The Open Road Travel

Best Place To Stop On The Ultimate San Diego To Las Vegas Road Trip

With the ultimate San Diego to Las Vegas road trip taking around 5 hours to drive, many people will look to complete it in one go. However, if you want to make the most of all the attractions along the way, it will be better to split it up by making an overnight stop.

If you want to do this, there are several good options, but one place is a better choice than any other, and that is Primm, Nevada.

Primm, Nevada

Originally established as a town called State Line in the early 1920s, Primm sits right on the Nevada side of the California–Nevada border. Named after its founder, Ernest Jay Primm, it was created to take advantage of gambling being legal in Nevada but not in California.

Ideal to whet your appetite for what lies ahead in Las Vegas, it is full of casino resorts and the kind of unique attractions associated with our final destination.

The chance to see the infamous car that Bonnie and Clyde were driving when they were killed is perhaps the most popular attraction in Primm, while the Primm Valley Resorts, which include Buffalo Bill’s, Whiskey Pete’s, and Primm Valley Resort, give you a chance to get a head start on your gambling.

Other attractions in Primm include the Star Of The Desert Arena, Primm Valley Golf Club, and Fashion Outlets Of Las Vegas mall, while facilities like gas stations and convenience stores make it a worthwhile stop for anyone travelling through an otherwise barren stretch of desert.

Best Hotel To Stay At In Primm – Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino

Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino is one of the three premier casino resorts in Primm. Home to a golf course, fitness centre, outdoor swimming pool, various bars and restaurants, and a casino featuring 39 table games, live poker, and 1,723 slot machines, you can experience everything Primm has to offer here.

All of the rooms are luxurious, spacious, beautifully decorated, and pet-friendly. Each one includes air conditioning, comfortable furnishings and linens, and modern amenities like large flat screen TVs and high speed Wi-Fi, and most also offer stunning views of your desert surroundings.

Top Attractions On The Ultimate San Diego To Las Vegas Road Trip

At 335 miles in length, you are going to want plenty to do and see along the way to keep the drive fun and interesting. With that in mind, we will now outline the 9 top attractions on the ultimate San Diego to Las Vegas road trip, to ensure that your trip is as enjoyable as possible.

Palomar Mountain

Palomar Mountain stands 6,140 feet tall and is a great, natural destination in which to escape from the city and take in your surroundings. Its dense pine, fir, and cedar forests and lush meadows are all great places for activities like hiking, camping, and picnicking, and boast a diverse array of wildlife.

The real selling point of Palomar Mountain for many, though, is the Palomar Observatory. Home to the historic 200-inch Hale Telescope and operated by the California Institute of Technology, the Palomar Observatory has been a prominent location for astronomical research since its completion in 1949.

Visitors can explore its museum, take guided tours to learn about its history with space exploration and observation, or follow the 4.8-mile Observatory Trail to engage in a spot of stargazing in a more natural setting.

Lake Matthews Estelle Mountain Reserve

Lake Mathews Estelle Mountain Reserve is a 13,000-acre section of protected land around the Lake Mathews reservoir. Established in 1982 and expanded in the early 1990s, it serves as a vital habitat for a diverse array of wildlife. This includes more than 250 plant species, 125 bird species, and 35 mammal species.

It is especially notable for being home to a population of the endangered Stephens' kangaroo rat, as well as being a vital resting and feeding spot for migratory birds like bald eagles, golden eagles, and many species of ducks and grebes in the winter months.

As Lake Mathews reservoir is off-limits to the public to protect its ecosystem, the Estelle Mountain area is where visitors can enjoy what it has to offer. Its hiking trails through the reserve boast panoramic views of the lake, its wildlife, and the Temescal Mountains.

Riverside, California

Riverside is a city that boasts a fabulous blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Its most famous attraction is the impressive Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, which opened in 1876 and is known for its Spanish Mission-style architecture.

Other top attractions in the city include the Riverside Art Museum, the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, the Fox Performing Arts Center, and California Citrus State Historic Park.

For those seeking more natural attractions, you also have the nearby Mount Rubidoux, which offers hiking trails and panoramic views of the city, Fairmount Park, with its lakes, walking trails, and picnic areas, and the University of California Riverside Botanic Gardens, with its diverse collection of plants and themed gardens.

