Find the Best Things to Do in Summerlin
By Terrisa Meeks
Las Vegas Local Expert
About Summerlin
Photo courtesy of Justin Taylor
Located on the far west side of the Las Vegas Valley, Sunmerlin is largely a residential neighborhood. Shops, restaurants, and recreational opportunities also attract visitors, especially those looking to get away from the Strip. Red Rock National Recreation Area attracts outdoor enthusiasts, photographers, and nature lovers. Serious bicyclists are a common sight throughout the area, and Summerlin's golf courses host major tournaments.
Summerlin's residential feeling will give you a totally different look at Las Vegas. A very small percentage of Vegas visitors ever leave the Strip, so you'll definitely be seeing a side of the city that only residents usually experience.).
See & Do
Summerlin is one of Las Vegas' newer neighborhoods, and as a master-planned community, it includes a wealth of parks and outdoor recreation. Golf courses are scattered throughout the area, although not all are open to the public. Angel Park is both open to the public and a popular place to get in time on the greens. Red Rock Canyon, just to the west of Summerlin, is place to bike, hike, picnic, enjoy a horseback ride, take on world-class climbing, or simply enjoy a drive.
Eat
Restaurants on the Strip can be almost too much—award-winning, celebrity-chefs, high prices, and mandatory reservations. In a local neighborhood like Summerlin, visitors can skip all that in favor of eateries with less high-pressure. You'll also stand a better chance of finding locally run places, like Firefly and Vintner Grill. This is also a place to find any popular chains you enjoy, like Applebees, Chili's, Cheescake Factory, and Olive Garden. That's the beauty about Summerlin restaurants: they come in all varieties, and since you're off the Strip, the final tab will be much easier on your wallet.
Party
If you're staying in Summerlin, the first thing you should do is sign up for a player's club card at the casino(s) you'll be frequenting. Then you can head to the casino, where you'll get points for all cash you'll put into the machines. The end result? Free stuff and discounts. You'll find bars near and in the casinos, so a stop at the Red Rock or Suncoast will give you plenty of adults-only things to do all evening. You can also take in a movie or go bowling at either hotel casino.
Stay
Three neighborhood hotel casinos are located in Summerlin: The Red Rock Resort, Suncoast, and J.W. Marriott. For the visitor who'd like to experience what a Las Vegas neighborhood is like, a stay at one of these places will offer a glimpse into what it's like to live in Las Vegas--but you can still enjoy a casino, a buffet, and entertainment, so you don't have to be immersed too far into like in the Vegas suburbs. Summerlin is also a good place to find brand-name, non-gaming accommodations like La Quinta.
Shop
Tivoli Village is Summerlin's newest shopping plaza, and the word "village" is a telling sign. It's an outdoor shopping plaza, with an assortment of shops, businesses, and restaurants. You'll find places like Pandora jewelry, BluNoir and Land Rover—not your common assortment of shops. Across the street from Tivoli, Boca Park has a Target, but it also has REI, liquor stores and a grocery store, and plenty of restaurants. Small shops are scattered throughout Summerlin, including a places like the local shopping plaza across from the Red Rock Resort that has a Costco and Lowe's Home Improvement.