The Most Beautiful National Parks In Nevada

Nevada national parks garner over five million visitors each year. The National Park Service manages a number of national parks, historic trails, recreation areas, monuments, and landmarks across the state. The following is a list of the top five national parks Nevada has to offer.

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Great Basin

Great Basin National Park sits in the shadow of Wheeler Peak and is known for its 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine trees. In the winter, Great Basin’s snowy slopes offer opportunities for skiing and snowshoeing. Fall and spring are perfect times to camp and enjoy the natural beauty of the park, while summer is the time for hiking, fishing, and stargazing in the clear desert sky. All-year-round visitors can tour the Lehman Caves, hike any of the numerous trails, or visit the Baker Archeological Site.

Park
Lake Mead National Recreation Area consists of Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. These lakes are open year-round for boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing opportunities. Visitors can canoe or raft through Black Canyon, bird-watch for bald eagles in the Overton Arm, relax on East Lake Mead, or try some water sports on Lake Mohave. As the United States’ first national recreation area, Lake Mead attracts millions of visitors each year, making it one of the most visited parks in the national park system.

Death Valley

A small portion of Death Valley, the hottest place on earth and the driest and lowest place in North America, is located in Nevada. This portion of Death Valley can be accessed by taking route 374 from Beatty, Nevada, ‘The Gateway to Death Valley’. Visit the Beatty ranger station before heading out to learn about road conditions. In Death Valley, you can go hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and mountain biking through the desert wilderness. And, of course, don’t forget to drink plenty of water when there.

Tule Springs Fossil Beds

Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is a new national park located just 20 minutes north of the Las Vegas strip. Since the park is so new, there are no designated trails yet, but the entire park is open to hiking. You can visit the trenches created during the 1962 big dig where scientists found an abundance of mammoth, lion, and camel fossils. The park does not have a welcome center or any other facilities yet, but they suggest parking near the corner of Aliante and Horse and heading north into the park to find the big dig.

Pony Express Historic Trail

The National Park Service manages the Pony Express Historic Trail, a national park without borders, which runs through eight states including Nevada. Through the National Park Service’s driving tour, visitors can follow the relay system of the United States’ expansion westward through the entire state of Nevada. Along the way, visitors can make stops at historic sites, museums, parks, and landmarks as laid out by the Park Service’s driving guide found on the trail’s website. Plan ahead so that you can absorb as much as possible of Nevada’s history from this scenic drive.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.