San Bernadino, California

San Bernardino is a city that offers a great blend of natural beauty, cultural heritage, and entertainment, surrounded by the San Bernardino Mountains. It is brimming with exciting attractions, like The Original McDonald's Site and Museum, The California Theatre of the Performing Arts, and the San Bernardino History and Railroad Museum.

The nearby 800,000-acre San Bernardino National Forest is a great place for hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing, while the Rim of the World Scenic Byway offers stunning views that can be enjoyed from a car. You also have Glen Helen Regional Park, with its fishing lakes, picnic areas, and swimming complex, which is ideal for families.

Depending on when you visit, you may even get to enjoy some of the city’s fabulous annual events. This includes the Route 66 Rendezvous classic car show and the National Orange Show Festival.

Barstow, California

Barstow is a town located on the historic Route 66, best known for the historic railroad depot that was established with the town in 1847. It is a truly fantastic place to stop for anyone interested in Route 66, cars, trains, or the railroad in general, as it has numerous exhibits and locations dedicated to them all.



The most notable of these is the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum, which boasts a fabulous collection of artwork, historic vehicles, photographs, and artefacts dedicated to Route 66.

Calico Ghost Town

Calico is an abandoned old west silver mining town. Easily visible from the highway, thanks to its name being written on the hills in white rocks, it has been preserved and restored to offer visitors one of the best chances to explore an authentic wild west town they will find anywhere in the nation.

From train rides down into the mine, recreations of stores showing how traditional goods were made, and an authentic saloon serving peanuts and old-fashioned sarsaparilla, to great photo ops and a gift shop selling local and native goods, it is a truly immersive experience that everyone will enjoy.

Baker, California

Baker is a small town that has earned itself a big reputation with tourists. It offers more than just one of the best ranges of gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants you will find in the desert, as it is the home of two notable attractions.

The first is the “World’s Tallest Thermometer”, a 134-foot (41-meter) tall, 76,812-pound (34,841-kilo) working thermometer that commemorates nearby Death Valley National Park setting the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth, 134°F (57°C), which it did on the 10^th of July 1913.



The other is Alien Fresh Jerky, an alien-themed store specialising in numerous varieties of fresh jerky. With its fabulous collection of sculptures, models, snacks, and alien-themed gifts, it is a destination everyone can enjoy. It is also one of the better stops in the region for alien enthusiasts outside of Roswell, New Mexico. 

Mojave National Preserve

Mojave National Preserve is a wilderness area in the Mojave Desert. The third largest site in the whole United States National Park System, at 1.6 million acres, its landscape is ideal for people who want a real desert experience, as it is filled with features like Joshua trees, dunes, hills, mountains, and natural formations.

A popular location for outdoor recreational activities such as camping, hiking, horse riding, and four-wheel driving, it is also a great stop for fans of ghost towns. This is because it is the location of Kelso Ghost Town, a historic rail depot.

Combine this with the historic markers that can be found throughout the preserve, and history buffs will be able to learn about the entire region’s past.

Seven Magic Mountains

Seven Magic Mountains is a unique, large-scale art installation in the Mojave Desert that was created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone in 2016. It centres around seven towering stacks of large, brightly colored limestone boulders, with each tower standing more than 30 feet tall.

Originally meant to be a temporary exhibit that ran for just two years, its huge popularity led to it being continually extended, with it presently slated to remain open until at least May 2027.

A completely free attraction that does not require any reservations to visit, it is an ideal stop to make for anyone who is seeking a little bit of entertainment on the otherwise barren stretch of desert that runs between Primm and Las Vegas.

Final Thoughts On The Ultimate San Diego To Las Vegas Road Trip

That concludes our guide to planning the ultimate San Diego to Las Vegas road trip. You should now have all of the information you need to make the drive yourself, including when to go, what route to use, how long it will take, and what to see and where to stay along the way.



All you need to do now is work out what to take with you and what your budget is, so you can start getting things booked and looking forward to enjoying it all for yourself as soon as possible. If you need tips on where to stay in Las Vegas, what to see while you’re there, and how to enjoy it all without breaking the bank, we even have guides that can help you out there, too.