Nevada is a state that very much misses its natural treasures. Of course, the bright lights and jackpots of the fever in Las Vegas are still the main outlets of the state, but an experienced traveler knows that there is much more than leakage of artificial diversity. After your latest keno game, do yourself a favor and take part in some unique adventures in this desert region of the American southwest. Stay at Nevada campgrounds and Nevada RV campgrounds and you will be pleasantly surprised by all of this state.
Right outside Las Vegas is the Red Rock Canyon National Park. Thanks to its colorful geological formations and the eclectic desert wildlife, the Red Rock & hiking trails offer daytime adventures surrounded by the natural and dramatic beauty of southern Nevada. A one-sided stage drive takes you deep into the canyon, where you will find the wonderful hills of Kaliko, topped with a peak of a tortoise head of 3232 feet. Time and weather have turned the Red Rock Canyon into something a miracle, where the history of the world is revealed on the faces of these peaks, each of which shows different eras in geological education.
In what may be considered barren, a little closer to the east of the Las Vegas strip, there is plenty of water and a virtual open play area. Lake Mead's National Recreation Area welcomes water sports of all convictions, and the surrounding areas act as a safe haven for many desert wilderness. This artificial lake (well, not quite a natural miracle, but close enough) is a by-product of the 726-foot modern wonder, the Hoover Dam, which does its part by blocking the Colorado River to create this water playground. For poultry farmers, there is the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge (located only in the north) and about 200 species of birds that live there. In this park of 5,830 acres there are a couple of lakes, as well as many swamps and beaches that combine to form a virtual oasis in the arid landscape of southern Nevada. In Pehranagat, you can meet birdies on the way to the hips, meadows, sandpits and quails (to name just a few).
The scenic Great Basin National Park is also nearby. Surrounded by mountains, the park offers the famous topography in Nevada, where several miles pass through it, majestic valleys, deep canyons, breathtaking peaks and rock formations that the postcards cannot justify. At the northern end of the canyon, there are both Shell Creek and Serpentine ranges, as well as the two highest peaks of the region - Mount Moria (12,050 feet) and Wheeler Peak (13,063 feet). The Scenic Drive Wheeler Peak, a 12-mile tour, crosses 3,400 feet and several layers of living things. From the cave floor and desert area peak shows pine and snow-covered land (of course, in winter). Despite the fact that the disc comes to the peak itself, this does not mean that there are no adventures yet. Miles of footpaths are “close and personal” to the diverse and dramatic landscapes of the area, as well as to some of its locals. In the Large pool also live home Lehman caves. In a quarter-mile cave you will find many cave formations where stalaggites, stalagmites, draperies and floods mark the way. At the southern tip of the park is the Lexington Arch, an anomaly among the southwestern arches due to its limestone composition, and not the more easily fashioned sandstone that is common among the desert arches in the southwest.
While California is home to most of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Nevada requires a small piece, as well as a small portion of Lake Tahoe; 29 of the lakes 72 miles of coastline are within the boundaries of the state of Nevada. Perhaps the finest of all the freshwater lakes in North America (just ask all these newlyweds), its landscapes, the surrounding terrain and pristine shore make Lake Tahoe an immemorial summer adventure. In addition to the lake itself, there are four smaller reservoirs, not to mention the neighboring mountain peaks and their heights more than 8,000 feet. The diverse landscape is also home to a wide range of wildlife, while birds, enjoying the many woodpeckers and mountain birds that pursue the surrounding wooded areas and waterfowl, flock to the shore of the lake.
The diversity and charm of the area is not lost on the legions of travelers who also come here. For the more hidden enthusiast there are elusive creatures that lie around Lake Tahoe. Mule deer, black bear, mountain lions and legumes are often found in this part of the Sierra. For more adventures, do not miss the Tahoe Rim Trail, 150 miles of hiking routes that completely circle Lake Tahoe. Enjoy rafting and fishing on the nearby Truckee and Carson rivers or on the beautiful Pyramid Lake (located north of Reno). The lake is surrounded by the reserve of the Pyramid Lake and its Parisian Indian overseers.
In the nearby city of Carson, take the time to explore The Flume Trail, located outside the US 28. Mountain bike lovers will enjoy walks along the ridge and dramatic perspectives of the Lake Tahoe area. The trail begins on Lake Spooner, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the area.
Few places on earth have generated so much inspiration as the American West.
And don't miss the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a freshwater marsh full of birds, fish and mammals. In the area of the Jarbridge Range and the wilderness, there are eight peaks over 10,000 feet high and over 125 miles of walking trails. You can even plan a week trip for the dude to the Jarbridge areas.
In the central mountainous region of the state are located four side by side mountain ranges - monitors, Tokim, Shoshon and Toyab. Long valleys separate mountain groups. The Toiyabe Range plays up to Doug Doum Wildlife, a 115,000-acre wilderness shelter for places like coyotes, various predators, bighorn sheep and the elusive mountain lion. Within the Tokyo Range, adventurers cannot miss Jefferson Mountain and its nearly 12,000-foot peak. On clear days, tourists are rewarded by observing both the White Mountains on the border with California and Nevada, and the mountain ranges in southern Utah. The rugged Monitor Mountains show 98,000 acres of Desert Mesa. Inhabited by winding streams and lush meadows, forests are also home to moose and mule deer.
After exploring these mountain views, try traveling on US 50. Known as the Territory of the Pony Express, this region is unusually long, straight, stretching among a wide open desert. Adjacent to Highway 93 is the magnificent Shell Creek Range at an altitude of 7,300 feet.
Along the northern border of Nevada-Oregon is Sheldon's National Wildlife Refuge. Founded in the 1920s after hunter / explorer Charles Sheldon sounded the alarm of a depleting wild plunhorn population, his refugee namesake now serves as an intensive home for more than 2,000 of these species. Of course, settlers, coyotes, bobs, bighorn sheep and many birds also settled here. South of the refugee is Soldier Meadow, who witnessed his share in the history of the pioneers in the form of the historic Applegate-Lassen trail and the western explorer John Charles Fremont, known as the “Pathmarker of the West”, who created here the way to California. Today, this desert landscape is home to countless animals and thin streams, which are home to endangered trout species. In the meadow, fearless explorers in your group should enjoy the Black Rock Desert, a dry lake more like the surface of the Moon than anywhere else on earth.
Of course, if the bright lights of Las Vegas call your name, you can save quite a lot of money by staying at Nevada campgrounds and Nevada RV campgrounds instead of expensive hotels. Some of them are even conveniently located on the Las Vegas strip itself, but call in advance for booking!
