Below, I have compiled a mini-list that should give you a good idea of things people do in Nevada besides gambling:
Explore the historic sites
If you’re a history buff, one of the best things you can do in Nevada as a tourist is explore the state’s many historic towns. Virginia City is one good place to start a historic tour of Nevada since Virginia City is a prime example of a typical Wild West town.
The whole town of Virginia City is actually a national landmark, which makes this town the largest historic area in the United States. As you enter Virginia City, you can appreciate right away the town’s mining and Old Western past because of the buildings such as the Gold Hill Hotel, the Bucket of Blood saloon, and the Delta Saloon, which is home to old faro table called the “Suicide Table”.
Virginia City is very much a tourist town and it also stages live shoot-outs to entertain its visitors. Other historic places worth checking out in Nevada are:
1) Eureka Opera House (Eureka)
2) Rawhide Jail (Hawthorne)
3) Nevada State Capitol (Carson City)
4) Caliente Railroad Depot (Caliente)
5) Sherman Station (Elko)
6) 7th Street district in Wells
Pass-by a ghost town
Visiting a ghost town is without a doubt, one of the coolest things to do as a tourist in Nevada and the great thing is that Nevada’s ghost towns offer another nice opportunity to step back into Nevada’s mining heritage.
Most ghost towns are mere ruins, but many of Nevada’s ghost towns are still in very good “shape” such as the ghost town of Rhyolite where you’ll find the famous Kelly’s Bottle House, which is a house built entirely of beer bottles.
Rawhide and Gold Point are two other ghost towns worth passing by in Nevada, especially Gold Point which is one of the best preserved ghosts towns in the country.
Soak in a hot spring
If you love dipping yourself in a hot spring, you’ll be glad to know that Nevada has hundreds of hot springs all across the state and the cool thing is that you won’t have to pay a penny to soak in one.
If you’re prepared to drive for miles you’ll find many hot springs in the Black Rock Desert area of northern Nevada such as “Trego”, “Bog” and “Frog Pond” hot springs. This last hot spring is located on private land though the owner kindly lets visitors use it.
Trego Hot springs is also very popular because it’s located not far from the famous Fly Geyser, which is one of the weirdest geothermal geysers you’ll ever see in the States. Soldier Meadows is another hot spring located in the area though it’s located inside Soldier Meadows ranch.
Other hot springs in central Nevada you can visit for free are Spencer hot springs (near Austin), and Fish Lakes hot spring (Tonopah). If you prefer a spa resort experience, it's best you head to the David Walley's Resort (Genoa), which isn’t far from Reno.
Stay at a dude ranch
If you’re planning a vacation in Nevada, staying at a guest ranch may work out to be the best option for affordable accommodation. Even if it’s for a few nights, staying at a working cattle ranch is definitely one of the great things to do as a tourist in Nevada besides gambling because many of these dude ranches offer fun activities for their guests such as horse riding lessons, cattle drives, hunting, etc.
There are dozens of guest ranches all across Nevada and some of these aren’t far at all from Las Vegas or Reno themselves. Some of these include:
1) Soldier Meadows Ranch: is located near Trego in the Black Rock Desert
2) Sandy Valley Ranch (Sandy Valley): is located about half-hour drive from Vegas
3) Cottonwood Guest Ranch: is located in Wells, near the border with Idaho
4) Verdi Trails West: is located just outside of Reno, near South Lake Tahoe
5) Tent Mountain Guest Ranch: located in Deeth, between Elko and Wells
Book tours
There are a myriad of tours you can book during your trip to Nevada like cruise, hot-air balloon, segway and off-road tours. Hopping on a paddle-wheeler for a sightseeing tour or romantic dinner cruise of Lake Tahoe is definitely one of the nicest things to do as a tourist in Nevada.
Booking segway tours is another fun way to explore Nevada and enjoy the outdoors. You can take guided segway tours of downtown Las Vegas, Lake Las Vegas Parkway, and downtown Reno with companies such as “Las Vegas Segway”, “Reno Fun Tours” and “Segway LV”.
Seeing Nevada from the sky is also a magnificent way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the state. You can book tours with companies such as “Reno Hot Air Balloons”, “Balloon Nevada”, “Las Vegas Hot Air Balloons” and “Lake Tahoe Balloons”, which are some tour operators offering balloon rides in Nevada.
As far as off-road tours is concerned, you get a chance to explore up-close Nevada’s top natural attractions such as the Hoover Dam, Death Valley, and Red Rock Canyon. Companies providing off-road experiences in Nevada include “Pink Jeep Las Vegas”, “Red Rock Jeep”, “Lake Tahoe Adventures” and “Desert Odyssey Tours”.
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