Things to Do in Nevada
Unfortunately, when some people hear of Nevada the first thing that comes to their mind is either The Strip or Area 51. Nevada has so many things to do and see, the options are almost endless!
We have state and National Parks, 36 lakes in Nevada, numerous rivers, 314 mountain ranges, over 300 hot springs, caves, wilderness areas, mountain biking trails, fishing, swimming holes, amazing off-roading, camping, kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, backcountry, stargazing, desert wildlife, ghost towns, snow sports, and some really cool indoor offerings too (if you are into indoor things to do)!
WHEW! See…, you will never run out of really fun things to do while exploring our amazing state.
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 my top places to explore.
Our terrain varies from open desert areas showcasing red sand and Aztec sandstone with hot summers to lush forested areas that have snow almost year-round!
In addition to our amazing outdoor activities, Nevada offers a lot of family-oriented and dog-oriented activities.
As I said, we do have a lot of amazing things to see and do in our state, and below are multiple lists to help you plan your next adventure!
Grab a seat, because the list of things to do in Nevada is long!
We group things to do and see by county, city, and zip code. Use the links below to find things to do by these filters (and please keep in mind, there is a lot to do and we are working hard to get everything posted).
We are very fortunate to have so many state parks and most are close to us or a short trip away.

National Parks in Nevada
Nevada has some amazing nationally recognized areas to explore and below are the National Landmarks, Monuments, Parks, Refuges, and more.
- Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Ash Meadows National Life Refuge
- Basin and Range National Monument
- Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area
- California National Historic Trail
- Death Valley National Park
- Desert National Wildlife Refuge
- Fallon National Wildlife Refuge
- Gold Butte National Monument
- Great Basin National Park
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Lunar Crater National Landmark
- Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
- Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
- Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge
- Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area
- Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
- Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge
- Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Nevada State Parks
Below are the Nevada State Parks and Recreation Areas listed together by county.
- Beaver Dam State Park (Lincoln County)
- Berlin–Ichthyosaur State Park (Nye County)
- Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area (Clark County)
- Buckland Station (Lyon County)
- Cathedral Gorge State Park (Lincoln County)
- Cave Lake State Park (White Pine County)
- Cave Rock (Douglas County)
- Dayton State Park (Lyon County)
- Echo Canyon State Park (Lincoln County)
- Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site (Lincoln County)
- Fort Churchill State Historic Park (Lyon County)
- Ice Age Fossils (Clark County)
- Kershaw–Ryan State Park (Lincoln County)
- Lahontan State Recreation Area (Lyon County)
- Mormon Station State Historic Park (Douglas County)
- Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park (Clark County)
- Rye Patch State Recreation Area (Pershing County)
- Sand Harbor (Washoe County)
- South Fork State Recreation Area (Elko County)
- Spooner Lake & Backcountry (Washoe County)
- Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (Clark County)
- Spring Valley State Park (Lincoln County)
- Valley of Fire State Park (Clark County)
- Van Sickle Bi-State Park (Douglas County)
- Walker River State Recreation Area (Lyon County)
- Walker River State Recreation Area (Mineral County)
- Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park (White Pine County)
- Washoe Lake State Park (Washoe County)
- Wild Horse State Recreation Area (Elko County)
Cities in Nevada
Our Silver State consists of 16 counties (1 independent city, Carson City), 19 cities, towns, and villages (There are 18 cities and 1 place with no legal descriptor, Carson City), and 137 special districts.
There are way too many to list here on this page so we have them listed on their own page.
Click here to view the Cities in Nevada.
Nevada Ghost Towns
Nevada is home to lots of ghost towns… over 600! Since there are so many, we compiled them by county.
Click here to view the complete list of Ghost Towns in Nevada.
Nevada Landforms
When most folks think of Nevada, they think of the barren desert with very little water or wildlife. Surprisingly, Nevada is home to a lot of gorgeous mountains, lakes, rivers, and so much more!!!
- Deserts in Nevada
- Nevada Beaches
- Nevada Hot Springs
- Nevada Swimming Holes
- Lakes in Nevada
- Mountains in Nevada
- Rivers in Nevada