Both locals and tourists alike tend to think that, because Las Vegas is a desert, there aren’t nature spots like lakes, rivers, greenspaces, and beautiful desert spaces. Luckily, you don’t have to go far to find great spots to explore on the weekends. Here are several Las Vegas neighborhoods that enjoy close proximity to some of the best natural resources in the city.

Summerlin

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area just outside of Summerlin

Fifteen miles west of Las Vegas, you’ll find Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is just minutes outside the master-planned community of Summerlin. Known for its Aztec Sandstone, Red Rock is a beloved local hiking spot where you’ll see donkeys, bighorn sheep, and wild horses. Whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced hiker, Red Rock has a range of trails and hikes to suit all levels of experience. Residents can camp in Red Rock or simply stop by the visitor center. With a wide viewing window of the beginning of the 13-mile loop around the park, the visitor center is also a great place to find information and see Mojave Max, the desert tortoise known to nearly all Clark County students.

Whitney

Clark County Wetlands Park in Whitney

In Whitney, a subset of Henderson, you’ll find the Clark County Wetlands Park that directly borders several neighborhoods in the area. Although it was only dedicated as a park in 1991, the 210-acre space is known for its trails and the nature preserve that’s the natural home of dozens of desert species. The area features ponds, ADA-accessible trails, and even the Wetlands Loop Trail made for hikers, joggers, and cyclists alike. The Nature Center is the 10,000-square-foot center that includes displays and activities demonstrating the history of the Wetlands park.

North Las Vegas

Floyd Lamb State Park photo courtesy of Ken Lund

On the north end of the Valley is the The Villages at Tule Springs, a 1,280-acre, master-planned community where developers just broke ground last year. Part of North Las Vegas, this area was left undeveloped not simply because of the Recession but also because it borders Tule Springs Fossil Beds, a national monument known for the prehistoric fossils unearthed at the site by geologists in the 1960s. The area has fossils of mammoths, bison, camels, and sloths from the Pleistocene period as well as other fossils and materials dating back 3,000 to 200,000 years. Although the monument itself is preserved, locals are welcome to visit parts of it. 

Nearby, locals will also find Floyd Lamb State Park, a 2,040-acre park in North Las Vegas known for its spacious lawns and pond bordered by cottonwood trees. It only costs $6 per vehicle or $1 a person to spend the day.

Another great park for North Las Vegas locals to enjoy the outdoors is Craig Ranch Regional Park, a 170-acre park that has four plazas, three dog parks, two baseball fields, and a 65,000-square-foot skate park among other features like community gardens, reservable ramadas, and basketball courts. The park also hosts regular events and concerts in its outdoor amphitheater, which borders a small pond central to the sports fields and meadows.