Las Vegas Visitors Authority
http://www.lvcva.com/meetings/when-in-vegas/index.jsp
National Parks
We have several National Parks in the area that you will want to explore and discover for yourself. Year-round these parks are a marvel of nature and provide some breathtaking vistas; perfect for photo ops!
Death Valley National Park
Grand Canyon Nat’l Park
Great Basin Nat’l Park
Hoover Dam
Lake Mead Nat’l Recreation Area
Mt. Charleston
Red Rock Nat’l Conservation Area
For the latest information on driving conditions, lodging, sightseeing areas, and pricing go to the National Park Service website at http://www.nps.gov/parks.html
Lake Mead
Measuring 110-miles long, with a surface area of 274 square miles, the lake has more than 500 miles of shore for the thousands who boat, swim, water ski, hike, and fish it every day. You can access this national park off Interstate 15 in Nevada; U.S. Highways 93 and 95 in Nevada and Arizona. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is located about 30 miles south of Las Vegas via U.S. Highway 93.
The lake and surrounding area boasts five developed beaches and marinas with campgrounds and other services, including Overton Beach, Echo Bay, Callville Bay, Las Vegas Bay, Temple -Bar and Boulder Beach. Boating of all kinds and personal watercraft use are popular within Lake Mead NRA. Water skiing is a favorite activity on the broad expanses of open water, along with kayaking and canoeing. Of course, swimming is a major form of water recreation during summer months when lake temperatures warm into the 80-degree range. No lifeguards are present. Fishing enthusiasts can find some excellent sport fishing at Lake Mead, including varieties like largemouth bass, rainbow trout, striped bass, channel catfish, black crappie and bluegill. Only a few designated trails exist in the park, allowing those with experience to go out and explore on their own with the help of detailed maps and instructions to the most popular areas. The designated trails range from 0.5 to 1.25 miles. Short desert hikes lead to places you will never see from a boat or car. One such place is the area of colorful sandstone formations near Red Stone Picnic Area along Northshore Road. Another is a canyon where Indian petroglyphs were carved in a rock wall hundreds of years ago. There are eight camping sites at Lake Mead – Boulder Beach, Hemenway, Las Vegas Bay, Katherine, Echo Bay, Callville Bay, Temple Bar and Cottonwood Cove. There are also six RV campgrounds with hookups. Paddlers can take two river trips, one runs from Hoover Dam south through Black Canyon on Lake Mohave; the other begins in upper Lake Mead and explores the western gorges of the Grand Canyon.
Tours and Rentals
Lake Mead Cruises
http://www.lakemeadcruises.com/
Operates houseboat and power boat concessions at Lake Mead Marina, Echo Bay, Temple Bar, Arizona, and Katherine Landing on Lake Mohave, near Laughlin. Daily houseboat rental rates range from $300-$400 depending on season and size of boat. Weekly rates, $1,095 – $1,975. Houseboats sleep 6-10 people. Bass, patio, small fishing and ski boats. Ski and fishing tackle rentals.
Operates houseboat and power boat concessions at Callville Bay on Lake Mead and Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave. Min. rental time f or houseboats is three days, for power boats, two hours. Houseboats rentals $995-$3,595 for three or four nights; $1,200- $4,500 for seven nights, depending on season. Powerboats, 16 and 20 foot, rent for $400-$1,100 per week, $60-$350 per day and $60.00 per hour, all year.
Hoover Dam is 727 feet high, 1,244 feet long, 660 feet thick at the base, and 45 feet thick at the crest. It weighs 5,500,000 tons and contains 3,250,000 cubic yards of concrete. Hoover Dam is located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas on State Highway 93. A 400 passenger parking garage is adjacent to the Visitor Center. Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a m. to 5 p.m.
¨ Fees
¨ Parking $5.00 Adults 17 to 61 $10.00 Adults over 62 $8.00
¨ Military $8.00 Kids 7 to 16 $4.00
¨ Kids under 6 Free
Your admission fee entitles you to the use of all facilities and services, which include: 35 minute guided I tour, 25 minute historic film, exhibit hall and scenic overlook (If you wish not to take the tour, an exhibit ticket only is available for $4) For Tour Reservations call 702-293-8367.
The tour through the dam and power plant is ½ mile and lasts for approximately 35 minutes. The tour is fully accessible and wheelchairs are available. You start the tour by descending 520 feet into the canyon wall and then walk through a tunnel into the power plant. The tour is not recommended for those who suffer from claustrophobia or for those who use pacemakers or defibulators.
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located 20 miles west of Las Vegas. Within the boundaries of the 197,000-acre area is a 13-mile scenic drive, many miles of hiking trails, picnic areas and a visitor’s center with an exhibit room and bookstore.
