Nevada's Top 5 State Parks For Outward Bound

Nevada is home to 23 state parks, recreational areas and historic sites that stretch across the state’s alpine forests and deserts. These world-famous parks receive more than 3.3 million visitors each year. Read on to find out about how to explore the great outdoors in Nevada.

1. Valley of Fire

Park

Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. Deriving its name from its red sandstone formations formed during the age of the dinosaurs, Valley of Fire features petrified wood and 3,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs. The park has plenty of trails you can hike, picnic areas, and camping sites, and specific areas in the park are open to rock climbing. Visitors may even be lucky enough to come across the rare and protected desert tortoise in the Valley of Fire.

2. Lake Tahoe

Park

Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park consists of Sand Harbor, Spooner Backcountry, Cave Rock, and Van Sickle. Visitors can swim and launch boats from Sand Harbor or Cave Rock. Spooner Backcountry offers miles of trails to hike as well as camping, fishing, picnicking, and winter sports. Van Sickle offers trails with rock outcroppings with views of the lake, including the famed Tahoe Rim Trail; it also has opportunities for mountain biking, horseback riding, and winter sports.