Laughlin, Nevada area guide: a smaller Vegas on the river
Colorado River casino strip in Laughlin
Laughlin has 9 casino hotels along a mile of Colorado River shoreline — it's cheap, calm, and 95 miles south of Vegas.
The setup
Nine casino towers line Casino Drive with the river behind them and Arizona across the water. Rooms are startlingly cheap — Aquarius, Golden Nugget Laughlin, Tropicana Laughlin regularly go for $45 to $85 midweek. The river changes the game: you can swim, jet-ski, kayak or take a Colorado River paddlewheeler. The riverwalk connects the properties so you don’t need to drive between them. The demographic skews 50-plus, retiree road-tripper, and RV crowd.
What to do
Rent a jet ski at Loco Boyz or from the Aquarius beach ($120 an hour). Take the water taxi across to Bullhead City, Arizona ($5) for cheaper gas and different casinos. Drive 30 minutes to Christmas Tree Pass and Grapevine Canyon petroglyphs — extraordinary and empty. Oatman, Arizona (45 minutes on Route 66) has burros wandering the streets and gunfight shows. Skip: expecting Vegas nightlife. Laughlin's biggest weekend is the April Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally — book 3 months out or avoid entirely.
Before you book
What people ask before booking Ely.
Drive 95 miles south from Vegas on US 95 (about 1h 40m) or fly Sun Country/Contour to Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport. No rideshare available beyond the town itself.
The Colorado runs cold — released from Davis Dam at around 55°F year-round. Locals swim in summer but it's bracing. Backwater lagoons at the casino beaches warm up to 75°F in July and August.
