Located within a 5 minute drive from Laughlin Nevada is a spot where a very short hike takes you…read moreback thousands of years. The Sacred area is well worth the short trip and shorter walk. There are literally hundreds of petroglyphs and other stunning views of the rocky mountainous and desert terrain. If the the Laughlin area - Just Do It.

Amazing scenery all around! It's definitely worth doing…read moreespecially in the cooler weather. I won't recommend it during the summer though as I am always out on trails ... with plenty of drinking water in your backpack, it's still doable all year round. This part of the trail, we hiked, located inside the Lake Mead National Park, so be prepared to pay a fee to enter. $25 entrance fee is valid for 7 days or $80 yearly pass. During our hike, I truly enjoyed the weather, and of course the blooming wild flowers! Prickly cactus flowers are colorfully outstanding from the boring desert landscape! The white poppies are popping everywhere, too! Beautiful yellow, white and purple flowers are covering the hillside all around the trail. The water is flowing in the wash and giving energy during the walk. I practically felt the energy from this beautiful sight! According to the sign on the trail entrance, it said that the trail is not maintained, enter on your own risk! Well, I found that the trail is very well maintained! You can't really miss it. The side of the trail has large rocks all the way. Especially on the beginning, on the upper level. Once you reach the narrow section, where the steps begin, you need to be careful going down. Then, when you reached the waterline you can follow the path carefully. The scenery is amazing! There is an unpaved parking area off of the road where you can find restrooms too.

As part of a dual hike, my friend and I first hiked the Bluff Trail and then drove across the wash…read morevia Northshore Road to get to this trail. Make sure you don't get confused. There are two Wetland trails. One is the 14.1 mile loop that starts from the Wetlands Park. This is a short hike from the downstream side of Lake Las Vegas as the Las Vegas Wash goes to Lake Mead. From the parking lot, you have two options. The fastest route is straight ahead where the trailhead sign is. The other trail is to the left of the pit toilet. It's not as steep, but it is a longer trip. After starting on what I'll refer to as the main trail, you'll soon come to a split in the trail with a section making a 90º turn. If all you want to do is see the wash from the top of the cliff, turn right here. If you want the full experience, keep hiking straight ahead. The trail will narrow, and you'll, descend to a point where there are two cautionary signs. This is also where the trail from the pit toilet comes up from the service road below. I recommend here that you take the right fork here. The steps are not as dependable straight ahead and it's steeper. Go to your right and soon you'll be almost at the level of the wash. Once on the road below, walk the opposite direction of your hike to this point and you'll get close to the weir that helps slow the water so more of the wash doesn't erode. Understand that about 200 million gallons of water gfo down this wash daily. The Las Vegas Wash is our river, if you will. It's lovely to see and listen too. Stay out of the water as it's both regular runoff and treated sewage. The easiest way back is to return the way you came. My friend and I did a harder way. We walked downstream until we came to the service road. We truned left and hiked the road back. While the footing is easier, the entire trip is uphill. Had we returned the way we came, ascending would be tougher, but once over, we'd have had flat going back to the car. We wanted the extra workout so we hiked the road. This is why we get the 1.5 mile round trip. Happy trails!

Easy hike with beautiful views…read more Parking is on Sunset Dr in a small parking lot. It is safe and right next to the trailhead, From the trailhead it is an easy .4 mile uphill hike to get to the top of the Mesa. From there it is flat. There are benches with view points. It is dig friendly.

If you're looking for a good place for a scenic walk or to do some hiking or biking, I can…read morethoroughly recommend the Whitney Mesa Recreation Area. Located in Henderson, this is really easy to get to, with parking right on Sunset road, just be sure to look out for the entrance carefully since it is easy to miss until you know where it is. I believe there are other entrances too. The initial part of the trail is a moderate uphill climb, but nothing too difficult, and after this the trail is basically flat, being a loop with various different offshoots and overlooks, most of which have benches where you can rest and enjoy the scenery. The views of the valley really are spectacular, making this one of my favorite places to get some good outdoor exercise. The main loop is approximately 3 miles in length. In the hot months, definitely be sure to bring plenty of water and use ample sun protection because these trails have zero cover or shade.

