Taking an adrenaline-filled tour of Eldorado Canyon was one of the highlights of my trip to Las Vegas! Here’s what I thought about this awesome adventure.
On our first full day in Vegas, we headed straight out to our first adventure of the holiday. This was a trip to Eldorado Canyon with Awesome Adventures Las Vegas! The company specialises in land, sea and air adventures in Las Vegas, Utah and at the Grand Canyon. It’s the perfect way to see the most amazing sights while getting your adrenaline fix on!
After a quick breakfast along the strip, we were picked up at the world-famous hotel and casino, Caesars Palace. Then we were whisked away from the buzz of Vegas and instead into the calm and serene desert. It was a weird way to get our first taste of Vegas, but it was pretty cool and different. Within an hour we had arrived, pulling up to what I could only describe as a giant junkyard.
About the Ghost Town of Eldorado Canyon
The home base for our day was this large convenience shop in the middle of nowhere. It’s surrounded by all sorts of weird and wonderful memorabilia such as classic rusted cars or old kitsch gas pumps. We were told (if I remember rightly) that this place existed because the owner of the store (or the owner’s father, I think) bought the land as somewhere to store all the random junk he kept collecting. The more he collected, the more land he gained! Now, it’s a photographer’s paradise. Think heaps of colourful and offbeat ‘things’ curated at this hidden gem way out in the desert.
The location is so unique. Even without all the random memorabilia to look at, the sights are so beautiful and the convenience shop is so classic that it’s been used as a film set and music video set many times.
Whilst our lovely guide Sherman set up the quad bikes, we spent some time exploring and taking loads of photos. By the way, Sherman was an amazing guide. He was very friendly and down to earth, but super knowledgeable too.
It’s so hard to describe this place, so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…
After taking a million photos, we were taken to get set up for our ride through the desert. Once safely kitted up, we hopped onto the quad bikes and got ready to go.
Taking an RZR Tour of Eldorado Canyon
I was so excited to get going that in my initial excitement, I accidentally pressed down on the gas and drove straight into the back of Briony. No harm done of course, as I was going super slow, but her delayed reaction and seeing her turn around at me in shock and cry out ‘what is going on!” just did me in and from then on out I could barely stop giggling.
Briony was a little nervous going on a quad bike, so they put us in an RZR together instead. I was happy with this – the RZRs looked amazing and totally badass! This also meant we could take it in turns driving and taking photos, so it worked out well.
Soon we were off, speeding through the desert and enjoying the stunning views of El Dorado Canyon. It was honestly one of the best ways to experience the rugged desert and mountainous terrain of southern Nevada. It really was an amazing adrenaline rush. We even got to see the Colorado River and the mountains of northern Arizona!
Sherman explained that the route we were taking was also one of the routes that mule-driven carts took in the 1800s as miners went in search of their fortunes, which tied in really well with the second half of our adventure. He also pointed out some great sights and told us stories of past tours. For example, he told us a badass mum who literally picked up a poisonous snake from the ground like it was nothing and launched it into the desert much to the dismay of her children who wanted to keep it as a pet! This upset the children so much that they refused to talk to Sherman for the rest of the tour, haha.
Exploring Techatticup Gold Mine
After a lovely packed lunch (provided with the tour!) it was time to head down to the Techatticup Gold Mine. First, Sherman led us back into the store to give us a little more history about the family that lived there. We were also reminded how important it was to be wary of cactuses and showed some photos of people who were not so careful. I had no idea cactuses were so dangerous!
Then we headed down to the mine. We discovered that Werley family bought this land knowing there was a mine somewhere. But they didn’t know where the entrance could be found. It was eventually revealed during a big storm. After this, the family spent years making it accessible to the public and collecting artefacts found inside.
Once inside, we immediately noticed how cold it was and how small the passageways were. We were taught about the conditions of the miners – and donkeys – that worked down there. I was shocked to hear that often people died deep in the mine but it made no sense to waste time dragging the body back out again. So often miners carried on working right alongside those who had died. Donkeys also spent so long in the dark passageways of the mine that many went blind when coming out into the sun again.
We also got to view rickety old ladders and glimpses of light as we saw how deep down we actually were. Seeing all the various winding corridors made me a little on edge, knowing just how easy it would be to get lost if we had no guide. Sherman also very kindly demonstrated just how dark it can get inside, whilst relaying a scary story!
Final Thoughts about Our Eldorado Canyon Tour
The entire day was a mix of interesting history, quirky photo ops and adventure. Even though it was a long way away from what you’d expect Vegas to be, I couldn’t think of a better way to have spent our first day there. We left with so many amazing photos and had so much fun driving around the terrain!
I never knew such a weird place even existed until my trip to Vegas. Think mining ghost town, slap bang in the middle of the Nevada desert. Both parts of the day were equally exciting in different ways. I really cannot recommend Awesome Adventures – or this particular excursion – enough.
Though it’s so different to what you think of when you hear the word Vegas, it’s kind of spot on in a way too. Very kitsch, different and bold. A perfect alternative to the gambling capital of the world – especially if you like things off the beaten path or different.
I cannot thank Awesome Adventures enough for allowing myself and Briony to come along and experience the day – we had so much fun.
If you are ever in Vegas and want something different to do outside of the city, you MUST do this. There are a few cool things to do in the desert, but this particular excursion not only provided us with amazing views, but also tons of history, a quirky location and a great adrenaline rush.
If I’m ever in Vegas, I’ll definitely be booking with Awesome Adventures again. Have you ever been to Vegas? Would you book a tour with Awesome Adventures? Let me know!
*Please note, although I was gifted this excursion, the views I share are entirely honest and my own. I am under no obligation to share a positive review based on my experience.
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