Weird Day Trips
A small former mining town for a break
Blue Diamond is a small town just past Red Rock Canyon, about 25 to 30 minutes from Las Vegas. That is a planning number for a dry day, not live traffic. What you actually see is a former gypsum-mine town: quiet streets, a mercantile, and a couple of places to eat if they are open. It is not a ghost town.
A small residential town just past Red Rock Canyon, about 25 to 30 minutes from central Las Vegas. Blue Diamond was a company town for the gypsum mine. It is a short stop for food, water, or a break between the canyon and the longer run to Goodsprings or Pahrump. It is not a ghost town, and it is not a deep destination.
- From Las Vegas
- About 25 to 30 minutes
- Distance
- Just past Red Rock
- Road
- Paved
- Time to allow
- A short break
Short history
The town began as a company town for the gypsum mine. Cottonwood Spring, an Old Spanish Trail watering stop, is nearby.
A mercantile, a couple of places to eat, quiet streets, and trail access. This page does not list which doors are open.
Visit
Worth a look if you want food, water, or a short break between the canyon and the longer run west.
Camp
This is a short stop, not the overnight. Pahrump is the bed if the day continues and you want a room.
Skip
You might leave it off if the loop was enough and you are turning around.
The call is yours.
Practical visitor info
Hours and fees change. Check the site, the park, or the business before you go. This page does not quote a current price or a current opening time.
The numbers match the drive times and distances page. Read desert day-trip tips before a hot day, and see sample itineraries if you want to combine stops. The town list is Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas. Tonopah and the Extraterrestrial Highway are indexed under Weird Day Trips.
How long is the drive to Blue Diamond?
Plan on about 25 to 30 minutes from central Las Vegas, just past Red Rock Canyon. That is a rounded planning number for a dry day, not live traffic.
Red Rock is the scenic loop before town. Goodsprings is the next town west if you continue, and Pahrump is the optional end of the day. Fill up before that longer stretch. Do not treat Blue Diamond as the fuel stop for the rest of the day.
Is the drive to Blue Diamond paved?
The road through town is paved. A normal rental car is the usual vehicle. This page does not report construction.
What you can see
Quiet streets, a mercantile, and a couple of places to eat if they are open. Trail access is part of the town. Cottonwood Spring is nearby.
Basic food and water. This is not the fuel stop to count on for the drive toward Pahrump.
Heat and safety
Summer afternoons commonly sit above 100°F (38°C). The stop is short. Read the desert tips if the day continues west.
On the ground
What you can see
You can see quiet streets, a mercantile, and a couple of places to eat if they are open. Cottonwood Spring is nearby.
Private or off limits
Basic food and water. Do not treat the town as the fuel stop for the rest of the day. Fill up before the longer stretch toward Pahrump. It is not a ghost town.
Summer and the season
The stop is short. Summer afternoons are hot if the day continues west toward Goodsprings or Pahrump.
A small living town, not an empty camp.
Get directions
Get directions from Las Vegas. The link opens a map. It is not a live traffic report.
Combine this
Times below are planning figures. Conditions change. A north stop and a south stop do not belong in the same day. The return drive eats it.
Southwest, before Goodsprings and optional Pahrump. Red Rock Canyon is about 20 to 25 minutes. Blue Diamond is the short break just past it, about 25 to 30 minutes. Red Rock and Blue Diamond are a short half day. Adding Goodsprings and Pahrump makes a fuller day or an overnight. This is not the Laughlin day and not the drive down I-15 to Baker.