Zion National Park is the default destination for many Southern Nevadans who require frequent doses of wilderness, but in winter, snow and ice sometimes make its best-known trails too dangerous to hike.
Deborah Wall
Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, a Cerca Country Guide," and "Basecamp Las Vegas: Hiking the Southwestern States," published by Stephens Press. Email: deborabus@aol.com
A great winter activity for snow lovers is cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah.
For more than 60 years, the town of St. Thomas was a legend — Nevada’s Atlantis, lying deep under the surface of Lake Mead. But after drought lowered the waters in 2002 and uncovered the old settlement, it has become an interesting and educational destination, with the bonus of a scenic drive to get there and back.
Grafton, Utah, offers one of those sweet visual experiences that decorate a traveler’s memory like so many ornaments on a Christmas tree.
Getting outdoors for some fresh air and exercise this weekend could possibly solve two problems at once: overeating at Thanksgiving and keeping your family and out-of-town guests busy.
Right now, you might be seeing a tarantula or two while driving or hiking around the back country. Rather than dissolving into a quivering pool of arachnophobia, try to focus on the interesting aspects of our eight-footed friends.
Ahhh, the elusive alpaca! Prolific producer of fine fleece for luxurious clothing, patient poser for photos in geography books, whose very name regularly rescues crossword puzzle devotees, the animal itself rarely seen in North America.
For travelers along Route 66 in Arizona, stopping for a brief visit at the roadside attractions is an essential part of this traditional American experience. But one of them, Keepers of the Wild, deserves more than a brief visit.
A great fall road trip for savvy explorers of remote country is to the Hard Luck Mine Castle in Esmeralda County.
The Zion Narrows attracts hikers and adventurers from many parts of the world, but Southern Nevadans are fortunate enough to live within a few hours of this marvelous and unusual hike.
Any visit to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area should now start at the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway.
Kershaw-Ryan State Park, just outside of Caliente in neighboring Lincoln County, makes a great summer destination for a day trip or to camp. This oasis in the desert, with elevations ranging from 4,312 to 5,080, offers temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than in Las Vegas and features lush vegetation, hiking trails and even a spring-fed wading pool.
For outdoor lovers in Southern Nevada, summer temperatures can bring out severe cases of cabin fever. It is difficult locating a hiking or biking destination with moderate temperatures that isn’t crowded and isn’t too far away.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, is such a feast for the eyes that more than a million people from around the world visit every year. Located on the eastern rim of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, the park features natural amphitheaters filled with a colorful landscape of spires, pinnacles and pillars called hoodoos.
Getting to Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, takes a little more time and trouble than some weekend jaunts, but the rewards are also a little bigger. You’ll not only see three of the nation’s most impressive natural bridges, but on the way there, you will see some more of the Southwest’s most spectacular scenery.