Where to Watch Fireworks on NYE in Las Vegas (Besides the Strip)

“Life is like fireworks:  You can close your eyes and be scared.
Or you can open them and enjoy the view.”
-unknown

What do you think of when you imagine NYE in Las Vegas? Besides the revelry and booze-fueled exploits, of course.

I know I think about fireworks. Those earth-shattering, seizure-inducing, eardrum-popping, sky-exploding fireworks that we all stay up late to see. However, knowing [or for those with an adventurous streak - being the ones to set off fireworks] is just half the battle.

You can see fireworks on the Strip, but you'll be packed tight in a wall-to-crowd. Every year, as far back as I have been living in Las Vegas [we moved here when I was 9; I'm 38 now], I distinctly remember a huge debate between family members over where's the best off-Strip spot to view the New Year's fireworks that erupt from the rooftops of Las Vegas Strip casinos.

To help make this year's New Year's Eve as drama-free as possible and save you from the same debates, I collected my top three picks. Go to one of the below spots for a free, easy way to see the fireworks in Las Vegas. You might even see me there. 

3. Red Rock Casino 

Red Rock is the next best choice to see fireworks when you don't want to be on the Strip. The casino's high elevation provides a picture-perfect vantage point where you can see the entire city on display.

Parking here is absolutely free, even on New Year's Eve. There are two garages you can choose from:

• The East Garage is six levels high and holds 1,368 spaces.


• The West Garage has five levels and contains 1,695 spaces.

Don't worry if you can't get a spot. On New Year's Eve, Red Rock's garages fill up faster than me running to the nearest Buffalo Wild Wings on wing night to eat my feelings, but it doesn't matter. Park in the open lot and walk to the garage's top floor when it's fireworks time.

2. M Resort Hotel & Casino, Henders

I'm going to be honest: I'm not a regular here. However, this one caught my eye because, like Red Rock, the M Resort offers free parking. 

There are three parking lots compared to Red Rock's two garages. At the M Resort, you'll find the West Lot, the South Lot, and an Overflow Parking lot. Now, on the one hand, the M is so far down the I-15 South that by the time you get there, you feel like if you kept going for just five minutes, you'd be pulling into Downtown Los Angeles [yes, it's that far]. 



On the other hand, the distance actually works out in the M's favor because it gives you a glorious vantage point of the Strip. The view, by itself, without any fireworks show, is stunning. A clear night lets you gaze at Las Vegas Blvd South, and seeing the line of glowing hotels from that distance can be breathtaking.

Watching the fireworks will be even more satisfying.

1. The 215 and Summerlin Parkway

The span and breadth of the view you get from this intersection will have you dumb-struck. When it's dark out, you can literally see almost every light blazing in Las Vegas.

Like Red Rock, this location is much higher than the rest of the city below. You get the best view you could ask for on New Year's Eve, and it's free! You can't buy anything even if you want to. 

Also, and this stems from my memory of when I was up there watching a 4th of July fireworks display, the vibe and atmosphere once parked and settled in is reminiscent of going tailgating. Anybody driving a truck or SUV can open the back, lay down a nice blanket, bust out some snacks, and watch the show. It'll be time to pop the cork on that bubbly and say goodbye to 2023 at midnight.

It's a good time to make a resolution, too. Personally, I still have a repeat resolution every year where I try to commit to not being an a**hole. Unfortunately, it's still on the resolution list this year, carried over from 2022. Whoops.

So there you have it, folks. Those three locations will absolutely do you right, I promise. You'll be able to catch a top-notch view of the Strip and the midnight fireworks show to bring in the new year. So get that bottle of bubbly, grab your person, head up to one of the three spots, and have a rockin', kickass, but most of all, safe New Year's Eve in Las Vegas.

Have fun kids…

Mikey ;-)