The overlook at Inspirada is a great place to just pull up, park and hang out for a bit. The…read morepurpose of my visit today was just to enjoy the view of the closely located valley and homes below and the much further in the distance Las Vegas strip/skyline and have lunch with my girl. The area is spectacularly clean. It was nice and quiet and overall very enjoyable. The Inspirada community is located in the southeastern part of the Las Vegas Valley within the city of Henderson, Nevada. It is a master-planned community situated in the southern part of the valley, offering a suburban lifestyle while still being close to the amenities of the larger Las Vegas area. Key Details City: Henderson, NV Region: Southeast Las Vegas Valley Proximity: Close to the I-15 freeway and the St. Rose Parkway, giving easy access to the Las Vegas Strip. Characteristics: Known for its parks, trails, schools, and community-focused atmosphere.

I saw this gem of a place as I was leaving a hangout with a friend last night. I love the views at…read morenight are so dreamy with the lights. It has a little paved out concrete trail to walk your dog or stroll through yourself as well as a patch of grass you can lay on. There's also a parking lot if you prefer to stay in your car and play music while you take in the views.

Headed out to the area with the GF and the boy on a beautiful Monday late afternoon back in January…read more2012. Found the turn off from Lake Mead Blvd and slowed rolled it out to the butte looking for a place to begin our accent for a Geocache. DO NOT ATTEMPT DURING A HOT SUMMER DAY! We finally decided to park next to the the three power towers and make our approach from the NW side. There is a slight trail to follow on the way up which is at times marked with cairns (stacks of rocks). MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF WATER! Once you hit the ridge line it's an easy climb up. Don't forget to look behind you every now and again...the view is amazing and just gets better and better. The GF was the first to summit and located the summit log. I made it up at the beginning of evening nautical twilight. WHEN YOU DO MAKE THE HIKE, MAKE SURE YOUR FOOTWEAR IS SOLID! We hung out for only a moment but enough to enjoy the kangaroo rats, being pin high with helicopters and watching the lights in the valley bellow. GIVE YOURSELF TIME & BRING A CAMERA! By the time we made our decent it was dark. Though we had lights they were not really needed as the moon light was enough to navigate. We made it back to the vehicle and determined that it about a 2 hour 15 minute trip.

Located in the Lake Mead National Rec Area, about 15 miles off I-15 & E. Lake Mead exit. This is a…read moregreat cardio hike, even thought it's a short hike, the peak itself is steep, will get you breathing fast and that heart rate up. The hike is over lava rocks so make sure you wear a good pair of shoes. It's an out and back type hike with 1000 ft elevation gain, and about 2 miles roundtrip. When you get to the top, you will have a panoramic view of the entire city, Lake Mead, and Lake Las Vegas. If you have knees like me, you will be hurting on the way down, my knees hurt for a day after this as it does pound them in the hike down. It offers great views tho, about the same as Frenchman Mtn so it's definitely worth the pain

This review is for Fortification Hill which was a ~3.5 miles round trip that took ~3 hours to…read morecomplete. Fortification Hill was one of most challenging hikes I have ever done; located a hour from Vegas. Plenty of steep inclines and declines on loose gravel. Highly recommend using hiking poles! One particular area requires a little bit of rock scrambling. No shade; completely exposed to the sun. Stunning view of Lake Mead and the surroundings with a distant view of Hoover Dam. Required to drive on ~5.8 miles of dirt road. Recommend a high clearance vehicle. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/iIylDeCLBuE

Fortification Hill is an extinct volcano located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the…read moreArizona side of Hoover Dam. This is a moderately strenuous hike of about 5 miles and about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. This is primarily a class 1 trail hike but portions are steep and loose, and there is a short section of class 2 scrambling with very minor exposure. It is not a hike for children or anyone who can't do some short but difficult rock scrambling or handle a steep scree slope. The hike is fully exposed to the sun the entire way. Make sure to wear a hat, sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Just returned from the hike today. As we were heading down the hill, we saw a baby horned lizard. To drive to the trailhead, they recommend a four-by-four high-clearance vehicle with good off-road tires for the last 2.5 miles of driving. I would not recommend to drive the road if it is raining or there is a threat of rain, as flash flooding occurs here. The view from the top is one of the very best in the whole valley and has a great view of the dam.

