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
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area isn’t among the most famous outdoor destinations, but perhaps it should be. Certainly, if you plan a northern trip to Wyoming’s Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks, consider a side trip to Flaming Gorge. Located in a remote area of northeast Utah and southwest Wyoming, this is an outdoorsman’s paradise. The most popular activities are fishing, boating, rafting, hiking and camping.
Pioche, in nearby Lincoln County, offers Southern Nevadans a fine one-day or overnight trip to a cooler climate. Pioche is pleasant in the summer, because it has an elevation of more than 6,000 feet.
Sequoia National Park is a bucket-list destination, famed as home to the world’s largest trees. You get to see two national parks on the same trip, for Kings Canyon National Park is adjacent and jointly managed.
Summer travel is in full swing in the warm Southwest, so we need to turn our thoughts to higher elevations in search of agreeably lower temperatures.
Now is a wonderful time to take a couple of days or longer to enjoy the waters of Lake Powell. The summer crowds haven’t descended here just yet, and the daytime temperatures are ideal.
Everyone loves sand dunes. They seem exotic, and we associate them with romance and adventure. Some of the tallest in North America, Eureka Dunes, are in Death Valley National Park.
If you plan on a spring outing to Southern Utah, especially along Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park or the Escalante area, an easy yet rewarding side trip is Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Located on the Arizona Strip and the Colorado River, Lee’s Ferry makes a great getaway for those who like remote areas for hiking or just kicking back for a night or two. This one offers the bonus of being a historic site.
Zion National Park is a favorite spring getaway for rock climbers from Southern Nevada, but before you head up there, be aware there are a few closures and changes in effect the next couple of months.
Valley of Fire State Park, a land of fiery red sandstone, is only an hour’s drive from Las Vegas but has plenty to see.
Keyhole Canyon is a great short trip for the entire family. The area is best visited in cooler months, and it’s near Las Vegas, so you can enjoy it and be home by dark, even in February.
Darwin Falls in Death Valley National Park is one of my favorite places to go when I need to clear my head. It affords me a full-day scenic trip, during which I can take a short yet adventuresome hike and immerse myself in nature.
The very best outdoor adventures for midwinter pack a lot of experience into a few hours of daylight. China Ranch does this just about perfectly, offering hiking, history, birding, shopping and a unique treat for the taste buds.
While many of us in Southern Nevada want to travel this time of year, many of the go-to places are too cold or covered too deeply with snow. But you won’t have that problem if you head down into the Sonoran Desert and Tucson, Arizona. Almost as far south as you can go in Arizona, winter weather is luxuriously pleasant.
Each day of our region’s short and mild winter is a little treasure to be invested for maximum return. A good place to invest it is in the Rock Spring Loop Trail on the Mojave National Preserve.
