Vegas campgrounds offer outdoor opportunities

Surrounded by mountains, Las Vegas has become synonymous with extensive nightlife, high-end dining and all-inclusive resorts. But going into and beyond those mountains shows a different side of Southern Nevada filled with forest trails, rocky landscapes and thousands of plant and animal species.

Campgrounds around the Las Vegas Valley offer opportunities to explore nature year-round. But before packing up and heading outdoors, try to reserve a campsite online. While some campgrounds have sites that operate on a first-come, first-served basis, most take reservations to ensure a site is available for new visitors.

Spring Mountains

2525 Kyle Canyon Road, Las Vegas,

702-872-5486

Get out of the valley and head west into the mountains to visit Spring Mountains National Recreation Area. The four campgrounds, located near Lee Canyon, Deer Creek and Fletcher Canyon, serve as a gateway to numerous trails for exploring on foot, by bike or on horseback. Fees start at $25 per night.

At McWilliams Campground, Alex and Brian Frantz were unpacking boxes of equipment on a Friday afternoon in June to begin their first camping trip in two years. The pair, who live just half an hour from the campsite, said they were excited to unplug from technology and hike the nearby trails.

“We’re so close to Las Vegas, and you come here, it’s almost like you hit the Sierras,” Brian Frantz said. “It’s nice to get away and disconnect and enjoy nature.”

For a more remote setting, try dispersed camping. Mack’s Canyon, Lovell Canyon and Champion Road offer popular locations for visitors to pitch a tent and start a campfire, if weather permits. However, these sites lack most amenities such as water, restrooms and trash cans, so come prepared with everything you need to camp in the wilderness and leave no trace. Reserve a campsite at gomtcharleston.com/campgrounds-picnic-sites

Lake Mead

10 Lakeshore Road, Boulder City, 702-293-8990

Take a dip into the water while staying at one of more than 900 camping and RV sites around Lake Mead National Recreation Area. More than 270,000 campers stay at the recreation area’s campgrounds each year, according to Maxwell Dotson, public affairs officer at the national recreation area.

Take a scenic sunset drive and hike through the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail on land, or head toward the lake for boating, kayaking and fishing opportunities. Farther south, campgrounds along the Colorado River and Lake Mohave offer a new perspective of the water source that powers Las Vegas. To make the most of a camping trip, Dotson recommends bringing ample water, sun protection, a sturdy tent, navigation tools, cooking supplies and safety gear.

Most campgrounds around the recreation area have useful amenities, such as restrooms, running water and Wi-Fi, as well as grills, picnic tables and shades for gathering and cooking. Entrance fees start at $25 per vehicle, and fees for most campsites start at $20 per night.

Reserve a campsite at nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

Desert National Wildlife Refuge

16001 Corn Creek Road, Las Vegas, 702-879-6110

Grab some friends, hop into a four-wheel drive or high-clearance vehicle and head out to Desert National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.6 million-acre region that is home to hundreds of species of plants, birds and animals, including desert bighorn sheep. At the refuge’s visitors center in Corn Creek, there are five short hiking trails to check out before driving 28 miles through rugged terrain to Desert Pass Campground.

The campground has six first-come, first-served campsites that include a picnic table, fire ring, tent pad and vault toilets, and at over 6,000 feet in elevation, it’s cool enough to camp nearly year-round, according to refuge manager Michael Matthews. He added that the refuge is also open for dispersed car camping and backpacking.

“This area has been protected since 1936, meaning that the plants and animals that you’re going to encounter out here have been relatively untouched by modern civilization,” Matthews said. “It’s a place where these plants and wildlife can exist in a similar state to how the species has lived for thousands of years.”

At the refuge, hike, backpack and drive through hundreds of miles of open backcountry roads to reach Gass Peak, Joe May Canyon and the Hidden Forest Cabin. Because of the refuge’s remote nature, Matthews recommended campers create a safety plan and bring a satellite communication device (most of the area lacks cell service).

Although not all of the national wildlife refuges have free camping, the campsites at Desert National Wildlife Refuge are free to visit, Matthews added. Each of the first-come, first-served campsites has a picnic table, fire ring, tent pad and vault toilets.

Find camping information at fws.gov/refuge/visit-us/

Red Rock Canyon

3293 Moenkopi Road, Las Vegas, 877-444-6777

Once summer comes to a close, Red Rock Canyon Campground opens its more than 60 campsites for public use. Drive around the popular scenic loop, hike one of the many trails or scale the rocks with a climbing guide. The campground has running water and toilets. Camping fees start at $12 per night. Reserve a campsite at redrockcanyonlv.org/camping-at-red-rock-canyon

Valley of Fire

29450 Valley of Fire Road, Overton, 702-397-2088

Camp in a Mars-like landscape at any of Valley of Fire State Park’s three campgrounds, located near Arch Rock, Atlatl Rock and Beehive Rock. When the summer temperatures — which regularly top 100 degrees — wear off, all of the park’s 11 trails open up for exploring. The Atlatl Rock and Mouse’s Tank trails contain historic petroglyphs.

Camping at the state park is most popular in late fall and early spring because of the cooler temperatures and increased wildlife activity, Valley of Fire officials said.

To stay safe and enjoy the outdoors, officials recommend bringing ample food and water, checking seasonal trail closures at parks.nv.gov, and dressing in layers on hikes to adjust to temperature changes between open trails and slot canyons.

Entrance fees start at $10 per vehicle, and camping fees start at $20 per vehicle per night. While campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, Valley of Fire officials said campers should make reservations at least 72 hours in advance.

Reserve a campsite at reservenevada.com