Red Rock’s most significant geological feature is the Keystone Thrust Fault. About 65 million years ago, two of the Earth’s crustal plates collided with such force that part of one plate of grey limestone was thrust up and over the younger red sandstone. The fault extends from the Cottonwood Fault north to the vicinity of La Madre Mountain. The 13-mile Scenic Drive is a one-way road that also allows bicycle traffic. Sightseeing and hiking trails can be accessed from the parking areas on the side of the road. The Scenic Drive is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The entry fee is $5 per carload, and you can purchase a $20 pass that is valid for 12 months. Entrance is free for those who walk or ride their bicycles through the gate. Golden Age, Golden Access and Golden Eagle Passes are all valid at Red Rock. Bicycles are permitted only on designated roads and trails. The BLM advises cyclers to wear helmets, bright clothing, carry water, obey traffic laws and pay attention to drivers who may be distracted.
Mount Charleston, officially named Charleston Peak, at 11,916 feet (3,632 m), is the highest of the Spring Mountains of southern Nevada and the state’s eighth highest mountain peak. It is about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Las Vegas and is within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Mount Charleston Wilderness and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. Well separated from higher peaks by large, low basins, it is the most topographically prominent peak in the state, and the eighth most prominent peak in the contiguous United States.
Mount Charleston is a year-round getaway for Las Vegas’ residents and visitors, with a number of hiking trails and a modest ski area. The mountain, which is snowcapped more than half the year, can be seen from parts of the Las Vegas Strip when looking toward the west. Mount Charleston has nearly 200 camp sites and over 150 picnic areas, some of which are RV accessible. On a clear day Mount Charleston can be seen from Mount San Jacinto near Palm Springs, California, a distance of approximately 180 miles (290 km).
The eponymous village of Mount Charleston lies at its base to the east.
It is a privately owned enterprise featuring a reproduction of an 1880 western mining town with gunfights, hangings, melodramas, silent movies, saloons, restaurants and displays.
Spring Mountain Ranch, a 520-acre area located at the base of Wilson Cliffs, offers historic tours, picnic sites and summer plays. The main house and historic grounds are open on select days. The picnic sites are open from 8 a.m. to dusk.
Wildlife
Numerous varieties of wildlife inhabit Red Rock Canyon. BLM officials ask visitors not to feed any of the wild animals and warn that all animals can be dangerous, especially the burros. Feeding burros encourages them to congregate on roadways where many have been killed or injured by vehicles.
City of Las Vegas – Recreational Centers
¨ Cimarron Rose Community Center
¨ Centennial Hills Community Center
¨ Durango Hills Community Center
¨ Lorenzi Adaptive Recreation Center
¨ Rafael Rivera Community Center
¨ Veterans Memorial Leisure Services Center
Henderson– Recreational Centers
¨ Black Mountain Recreation Center
¨ Henderson Multigenerational Center
¨ Heritage Park Senior Facility
¨ Silver Springs Recreation Center
¨ Valley View Recreation Center
¨ Whitney Ranch Recreation Center
Summerlin – Parks and Recreational Centers
The Trails Park
A 28-acre linear park in The Trails Village. The Trails Park includes three lighted baseball fields, a community center and swimming pool, children’s play area, a meadow area and numerous picnic ramadas.
The Arbors Sports Park
A 60-acre joint-use facility designed and constructed by the City of Las Vegas, Clark County School District and The Howard Hughes Corporation. The park incorporates the 42-acre campus of Palo Verde High School and an 18-acre sports complex. The complex features which includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, locker facilities, children’s play area, picnic area, soccer field and two additional softball fields. The sports complex complements the facilities and amenities available at the high school, which include a football field, soccer field, baseball field, eight tennis courts and outdoor basketball courts. Plus a 40,000-square-foot community center that will house a full-size gymnasium, shower and locker facilities and meeting and programming rooms.
The Gardens Park and Recreational Center
The center is located on 20.6 acres in The Gardens. It is a large oval shaped park with a variety of distinctive uses including an active recreational area with basketball and tennis courts and Summerlin’s first roller hockey rink and rollerblade area; a community center with gardens, bocce, horseshoe and shuffleboard courts; and a large open festival lawn area.
North Las Vegas – Recreation Center
638 N. Bruce Street
North Las Vegas, NV 89030
The Recreation Center serves the entire City of North Las Vegas offering a myriad of programs for tots, teens, adults, and seniors. The Center is open six days a week. In addition, the center offers outdoor swimming programs throughout the summer months at the City’s three municipal pools. Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information on special activities please call.
