01 Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Overview
The 48,438 acre Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area is over 4 times the size of Red Rock Park and located to the South East of the Las Vegas Strip. Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area is divided into a few major sub-sections. On the Northern end, the 14. 763 acre McCullough Hills area, accessed off of I-11 between Henderson and Boulder City is a network of hiking, running, mountain biking and horse trails. To the South in the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area is the is the North McCullough Wilderness. Here you will find the Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Site with over 300 ancient native American rock art panels. A popular trail of interest winds through Petroglyph Canyon. 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 Sheep Range North of Las Vegas, Nevada | Overview
The Sheep Range is located in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge just North of Las Vegas, Nevada. The refuge was named for its purpose to protect the bighorn sheep population and is the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 States. The motor vehicle entrance to the Sheep Range is off Nevada Hwy 95 at Corn Creek Road. There is a beautiful interpretive center with a desert interpretive walkway and ample parking for about 30 vehicles. There is a 4WD road system entirely circling the Sheep Range with additional roads branching off to trailheads and camping areas. Just South of the Sheep Range sits Fossil Ridge, an ancient rocky ridgeline with Nautilus fossils aging near 450 million years old dating back to the era when there was just one continent on Earth, Pangea. 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 Las Vegas Metro Area Trails Overview | Nevada
Vegas Metro Area Trails, Nevada, is a category that includes trails both within the Las Vegas Metro Area and on the outskirts of Las Vegas, but not within any of the surrounding wilderness areas. Las Vegas is surrounded by some of the most spectacular wilderness areas in the U.S. However, there are trails in and near Las Vegas where the hiker, trail runner, biker or climber may enjoy a wilderness experience close to home. The trails in this category fit that scenario. There are places here that can transport you instantly into a wilderness setting. 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 the thumbnail images on this page to detailed adventure descriptions complete with videos and images. Click image or title above for more…
01 Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada, Overview
Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada and Arizona offers multiple recreational opportunities from climbing desert mountains and hills, canyons, ridges and plateaus with spectacular views to hiking, biking, boating, kayaking and swimming to picnicking and camping and much more. Don’t miss the great interpretive center at the Southshore Road Park entrance. We’re systematically exploring both popular and largely unknown adventure destinations and adding these to LasVegasAreaTrails.com. 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 60-70 degrees. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…
01 Potosi Mountain Overview | Spring Mountains, Nevada
Potosi Mountain, Nevada is a huge 8,517ft mountain at the Southern tip of the Spring Mountains featuring many challenging hikes and climbs at every difficulty level. Spectacular views are everywhere! There are many ways to get to the summit. The main Southern approach is a very steep maintenance road. Northern approaches involve locating openings in the surrounding cliffs. The openings are there, but it helps to know where! 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 the thumbnail images on this page to plan your next adventure on Potosi Mountain. Click image or title above for more…
01 Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada Overview
The Rainbow Mountain Wilderness is composed of majestic colorful Aztec Red Rock Jurassic Era Peaks. It stretches from the Keystone Thrust above Red Rock Park to the beginning of Potosi Mountain in the Southern portion of the Spring Mountains of Nevada. The most customary way of experiencing these peaks is to approach them from their base from Red Rock Park to Potosi Mountain. Once you’ve navigated through the thick brush at the base of the peaks, you are faced with vertical and near vertical cliffs in order to reach the summit. For this reason, the Rainbow Mountains are a popular destination for rock climbers of all levels. My non-traditional approach involves discovery “from the top down”. The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline sits above the Rainbow Mountains and parallels its entire wilderness stretch. Most of the peaks can be reached from this ridgeline above with a class 2 and 3 climbing difficulty level. Best time of year for adventures in the higher elevations here: Fall through Spring. When Las Vegas Valley temperatures rise above 85 degrees, the higher elevations can become uncomfortably hot and even dangerous. The higher elevations can drop below 30 degrees during the Winter months. 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…
01 Calico and Brownstone Basins Nevada Overview
Calico and Brownstone Basins sit just East of Red Rock Park in Nevada. There are numerous Jurassic Era Aztec colorful red and white rock hills in and around the basin which makes it a great place to explore, hike, run and climb. Red Springs Desert Oasis in the lower basic is a nice picnic area with a mile-long interpretive board walk. Further up past a small residential community there is a trailhead parking area for hikers and runners exploring the hills and canyon washes of the basin, which are fairly wild and untouched. Best time of year for adventures here: Mid-Fall to early Spring below 5,000ft; Fall to Spring above 5000ft. Temperatures at the higher elevations are usually in the mid-70s during this time even when Las Vegas Valley is up to 95 degrees! Winter temperatures in the lower elevations can be in the mid-60s! Follow adventure thumbnail images on this page to view individual adventures in Calico Basin. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…