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
Lone Pine, Calif., is best known as a base camp to hiking, backpacking and horse packing expeditions in the eastern Sierra Nevada. It’s also a mecca to film buffs, especially those who cut their popcorn teeth on westerns. It is not only home to the Beverly and Jim Rogers Lone Pine Film History Museum but is also the site, every Columbus Day weekend, for the Lone Pine Film Festival.
Great Basin National Park lies less than five hours north of the teeming cities of Southern Nevada, and one wonders why it remains one of the least-visited in the park system.
Capitol Reef National Park, in south-central Utah’s red rock country, is a special jewel in our national park system.
Everybody I know is dreaming of cooler temperatures and speculating on where to find them without entirely leaving the Southwest.
An excellent way to escape our oppressive summer heat is by heading up to Kyle Canyon in the Mount Charleston area of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah is enjoyed by about 2 million visitors a year who come to see its 10 deep, hoodoo-filled amphitheaters. Hoodoos are called that because they are tall natural columns that suggest living but unearthly beings. They are formed by an unusual type of erosion involving the freeze-and-thaw cycle that is repeated approximately 200 days every year due to the park’s high elevation.
Austin, a formerly booming mining town founded in 1862, is home to fewer than 400 people today. Yet, it’s one of the best-preserved early mining towns in Nevada and well worth a visit by city dwellers from the state’s southern end.
With plenty of summer outdoor activities available and temperatures at comfort level over the next couple of months, the town of Ely should be a priority summer destination for Southern Nevadans with an itchy hiking foot.
Waterfalls are pretty rare in the Southwest, except for seasonal examples that appear after snow melt or briefly after a heavy rain. For that reason, we treasure the few that put on their show year-round, including Lower Calf Creek Falls.
Every hiker who has heard of it dreams of walking the Bright Angel Trail, the famous footpath that snakes from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon all the way to the Colorado River on the canyon floor, with spectacular scenery almost every step of the way.
One of the best scenic drives in Southern Nevada starts only about a half-hour west of the Strip at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
For an outdoor experience that’s different enough to make long-lasting memories, consider the Rings Loop Trail in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif.
Arches National Park, just outside of the town of Moab, Utah, is a feast for the eyes. There are more than 2,000 natural stone arches in the park, the largest density in the world.
The heart of Zion National Park in southeastern Utah is Zion Canyon, a magnificent chasm carved into the edge of the Colorado Plateau. This is where the North Fork of the Virgin River snakes its way downstream flanking the six-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The beauty of this area is complemented by the thick vegetation that lines the river including the impressive, old-growth Fremont cottonwood trees.
Outdoor lovers who are looking for an exciting few days away from Las Vegas won’t be disappointed visiting Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