What amazing jewels are in your backyard?…read more Go outside and explore the beautiful world around you. Shall we close our eyes visualize what you can see and feel? While walking one can caught a glimpse of life that just passed an individual by. This last year life almost took a turn for the worst . Prior experiences and issues came back from the dead to haunt me. But here I stand, thinking and not wanting to waste time anymore. Look into the future you can see change coming . In fact the only constant is "change in life. " Being a burden is not something anyone wants to do. Time to pull one self up here we go. Life is about living . Center and ground yourself! You can feel the calm. You are outside and ready to go walk it off . Life is peaking and is going to be happy . We need to accept the change and accomplishments. What are we going to do in the future? We can keep the journey moving along and forward with the progress of self discovery. We are going to continue and breathe the air of change and look at that which the universe is creating and showing us . What's that we are seeing ? The universe paints for me color rainbows "change is good." Let's listen and learn. Change is good and is coming ! Here we go !

Lots of different paths to chose from once you make it up the hill! There's cute painted rocks all…read moreover the part of the trail that starts in the neighborhood and it makes the walk to much more enjoyable. I'm going to paint some to drop off next time.

This is a moderately strenuous hike because of the nearly 1,200 foot elevation gain. The hike is…read moreapproximately 6.5 miles round trip if you go to both peaks. The trailhead is along US Highway 93. As you approach Boulder City, turn left the way you'd go to Hoover Dam. After you start down the hill past Industrial Road, watch for a sign on the left that says River Mountains Trail parking. It's just before the entrance to the St. Jude's Ranch for Children. There is ample parking here. From the parking area, walk behind the interpretive marker and the trail goes between the wall of an area of houses on the left and a concrete drainage ditch on the right. From there, the trail is fairly easy to follow as it's well defined. Follow the signs for the trail. There are side trails that are mountain bike trails so watch for the hiking only trail markers. The first part of the trail meanders around a bit and goes up and down until it works its way around and into a wash that comes down from the saddle between the two peaks. The saddle is the first goal. As you hike toward the saddle, the trail becomes a series of switchbacks to make getting to the top easier. Please DO NOT CUT the switchbacks. This damages the trail and when rain comes, wash outs are more likely. You'll also be trampling some native plants so stay on trail. Turn left at the saddle and keep heading up. There's still a bit more to go. After a few more switchbacks, you'll come to a road--a road you could have driven up, but that would defeat the whole purpose of hiking, no? This road is used to get to the antenna array at the top of Red Mountain. It's also used to take those who are doing the Bootleg Canyon flight lines near the launching area for the first flight. When you reach this road, you have a stunning view of Las Vegas and the Spring Mountains on the west side of the valley. You walk a short distance along the road and you'll see the trail to Red Mountain continue on your left. Follow the trail as it goes higher. It's a bit rocky and there is one spot that has some loose gravel. After a short time, you do reach the Red Mountain area and you see the antenna array you've probably seen many times driving to/from Hoover Dam. The actual peak for Red Mountain has a stake and you can go there if you want to be at the topmost point. In this area, you can see the first flight for the Bootleg Canyon Flight Lines, Lake Mead, The Eldorado Valley with its two solar plants, and of course, Las Vegas. It's a wonderful place. If you're lucky, you'll be here when a group does the flight. You can also see the mountain bike trails that make up the Bootleg Canyon trails. It's interesting to see these people riding down the steep slopes. Now for the bad news, Black Mountain is on the opposite side of the saddle. You can see the trail you need to follow from Red Mountain. If you've had enough, just return to your car. It's only about 3 miles away. If you're going to Black Mountain or your car, you need to head back the way you came passing the dirt road and looking carefully watching for when the trail to the saddle goes off the dirt road to the right. When you get back to the saddle, continue straight ahead on the trail if you're going to Black Mountain or make a right if you're going back to the car now. The trail goes about 1/2 mile to Black Mountain. It is very well defined and you hike on volcanic rock. That's what makes Black Mountain its color. At the top of Black Mountain, there's a bench and several interpretive markers explaining the geology of the Las Vegas Valley. It's a good place to have a snack and enjoy the view. Follow your tracks back to the saddle and then descend the switchbacks. They're so much nicer now that you're going downhill. Before you know it, you'll be back to your car. There is a picnic table at the parking area, so you can have an après hike lunch. We call it Guinness time! Happy hiking!

