Tag: baby-wearing

Going up? On the Las Vegas Strip, Sometimes You Have No Choice!

Can you say “elevators”?

Stroller-Friendly: No
Access to Family Amenities: Limited
Overall Child-Friendly: No
Time Spent: 6-8 hours

I’m not sure what I was expecting the first time our family set foot on the Las Vegas Strip, but one thing that didn’t come to mind was the elevators. The Strip is a multi-level affair, and it’s quite a trek, from one end to the other. During our family trip in May of 2023, we enjoyed taking in the vibrant mix of sights and sounds. But families traveling to Las Vegas with a baby, be warned: this won’t be a simple walk down the street. For that reason, I’m ranking the Strip toward the bottom of my ranking of baby-friendly spots in Las Vegas, at #13.

The best advice I can offer is to prepare, both mentally and physically, and know that it’s easy to wear yourself out in the heat. If you’re planning to pump and/or bottle feed along the way, be sure to choose a resort with a refrigerator and freezer, so you can pack baby’s milk on ice. And you will, of course, need some sort of portable pumping set up, like the Medela Pump in Style. My insurance covered this one, but I’m also curious about wearable breast pumps, like the Elvie or Willow Go.

Once you get on your way, hopping into resorts and restaurants is the best way to keep cool, and it’s likely what you already had planned. One helpful feature: Many of the resorts are connected indoors. In these cases, there’s no need to leave the air-conditioning at all.

But when you do need to venture out, be prepared for a bit of disorientation. Beyond the heat and the copious ups and downs, the route via elevator can become circuitous and confusing compared with the straightforward footpath. Keep an eye out for signs along the way. It’s clear that there are ways to minimize the number of elevator trips and street crossings, but even as a planning aficionado, I didn’t manage to solve this puzzle in advance.

It’s also difficult to choose between using a stroller and baby-wearing, as both involve pros and cons. Baby-wearing comes with the benefit of skipping the elevators and using the stairs. After nearly getting stuck in an old elevator in Paris, I’m not the world’s biggest elevator fan, so I can see the appeal of this option. The elevators along the strip are also far from clean and fresh.

That said, baby-wearing can become tiring very quickly. We ultimately opted to use our Evenflo Pivot Xpand Stroller. This helped prevent exhaustion and provided much-needed storage space underneath for my breastfeeding gear and our diaper bag. Our 10-month-old daughter was also free to doze uninterrupted by our movements when she needed a nap during long days of exploration.

Looking back, though, I do wish we had tried a hybrid option, alternating between our Infantino Flip 4-in-1 Convertible Baby Carrier and our stroller. Carrying a stroller up and down stairs isn’t exactly fun, but it’s more doable when baby isn’t inside.

Despite the indirect route, we were eventually able to access all the spots we set out to visit. The Strip certainly isn’t impossible for families with babies. It just takes a little extra footwork, navigation prowess, and energy. 

Discover this Baby-Friendly Hike Just West of the Las Vegas Strip

More family restrooms, more lovely views!


Family Restrooms: Yes (1)
Diaper Changing Stations: Yes (several)
Lactation Space: None
Stroller-Friendly: Partially
Overall Child-Friendly: Yes
Time Spent: 4-5 hours

Who knew there was so much natural beauty just beyond the bright, city lights of Las Vegas? Although Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area comes in at # 2 in my ranking of baby-friendly spots in Las Vegas, in terms of enjoyment alone, it was my number one. If you want to escape the traffic and crowds of the Las Vegas Strip for a day, hiking here is a great option, with or without kids.

This stop is just a 25-minute drive from the Strip, but it feels like the middle of nowhere in the best possible way. Here, you’ll find family-friendly amenities, manageable hikes, gorgeous photo opportunities, and a breath of fresh air. There are scenic views in every direction, and — wonder of wonders — there’s a family restroom outside the visitor center to help you and baby get on your way.

