[soccerscotty21]

Now that it is starting to cool down, I was hoping to draw from the wealth of knowledge that you all have to offer. What I want for this thread is for it to be the ultimate outdoors guide to the Las Vegas area. I want info, links, pictures, stories, experiences, and anything you can offer about the best places within 3 or 4 hours of the valley for outdoor activities. Some of these activities include (but not limited to):

Hiking, camping, ski/snowboard, hunting, fishing, gem/rock hounding - including fossils, Prospecting, picnicking, swimming, boating, Ghost towns, old dumps, Mines, caves, national parks, rock climbing, wildlife viewing, native American artifact sites, petroglyphs, scenic viewing, historical sites, and anything else outdoors related.

What I am looking for is info on where the place is located, how far from LV, what is there, and why it is worth visiting. Feel free to share photos, stories, maps, links, or anything else that will help people when they go explore the area.

Since I am not from here, I can't contribute much, but I will try my best with the places I have been to in southern Utah.

Thanks!

[soccerscotty21]

Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah

Distance: ~3 hours, 163 miles
Entrance fee: $25/7 days
Lodging: camping, RV, hotel/motel, b&b

Activities: hiking, rock climbing, sight seeing, camping, limited swimming, native American history

What specific things to see/do: hike angels landing, hike the narrows, see a movie on the giant IMAX, see the elk farm in town, see the weeping rock, visit the visitors center, camp in the park, go rock climbing (if you are an advanced climber), do some small 15 minute-1 hour hikes (Zion offers dozens). There are several free days every year, so take advantage. Another tip is to go in the winter, as the park is nearly deserted and is often blanketed in snow. *I took my wife (then girlfriend) here on valentines weekend and proposed right on one of the main trails in the beautiful snow. Nobody came past the entire time. I 100% recommend Zion.

For more info see: Zion National Park - Zion National Park


Photos:

[unf0rgiven6262]

I Love Zion. I never made it to that river bed area in the picture there. Maybe next time. Here's a lesser known spot. Go to the Hacienda casino right before you get on the bridges headed towards the dam and there's a trail that leads down into tunnels with a fantastic view. And with bats!

[soccerscotty21]

This is exactly the kind of stuff I am looking for. Thanks Unf0rgiven! I will have to check it out. I will keep this going with a place that I haven't actually been to, but I have read about, and will be going to within the next week or two:

Frenchman Mountain Trilobites

Where: east on Lake Mead to a dirt road just beyond the turnout for "the great unconformity". Apparently there is an old trash dump there, you take that road about 1/4-1/3 of the way up (if the road isn't open then park at the dump and walk up). You will come to a quarry of sorts on the east side of the road. Ancient Trilobite fossils can be found here (although they are becoming more and more rare)
What to do there: Fossil hunting
Cost: Free

I haven't been here yet, so I can't validate that the info I have been given is entirely correct or up to date. For all I know there could be houses on top of this area now, but I doubt it. I will head up there when I get a chance and report on my findings, but I wanted to put it on here as another possible adventure.

In case you don't know what a trilobite is, here is a picture (not from this site, but similar to what you might find):


As far as I know this is BLM land and is OK for collecting (as opposed to Red Rock and many other areas around here that are off limits to fossil, gem, and artifact collecting).

[MSchu]

nice stuff...

[trisha0608]

My first subscribed thread! Will keep following this one. Thanks for posting!

[Bps401]

Gold strike canyon. I believe exit 3 before going into arizona. Awesome place to go bouldering. Canyon goes all the way to colorado. But midway through there are hot springs. Cost free!

[kimjo5150]

This is a great thread. Hope more will share their favorites. I am new to Vegas and still learning my way around my neighborhood but want to do more exploring soon. Thanks everyone.

[soccerscotty21]

As an update to my posting earlier about the trilobites at the frenchman mountain place, I went out there about a week ago and I didn't find anything. I took my wife and baby, so I only had about 45 minutes of patience from them before it was time to go. I may not have looked in the right spot. You can't drive up the road to the old dump and park at the tires anymore, you have to park at the turnout or if you can figure it out, there is another way up the south side where some newer water tanks have been put in, you have to come up through the neighborhoods and I don't know exactly what street would take you up there, but it would be about 3/4 mile closer than parking at the turnout and walking up. The place I looked is just above the tires, and I think I probably needed to go even further south along the old road. Anyways, if anyone has been out there recently and finds something or wants to go check it out, I would like to hear how you did.

[rmalik]

Originally Posted by kimjo5150

This is a great thread. Hope more will share their favorites. I am new to Vegas and still learning my way around my neighborhood but want to do more exploring soon. Thanks everyone.

How has it been adjusting to living in Vegas? I move in about six weeks and I'm very excited.