Photography Locations

Terminals

(1) Morning hours: Use Concourses 1 and 2, where aircraft departing either terminal will pass in front of you taxiing to runway 25L. Windows are tinted, look for doors that have windows without tinting.  The parking garage may provide some photography, although distance could be a problem. 

(2) Afternoon hours: Use Concourse 3, where aircraft taxiing to runway 25 will pass by you and the sun will be on your right. Windows are tinted.

(3) Summertime: The D-gates observation window has an excellent overview of the 25L/R complex. Windows are not tinted. Lighting can be an issue here, and zoom is needed to capture photographs of the runways.

Perimeter locations

Runway 25 in use

(1) Sunset Road: From the airport entrance, head east on Tropicana Blvd for two miles. Watch out for and turn right at Eastern Ave (a traffic signal) and head south. You will pass under the 25 approach, then turn right on Sunset Road and head west. A few blocks down Sunset is a parking lot on the right. This overlooks runway 25L, the primary arrivals runway. A 10' high perimeter fence is present.

(2) Air Cargo (summer months only): From the airport entrance, head east on Tropicana Blvd for a few blocks. Watch out for and turn right at Maryland Pkwy (a traffic signal), head south. At Russell Road (a traffic signal), turn left and head east. Air Cargo will be on your right, turn right at the entrance road for the truck delivery area. At the southern end of the truck parking area is a good spot overlooking the active taxiway for runway 25.

Runway 7 in use

(1) Sunset Road - West End: Follow directions to the Sunset Road spot described above (1), but continue heading west on Sunset Road for the length of the runway. Near the west end, watch out for a railroad track crossing Sunset. Slow down, and turn right into the dirt area at this railroad track crossing. This spot overlooks runway 7L and 7R. A 10' high perimeter fence is present.

Crosswind Runway

Not too many spots present for this runway. You may want to try parking near the charter terminal and walking around the side, or possibly at Signature Aviation's ramp in the southwest corner of the airfield. Another option (in AM hours) are some of the parking lots immediately east of Las Vegas Blvd, such as All Sport Arena.

Spotting Location Checklist

(1) Roof of the multi-story carpark: good for most active airliners on the field
(2) Las Vegas Executive Terminal: located in the northwest corner of the field, at the corner of Tropicana Blvd. and Koval Lane
(3) Signature Aviation Ramp: located south of the storage yards, accessed off of Las Vegas Blvd
(4) Air Cargo: located east of the terminals at Russell Road and Maryland Pkwy.

Frequencies

Tower 119.90

Accommodations

(1) Motel 6: Located on Tropicana Blvd. just west of the airport entrance. Rear-facing rooms overlook the Executive Terminal ramp.
(2) Tropicana Hotel: Located at the corner of Tropicana Blvd. and Las Vegas Blvd., right on the Strip. High-level southeast-facing rooms will have a complete overview of the entire airport.  Moderately priced.

(3) Mandalay Bay Hotel: Located west of the airport along Las Vegas Blvd.  Very high level tower with rooms facing the airport.  Like the Tropicana above, rooms high up will have a view of the entire airport.  Pricey, but has the best view.

(4) Luxor. Rooms on the east side of the pyramid face the airport. Spotting is possible, but photography is not. Slightly less pricey than the Mandalay Bay, and is a sister property.

Other

(1) Many restaurants can be found along Tropicana Blvd, both east and west of the airport.
(2) Highly recommended is the all-you-can-eat buffets at any major hotel-casino on the Strip. Excalibur and Luxor are reasonable and close to the airport.

After Kingman, carry on to Phoenix or Las Vegas. No other airports in between are worth the extra driving time.