As I’ve noted in past posts, my husband and I had trouble locating family-friendly amenities for our 10-month-old daughter throughout our visit to Las Vegas in May of 2023. We never did find any public lactation spaces, and we hope this eventually changes. The restroom at Red Rock Canyon was certainly not an ideal place to pump, and I wouldn’t recommend breastfeeding there. That said, it helped make our visit possible.

We appreciated the option to enjoy Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area via the scenic driving loop and a couple short hikes!

We found this restroom near the visitor center parking lot when we pulled in. It’s an outdoor facility, but with that in mind, it was clean and tidy during our visit. It definitely went above and beyond what I typically expect from a park. There’s a changing table, sink, and toilet. It was a bit snug, but there was room for all three of us and our fairly large, Evenflo Pivot Xpand Stroller.

I reached out to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area after we returned and confirmed there are also changing tables in the men’s and women’s restrooms in the visitor center parking lot and in front of the visitor center. I was glad to hear these weren’t exclusive to the women’s restrooms. We run into this a lot, and it slows us down — especially when we’re hoping my husband can change a diaper while I’m pumping.

In the family restroom, I pumped on my feet at the sink while my husband changed our daughter’s diaper. With trips like this one in mind, I made a point of picking out a breast pump that would be portable and travel-friendly. The Medela Pump in Style, which my insurance covered, comes with a battery pack, tote bag, and mini-cooler. So, it works well on the road. Using the family restroom together, my husband helped me pack up the milk I pumped and rinse my supplies before stowing them away to be properly sanitized back at our hotel.

From there, the three of us set out with our extended family on a scenic drive around the park, stopping here and there to absorb the expansive views and take pictures. My husband and I took turns stepping out to look around, while the other stayed behind in the car with our daughter. This wasn’t an ideal arrangement, but considering the heat, the periodic breaks in the air-conditioning were actually welcome. As I recall, most, or all, of the viewpoints were at least partially stroller-friendly, in case you prefer spending more time at any one stop.

When we reached the Willow Spring Loop, we stopped for a hike all together, followed by another short hike at Petroglyph Wall. These hikes were just the right length for us, but they were not well-suited to a stroller. There are paved trails in the park, but we opted to use our Infantino Flip 4-In-1 Convertible Baby Carrier instead. This allowed all three of us to get into the thick of it and experience the landscape. For more information about trail accessibility, you can check out Red Rock Canyon’s trail guide.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a great spot to carry baby in a forward-facing carrier, allowing them to explore all the new sights and sounds.

My husband wore the baby carrier on the first leg of our hike, and I carried our daughter on the second. We’ve accumulated two Infantino carriers, sort of by accident, which means we keep one adjusted to my husband’s size, and one sized for me. However, if you just have one carrier, we find it’s not difficult to quickly adjust the straps. The carrier worked well in this context and allowed our daughter to visually explore the unfamiliar landscape. We kept the hiking brief — about an hour total between the two trails — and none of us got too worn out. Don’t forget sunscreen for everyone and a sun hat for baby.

One other important note: This park required timed reservations in advance when we visited in May of 2023, and the scenic drive is not a full loop. This means you’ll exit at a different spot than where you entered. Without realizing this, we planned to use the family restroom to pump and change our daughter’s diaper both before and after our visit to the park, assuming the route would loop us right back. When the scenic drive unexpectedly spat us out onto the highway, we circled back to the entrance and asked for permission to re-enter and use the restroom. The ranger let us back in without any trouble, but the confusion caught us off guard. 

Depending on your breastfeeding/pumping schedule, I think it’s possible to visit for a short hike between feedings and avoid this sort of complication. But this is less feasible if you plan to stop frequently to see the sights and take pictures, as we did.

I ordered the BBQ Veggie Burger and Umami Fries at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, and they were amazing!

We stopped at Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar on our way back to the Strip and gave our daughter a bottle at our table. This worked well for us. The food was amazing — one of my favorite meals on the trip — and very vegetarian-friendly. 

All-in-all, I view Red Rock Canyon as a must-see oasis just beyond the Las Vegas Strip. As long as you come prepared, you won’t regret taking the time to get away.