Unfortunately, when some people hear of Nevada the first thing that comes to their mind is either The Strip or Area 51.
For me, the places I think of are either my favorite Valley of Fire State Park or Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, as both are in my top places to explore.
Below are the major highlights of what Nevada has to offer and we will be adding links to our articles once they are developed.
Exploring Nevada
National Conservation Areas in Nevada
Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
The conservation area showcases a set of large red rock formations: a set of sandstone peaks and walls called the Keystone Thrust.
The walls are up to 3,000 feet high, making them a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. The highest point is La Madre Mountain, at 8,154 feet.
RELATED ARTICLE >> Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
Sloan Canyon contains a great many petroglyphs and has been called the Sistine Chapel of Native American rock art due to their size and significance. Archaeologists believe the more than 300 rock art panels with 1,700 individual design elements were created by native cultures from the Archaic to historical eras.
National Monuments in Nevada
Gold Butte National Monument
Located in Clark County, Nevada, northeast of Las Vegas and south of Mesquite and Bunkerville.
The monument protects nearly 300,000 acres of desert landscapes featuring a wide array of natural and cultural resources, including rock art, sandstone towers, and important wildlife habitat for species including the Mojave Desert tortoise (a threatened species), bighorn sheep, and mountain lion.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, a United States National Monument near Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, was established in 2014 to protect Ice Age paleontological discoveries. The 22,650-acre monument is administered by the National Park Service.
The national monument is located in the Upper Las Vegas Wash and protects part of the Tule Springs. The wash area also includes several patches of the rare Las Vegas bear poppy.
Fossils found at the site include Columbian mammoths, camelops, and American lions, and range from 7,000 to 250,000 years old.
National Parks in Nevada
Great Basin National Park
Based around Nevada’s second tallest mountain, Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park contains 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines, a rock glacier, and the limestone Lehman Caves.
Due to its remote location, the park has some of the country’s darkest night skies.
Wildlife includes Townsend’s big-eared bat, pronghorn, and Bonneville cutthroat trout.
National Recreation Areas in Nevada
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead is a man-made lake that lies on the Colorado River, about 24 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, southeast of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona.
Formed by the Hoover Dam on September 30, 1935, the reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Hoover Dam Tours.
National Wildlife Refuge
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Located near Pahrump in Nye County, Nevada, established in 1984 Ash Meadows is the only National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Nevada State Parks
Beaver Dam State Park
Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park
Big Bend of the Colorado
Buckland Station
Cathedral Gorge State Park
Cave Lake State Park
Cave Rock State Park
Dayton State Park
Echo Canyon State Park
Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site
Fort Churchill
Kershaw-Ryan State Park
Lahontan State Recreation Area
Mormon Station State Historic Park
Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park
Rye Patch
Sand Harbor
South Fork
Spooner Lake and Backcountry
Spring Mountain Ranch
Spring Valley
Valley of Fire
Located near Overton, Nevada north of Lake Mead, the Valley of Fire State Park is one of my favorite places to explore in Nevada that features multi-colored sandstone, slot canyons, petroglyphs, and bighorn sheep.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Valley of Fire State Park
Van Sickle
Ward Charcoal Ovens
Located 20 minutes from Ely in the Egan Mountain Range in eastern Nevada you will find the scenic Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Ward Charcoal Ovens
Washoe Lake
Wild Horse
Other Nevada Explorations and Points of Interest
El Dorado Canyon and Gold Mine
Fly Geyser
Lamoille Canyon
Las Vegas
While Las Vegas is home of bright lights and 24/7 entertainment, the outdoor entertainment can be found at Red Rock National Conservation Area and surrounding areas. Hiking, biking, canyoneering, rock climbing, and more!!! There are some fun touristy things to do around the town such as various museums, Seven Magic Mountains, and more.
Laughlin
Laughlin is a popular casino town but don’t let that deter you from an area that is great for hiking, fishing, diving, kayaking, and more.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Things to Do in Laughlin.
Little Finland aka Hobgoblin’s Playground and Devil’s Fire
Mt. Charleston
RELATED ARTICLE>> Mt. Charleston Near Las Vegas, NV
Nevada Ghost Towns
RELATED ARTICLE>>> Ghost Towns in Nevada
Nevada Hot Springs
Nevada has over 300 hot springs throughout the state.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Nevada Hot Springs.
Nevada Waterfalls
Rhyolite
An old ghost town, Rhyolite is a neat place to kill some time if you are passing through. We drive through it when going to Death Valley in California and will stop to step back in the past.
RELATED ARTICLE>> Rhyolite, Nevada.
Ruby Mountains
Tahoe
Exploring Nevada
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