01 Lovell Canyon Overview | La Madre Mountains Wilderness | Spring Mountains, Nevada

Lovell Canyon is a beautiful, little known canyon beginning at the Southern base of the saddle between Griffith Peak and Harris Mountain and extending all the way to Hwy 160 near Potosi Mountain. Lower Lovell Canyon skirts the entire length of the Rainbow Mountains Wilderness and provides a unique access to that wilderness. Upper Lovell Canyon is bordered by Sexton Ridge and Wilson Ridge. Lovell Canyon is within the La Madre Mountains Wilderness area. There are improved car camping areas throughout Lovell Canyon and it is a popular recreation destination for those who know of its existence. Lovell Canyon Road spans the 13-mile length of lower Lovell Canyon, ending at the Lovell Canyon trailhead and camping area. This area provides access to numerous hiking opportunities in Lovell Canyon along with wilderness excursions up Sexton Ridge to Griffith Peak and up Wilson Ridge to Harris Mountain. These two ridges border upper Lovell Canyon. Best time of year for adventures here: Late Fall to early Spring below 5,000ft; Early Summer to Mid-Fall above 5000ft. Temperatures at the higher elevations are usually in the mid-70s even when Las Vegas Valley is up to 115 degrees! Winter temperatures in the lower elevations will average in the 40’s to 60’s. Expect to navigate Winter snow above 8,000ft. Follow the thumbnail images to view individual adventures in Lovell Canyon, Nevada. Click image or title above for more…

01 Valley of Fire State Park Overview, Nevada

Valley of Fire is Nevada’s first State Park, formally opened in 1934. It is a place of majestic and beautiful Aztec red, white and calico frozen dunes from the Jurassic Era; amazing rock formations that seem to defy reasoning; ancient native American petroglyphs, petrified logs and bighorn sheep. If you had just 7 days to visit Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, what are the most important points of interest you do not want to miss? In this 7-day tour I visited and documented over 30 points of interest. In addition, I created a 7-day strategy for getting the most out of your week at Valley of Fire State Park. Finally, I explored, documented and discussed in more detail two outstanding features of the park: The weird rock formations and ancient petroglyphs. Best time of year for adventures here: Mid-Fall to Mid-Spring. When temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley rise above 75-80 degrees these destinations can become uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, during the Winter months expect comfortable mid-day temperatures around 60 degrees. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…

01 Gass Peak Overview | Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

To stand on Gass Peak, towering 6,000ft above the Las Vegas Strip, is to see a view of Las Vegas not even surpassed by the view you’d experience in an airplane! Here you will see numerous attempts to summit Gass Peak from the North end of Rainbow Avenue in Las Vegas. The attempts eventually succeed, followed by a total circuit of the massive Gass Peak and a grand crossing beginning at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge visitor center off Hwy 95 and Corn Creek Road and ending on the North end of Rainbow Avenue in Las Vegas. Best time of year for adventures here: Mid-Fall to Mid-Spring. When temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley rise above 75-80 degrees these destinations can become uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, during the Winter months expect comfortable mid-day temperatures around 60 degrees. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…

01 Muddy Mountains Wilderness Overview

The Muddy Mountains Wilderness in Nevada is largely untouched and unknown. Yet, it is massive, one-third the size of the state of Rhode Island. And it is just outside Las Vegas being roughly between Valley of Fire State Park and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The area is rather barren and brown…thus the name Muddy Mountains. However there is an incredible slot canyon, Anniversary Narrows, and the hills are rich in minerals. The Muddy Mountains Wilderness is only accessible by 4WD vehicle, mountain bike or on foot. There are slot canyons and spectacular overlooks. Best time of year for adventures here: Mid-Fall to Mid-Spring. When temperatures in the Las Vegas Valley rise above 75-80 degrees these destinations can become uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, during the Winter months expect comfortable mid-day temperatures around 60 degrees. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…

01 La Madre Mountains Wilderness, Nevada | Overview

The La Madre Mountains Wilderness in Nevada is unknown to most visitors and even many locals. Yet it is 4 times the size of Red Rock Park, bordering the North end of the park. The cliffs you see on the North end of Red Rock Park are a geological feature called the Keystone Thrust on the Southern border of the La Madre Mountains Wilderness. The La Madre Mountains Wilderness stretches from its Western point bordering the Mt. Charleston Wilderness at Lovell Canyon to its Eastern point bordering Las Vegas. The highest point is La Madre Mountain at about 8,154ft elevation. Best time of year for adventures in the higher elevations here: Fall and Spring. You may need to navigate snow during Winter months. When Las Vegas Valley temperatures rise above 95 degrees, the higher elevations can become uncomfortably hot and even dangerous. Follow thumbnail images on this page to view individual adventures in the La Madre Mountains Wilderness. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…