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Hikers in Nevada share their favorite spots, tips, tricks

Gold Butte Monument
AP Photo/John Locher

In this May 26, 2017, photo, Susie Gelbart, left, and Alan Carlton hike at the Gold Butte National Monument near Bunkerville, Nev.

Hiking might just be the most popular sport in Southern Nevada.

It’s great exercise, it’s adventurous, there can be a hint of danger — and when you’re out there beyond everything, the silence is a welcome respite from the chaos of life.

Right now, the weather is perfect and lots of you are already out there.

Heidi Kyser is deputy editor of Desert Companion and an avid hiker.

“One of the best things about hiking in my view is that it has a pretty low barrier of entry,” she said. Anyone with good shoes and clothes that move is ready to hike, but make sure to take plenty of water with you.

“Truly there are plenty of hikes in the Southern Nevada area that you can do with just your basic tennis shoes, sweatpants and a T-shirt and a bottle of water,” she said.

Where to go hiking?

Kyser recommends hikes in your backyard – or hikes around the urban area. Pittman Wash Trail runs along a wash in Henderson, “and it’s really beautiful,” she said.

She also recommended Lone Mountain: “A challenging hike. It's pretty steep. And you know, it's not long, but you should work up to it gradually. But you can also walk around the base of it.”

Beyond that, she recommends exploring Sloan Canyon, McCullough Hills, Terrazza Park at Lake Las Vegas, and Valley of Fire. Of course, if you're in Southern Nevada, there's always Red Rock Canyon, as well. 

Her favorite, though? Bonanza Peak near Cold Creek, which is not for beginners. “It does require a high clearance, preferably four-wheel drive vehicle, to get to and it is difficult. It's got a lot of elevation …  2,000 feet at least of elevation.”

For anyone looking for some solitude, she said there are hundreds of hikes at Lake Mead that aren’t visited often, and further north is the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.

Alan Gegax, the organizer of a Meetup group called Vegas Hikers (with 25,700 members), said he used to love the Gold Strike hike at Lake Mead, but it’s been used lately by party crowds leaving behind trash and graffiti.  

VegasHikers/Meetup

He’s been hiking 30 years. In his youth, he loved the thrill, and as an adult, he prefers the company.

“What I love about it is the people I meet -- they're like minded, they're interested in the same things that I am, we share the same passion, and hikers tend to be a little more mellow, a little more easygoing,” Gegax said.

He reminded hikers the ease of getting lost. One of his favorite hikes is Fire Canyon, behind Mouse Tank in Valley of Fire State Park. “I’ve probably hiked there 100 times, and yesterday, I got lost … even someone with my experience, with my knowledge of the area, it can happen.”

Valley of Fire State Park (@valley.of.fire) / Instagram

There are several tools to keep yourself from getting lost, and Satara Cooley said she uses a Garmin GPS system. They can be on the pricier side, but they have features like breadcrumbs to keep you on route.

Cody from Las Vegas called in to recommend a Bushnell backtrack device. “It just has three locations. You put where you park and you follow it and it drops the breadcrumbs and an arrow will show you which way to go back or how to follow your breadcrumbs and it's very inexpensive and independent,” he said.

Cooley is with a group called Outdoor Afro, which reconnects Black people with the outdoors, she said.

“A lot of people have that false perception that Black people don't do this. And in fact, that’s not it, it is just that we want to be safe,” she said.

On safety, Gegax said he carries about six liters of water in a Camelback. He also carries a first aid kit and forceps for removing cactus needles.

Where can you go with families?

The Desert Wildlife Refuge is where Cooley recommends. “There’s lots of little finds out there … an old log cabin, and aquarium tank, and old orchard, a lake.”

Kyser recommended hikes near the visitor’s center at Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, which are also good for elderly friends or relatives or those in wheelchairs.

Gegax recommended the Historic Railroad Trail at Lake Mead. “It’s nice and smooth.” Then, if you want something safe but slightly more challenging, he said to check out Mary Jane Falls at Mt. Charleston.

“I've never met a stranger outdoors,” said Cooley.

Heidi Kyser, deputy editor, Desert Companion; Alan Gegax, outdoors expert, organizer of Vegas Hikers, meetup.com;  Satara Cooley, Regional Lead, Outdoor Afro

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Christopher Alvarez is a news producer and podcast audio editor at Nevada Public Radio for the State of Nevada program, and has been with them for over a year.
Kristen DeSilva (she/her) is the audience engagement specialist for Nevada Public Radio. She curates and creates content for knpr.org, our weekly newsletter and social media for Nevada Public Radio and Desert Companion.