time I was there, I had a great experience in Death Valley. We went in October, and the heat was tolerable. The mountains, canyons, washes, and desert sands were a new and really enjoyable experience for me. And the quiet solitude was special; it never gets that quiet here. Even in the wilderness here, the insects, frogs, birds, etc keep some noise going.

I suspect others in the area can turn you on to other great desert experiences too.

Mojave National Preserve. A few hours west via high speed highway. 1.6 million acres, and might have been a legitimate national park if not for the politics. Volcano fields, white 600 ft tall sand dunes with a lizard species found only there that have a "sand shoe" feet adaptation, mountain ranges with pinion and juniper, a chain of springs through the middle spaced about a day apart where the Indian route across the desert went, an interesting "normal" cave in the mountains as well as several "lava tube" type caves in the lava fields. In the spring the flowers can be amazing, if only in contrast with the desert.

Lastly the densest, oldest most amazing Joshua trees I have ever seen in the "dome" area. Much bigger and more extensive than anything Ive ever seen in Joshua tree NP. First time I was there I looked at one of them and said, "wow, I think that is the biggest Joshua tree I have ever seen. The I looked around me and saw there were thousands that big in the area.

The distances are huge so each of the areas mention above, and many more, would make at least a good weekend trip. Go in spring and fall especially. The very definition of empty – except in on of the campground or very near one of the parkinglots you will almost never see anyone else.

Added "perk", the setting of a good part of the Zane grey novel "Wanderer of the Wasteland". LOL

Before you get to Tahoe, you'll be driving up US 395 between the Eastern Sierra and the White Mountains on the CA/NV border. The list is long: access to JMT and PCT trailheads. The quiet, high-elevation and (except for the PCT) lonely side of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Hot springs – signed and unsigned, improved and wild. Mono Lake tufa, volcanic fissures, bird life. Bodie Historic Ghost Town state park.

You need to get Automobile Club of Southern California's map "Eastern Sierra". (Southern and Northern California are different divisions of AAA). It was great details on many camping, hiking and recreational options as well as clearly indicating gravel and dirt backroads throughout the area.

Here's an old version up on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Eastern-Sierra-AAA-Map-/171105858138?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27d6b4325a

White Mountains, Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Telescope Peak, Death Valley. Do on a full moon night.

How is the drive to Telescope Peak trailhead? I've heard the roads in Death Valley can get pretty sketchy and washed out. (I am sort of regretting my decision to sell my 12 year old Subaru, but driving it across the country didn't seem like a nice–or smart–thing to do to a semi-retired car…)

Drove up there in our Civic. Not a problem at all.

FYI, there was lots of bad flooding and road closures in Death Valley in late July. Check out this page for more info:
https://www.facebook.com/DeathValleyRoadConditions