Step into history or just get away at Spring Mountain Ranch

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park lies within a half-hour's drive of the Las Vegas Valley in the heart of scenic Red Rock Canyon National Convservation Area. Its pastoral setting, fascinating history, special events and year-round recreational activities make it a popular getaway. Visitors take a break from city living for picnics, hikes, tours, summer theater nights and living history programs.

To reach the park, either follow West Charleston Boulevard, which becomes state Route 159, or take state Route 160 west from Interstate 15 to the Blue Diamond turnoff. Because either approach takes you past the high Red Rock cliffs, the drive is one of the most scenic in the region. Watch for the park turnoff between the Red Rock overlook and Bonnie Springs Ranch north of the village of Blue Diamond. Expect to pay a park entry fee of $7 for Nevada residents or $9 for all others.

The state park site was one of a handful of early ranches in the valley located near water along an overland trail that became known as the Old Spanish Trail. With ample water, meadows and shade trees, the spot was a popular campsite for travelers looking to refresh their pack animals and livestock before continuing along the arduous trail. It was marked on vintage maps as Old Bill Williams Ranch, after the mountain man rustled stock in California in 1840 and stopped at the site to rest the animals. In 1876, Sgt. James Wilson and partner George Anderson developed the site as Sand Stone Ranch.

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park preserves 520 acres, several historic original structures, a handsome ranch house, barns, outbuildings and a few head of cattle. A string of wealthy 20th-century owners included Chet Lauch of the radio comedy team of "Lum and Abner," German actress and munitions heiress Vera Krupp, reclusive tycoon Howard Hughes and car dealership owner Fletcher Jones. Acquisition as a state park saved the property from proposed condominium development.

In 1976, the park became the setting for summer theater presentations under the stars in the large pasture at the ranch. Super Summer Theatre season runs May through September. Theatergoers bring jackets, picnic suppers and blankets to sit upon or portable beach chairs. The final presentation for the 2015 season is the Tony-winning musical comedy "Lend Me a Tenor." Performances start Thursday and run through Sept. 26. Check ticket prices and availability at supersummertheatre.org.

Spring Mountain Ranch visitors may browse through the gift shop, tour the furnished ranch house or explore short trails to historic sites and Lake Harriet, a freshwater reservoir that is home to the endangered Pahrump poolfish. Some follow more challenging hiking routes to scenic overlooks or into canyons among the sandstone formations. Park trails are popular with local birders, as the grounds and water attract many kinds of resident and migratory birds.

Ranger-led hikes are scheduled frequently throughout the year. While hot weather prevails, hikes are scheduled in the evenings. On Sept. 13, join a ranger at 7 p.m. for a new-moon hike into the park's grove of 300-year-old ash trees. A full-moon hike into Sandstone Canyon is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 27. Because most of the park's wildlife is nocturnal, hikers are apt to see and hear some of it during these walks.

Living history programs scheduled this fall include Pioneer Day on Sept. 19 with costumed characters demonstrating pioneer cooking and blacksmithing, using pack animals and performing music from the 1800s. A Civil War re-enactment is set for Sept. 26. October programs include pioneer skills and storytelling, a Basque festival and a mountain man rendezvous on Nevada Day weekend.

— Margo Bartlett Pesek's Trip of the Week column appears on Sundays.