In 2007 National Geographic's Adventure Magazine voted Las Vegas, Nevada the #1 best place to Live+Play. They added in parentheses: (seriously!). This is because most people think of Las Vegas as a gambling destination. However, in a four-hour perimeter around Las Vegas there are six national parks, including Grand Canyon, Zion and Death Valley; two national recreation areas - Lake Mead, and Spring Mountains; two national conservation areas - Red Rock Canyon, and Sloan Canyon; four national wildlife refuges - Ash Meadows, Desert, Pahranagat, and Moapa Valley; 24 wilderness areas, and 2 wilderness study areas.
There is something to do no matter what season it is. In the winter Mount Charleston (in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area) has snow play areas for sledding and snowman building as well as the occasional snowball fight. There is also a downhill ski resort for skiers and snowboarders with 3 chair lifts and miles of groomed slopes.
Spring is the best time of the year to go hiking and explore the 24 wilderness areas as flowers burst into bloom before the summer heat descends. Each of the four federal agencies has lists of hiking trails and information on what to look for while hiking and how to do it all safely. Spring is also a great time to go climbing or mountain biking at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Summer is the time to head for Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the plethora of water sports available from rafting through Black Canyon on the Colorado River to kayaking and jet-skiing on Lake Mead. It's also a great time to revisit the Spring mountains and hike the Bristlecone trail - a chance to see some of the oldest trees on earth.
Autumn is a special time of the year in Southern Nevada. With students back in school and family vacations over it is a chance for serene exploration of the varied landscapes from desert to riparian wetlands, to a mirror smooth Lake Mead to the majestic summits of the Spring Mountains. If you are a photographer or watercolorist, autumn mornings in the Muddy Mountains wilderness provide some stunning vistas.
During every season you have the opportunity for learning and cultural experiences. At Ash Meadows you can visit the ice blue pools where the endangered Pupfish swim or at Moapa Valley National Wildlife Refuge you can watch the Moapa Dace behind a Plexiglas wall. The Dace thrive in the hot springs and pools that dot the refuge. Each of the refuges and the national recreation areas, as well as Red Rock Canyon have visitor centers to help visitors orient themselves. The educational displays at many of the sites can help make your hike or climb or rafting trip that much more enjoyable.
In the left column are links that detail recreational and learning opportunities in Southern Nevada.