For Review 300, I wanted to spend time in a beautiful place that is as good as it gets. This is…read moreachievable when I live in a metropolitan area with access to spectacular parks. So, this past weekend's outdoor adventure was when I returned to Red & Black Mountain to climb up Red Mountain. There are two hiking routes to hike up Red & Black Mountain. Hiking Route A is from the River Mountain Trail (not the River Mountains Loop Trail).To get there from the Las Vegas area, travel on US 93 toward Hoover Dam. After turning left on US 93 to bypass downtown Boulder City, the sign for River Mountain Trail will be on your left. Hiking Route A begins in a residential subdivision, passes through a desert landscape under power lines, and then climbs up switch backs to a summit. At the top of the summit, you have the option of turning left toward Red Mountain or turning right toward Black Mountain. Hiking Route B is from the Bootleg Canyon Park Trailhead. From the Las Vegas area, drive on US 93 as if you were headed to Boulder City. After the first traffic signal, US 93 changes from a divided limited access highway to a commercial thoroughfare. Get on the left lane and turn left on Yucca Street. Taco Bell will be the landmark. From here drive on Yucca Street to it dead ends at the Bootleg Canyon Park parking lot. Once you park your car, you will hike on the River Mountains Loop Trail for a short distance. At the first junction, you will make a left on the road toward a valley. This is Bootleg Canyon. You will see restrooms and picnic tables. From this point continue on the road, which is now gravelly. It will bring you up Red Mountain. Just a note, to the right of the road is a large mountain adorned with a large "B.C." and communication towers on top. This is the mountain that you will be climbing. From my experience hiking up Red & Black Mountain, I STRONGLY suggest, hiking each mountain on two separate hikes. Two separate hikes will reward you with hours of recreation and experiences. This review is on Hiking Route B: Bootleg Canyon Park to the summit of Red Mountain. Hiking Route A: River Mountain Trail to the summit of Black Mountain will be a future review, which I will place under Yelp's River Mountain Trail Listing. From ground level to the summit, there are three types of topography to hike. From the Bootleg Canyon Park parking lot to the valley, the topography is pavement. Through the valley and up the north side of Red Mountain, the topography is a sandy and gravelly road that is used by vehicles transporting people and dirt bikes to a parking lot at the end of the road. With the exception of the gradual change in elevation, this is an easy hike. Beyond the parking lot, the topography is very rocky and gravelly for a short segment, and the trail has changed from a dirt road to a narrow trail that becomes narrow with steeper elevation gains. At this point, the hike is moderately difficult to the degree that I strongly suggest "focus on the moment "concentration and reliable hiking boots. The scenery is as good as it gets. Red Mountain (with the B.C.) is beautiful from ground level. As the dirt road travels through Bootleg Canyon northbound, then gains elevation gain eastbound, the closer up vistas of Red Mountain are captivating. Especially at dawn! As the dirt road travels through Bootleg Canyon, it treats the hiker to spectacular vistas of the River Mountains and valleys. Once the dirt road turns toward the north to travel uphill, the vistas become as good as it gets. It is at this point where the panoramas of the Las Vegas Valley featuring the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding mountain ranges overtake the landscape. It is at this point where you could look down on the top of the Stratosphere and across at French Mountain with open desert below. I said the scenery is as good as it gets? I was ahead of myself. At the parking lot where the dirt road ends, the scenery gets better! This is where you have the option of turning left and hiking to the summit of Black Mountain, or staying straight on a narrow path to the left of the gate toward the Red Mountain summit. At this point you are consumed by breathtaking scenery. To your left is the mesmerizing black Mountain and to your right hundreds of feet below you is Boulder City. I said the scenery is as good as it gets? It is almost as good as it gets! The narrow part of the trail looks over even better scenery. When you look to the right you will be able to see Black Mountain Henderson and to the left you will be able to see Lake Mead and the bridge. At the summit where people board the Bootleg Canyon Flight Lines the scenery is as good as it gets. Looking below there is Lake Mead, Boulder City, and desert. And yes, this scenery is as good as it gets and why Red & Black Mountain is 5 stars.