Whether you want to nosh with the family, log some miles or run your dogs ragged, there’s a perfect park for you
Centennial Hills Park
Sweet, glorious springtime is in effect year-round at Centennial Hills Park, with soaring flower and butterfly shade covers to make you want to kick your heels up and frolic. Children and those with a soft spot for whimsy will be enthralled by the Alice in Wonderland vibe, completed by red toadstool tables and little froggies that spit water. While younger children play on the tube slides and in the splash pad, older kids can burn off excess energy on the soccer field, volleyball court and a walking trail that details the history of the area. An amphitheater with more than 3,000 seats plays host to a variety of events including evening movies, and even the family pet can run amok in the dog runs. (That is, assuming your pet is a dog. If it is a cat or a bird, your pet will either be eaten by dogs or will fly away to be with the giant butterflies. You have been warned.)
7101 N. Buffalo Drive
Best park for dogs (and their humans)
Dog Fancier’s Park
This park is to pooches what Disneyland is to kids — so much to do, to see, to sniff! Its location in a somewhat industrial/rural area adjacent to Horseman’s Park and the county’s Water Reclamation District office means there’s loads of room for Rover to run. The space is divided into five separate areas, one set aside for smaller and older dogs and two that are large enough for even a Border Collie to get his sprint on. The county allows groups to reserve areas 1-4, which also can be lit for after-dark events, so breed enthusiasts, groomers and trainers often meet here. The park has ample shade, spigots and picnic tables, and its longer-than-usual hours (6 a.m.-11 p.m.) allow pet owners to squeeze in a dog run pre- or post-work. One caveat: Patrons don’t clean up after their dogs as consistently as they should. Dog Fancier’s regulars could take a lesson from the citizens’ poop-patrol brigade at the Sunset Park Dog Park.
5800 E. Flamingo Road
Nature Discovery Park
Aliante Nature Discovery Park offers visitors the opportunity to explore and relax in equal measure. Walking trails, a man-made lake, and a large dinosaur-themed sandbox help make this park a popular place to visit on weekend afternoons. For kids, the park offers two playground areas: a small set of slides for younger children and an elaborate, multi-story playground for older kids, which includes tunnel slides and plenty of ladders and steps to climb. One of the highlights: A giant triceratops skull located next to a vast sandbox. Future paleontologists can even unearth replica dinosaur bones. In the summer, a splash pad offers relief from the heat. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the walking trail that winds around a duck pond and a waterfall. The large grass-covered field is the perfect spot for a game of soccer or relaxing in the sun. Those seeking shade can have a picnic in the covered pavilion. But you’ll enjoy the picnic more if you get some exercise first: The 20-acre park also offers tennis, bocce, and sand volleyball courts and horseshoe pits.
2627 Nature Park Drive
Best park for runners
Wetlands Park
Clark County picked “Take a walk on the wild side” as its tagline for Wetlands Park, but you could easily replace it with “Run wild” if a faster pace is your thing. This is the place to hoof it in nature without having to go too far afield. The efforts of local conservationists to hang onto what’s left of the wetlands where the Las Vegas, Flamingo and Tropicana Washes converge before spilling into Lake Mead have resulted in a haven for fowl and small desert beasts. Desert Dash cofounder Dana Clark says she’s seen tons of wildlife in the secluded urban oasis. “The wash runs through (the park) and looks absolutely beautiful in spots with a cool bridge going over it as well,” she says, adding that benches, decks and overlooks make it a great place for resting, too. There are several miles of trails — two of which are paved, and most of which are for foot traffic only. The park is open dawn to dusk; the information center from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. And know this before you go: There’s only one drinking fountain, at the entrance, so take plenty of water.
7050 Wetlands Park Lane
Exploration Peak Park
For some Wild West adventure, Exploration Peak is your cup of sarsaparilla. This park at Mountain’s Edge has simulated storefronts that look just like an Old West town, complete with a stagecoach that kids can climb into and four little pretend horses they can ride. The buildings have quaint, old-timey signs like “Assessor’s Office” and “Las Vegas Townsite Co.,” but inside they harbor play space rather than outlaws (phew!). Mock gunfights at the O.K. Corral can be re-enacted, and the assumed identities of Wild Bill Hickok and Jesse James just might be in evidence. When the children have finished their showdowns, they can roll down the grassy hills, cool off in the splash pad, climb up the lookout tower, or play in the simulated archeological dig site to search for dinosaur bones.
9700 S. Buffalo Drive
Best park for a peaceful playtime
Reunion Trails Park
No doubt you dislike seeing your kids knocked over by apparently feral children at the more crowded parks in town, so give your babies a break by taking them to Reunion Trails Park. Since it just opened in December, it’s as yet relatively undiscovered and magnificently peaceful. Adding to the serenity is an M.C. Escher-inspired layout and design that truly sets it apart from other parks. The play structure for older kids, instead of being the typical plastic sort, has a futuristic metal artistry to it that includes high-tech versions of park classics like the merry-go-round. And sure, there are regular swings for the traditionalist, but there are also large metallic saucer swings that look like UFOs and let you swing while lying down inside the saucer. A labyrinth at the far end of the park, benches in surreal shapes and eye-catching patterned designs on the walls provide intrigue, while a tiny child-sized amphitheater is wide open for when your kid is in the mood to be puttin’ on the ritz.
44 Chapata Drive
Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs
If you want to tear into a pheasant with your family in a classic Old World picnic, Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs is sure to please. With more than 2,000 acres of grass, lakes and trees, you’re bound to find an idyllic spot where you can rusticate with your kids, the family dog, and maybe even some extended family. Adding to the beauty of the natural scenery are peacocks, ducks, swans and geese. (Just be sure to keep a close watch on small children, because bird beaks and babies don’t mix.) When you’ve finished lingering about, take your afternoon constitutional along any one of the hiking trails. If you do a little further exploration, you’ll also find the historic buildings of Tule Springs Ranch, including an old barn where children can pet the horses. So gather up your red gingham napkins and get going, because that potato salad isn’t going to eat itself.
9200 Tule Springs Road
Best all-around park
Sunset Park
Sunset Park is the Swiss Army knife of parks. It’s got a Frisbee golf course, a pond stocked with fish and standard-issue indignant geese, running paths, picnic tables, basketball and tennis courts, volleyball pits, barbecue stands and, most recently, a renovated dog park that has all the pooch-lovers joyfully wagging their tongues. Little wonder Sunset is the epicenter of such diverse happenings. On the right day, you can feel like you’re rampaging Pee Wee Herman-style through Hollywood movie sets, maneuvering among Renfair dukes and damsels and beery punk rock reunions and bomping familia barbecues that take on a joyous, carnival air. Of course, there are quieter pleasures, too. Fishing, while perhaps not advised at parks as a source of nutritional sustenance, is a popular pastime here, and don’t forget the winding trail system snaking through all the desert-type stuff buffering the south and east ends in a thick, naturey cushion of dunes and mesquite. Or you can just unfold your chair and stare into the grim, inscrutable faces of the Easter Island knockoff idols. Like I said, diversity.
2601 E. Sunset Road
