Park it in Nevada

Nevada National and State Parks

06.08.2017

Ready to go big this summer? We’re talking road-tripping the most mountainous region in the Lower 48: Nevada! This place is made for adventurers who prefer their pit stops to be national and state parks.

Nevada is a wide-open land with a gem of a park—mountainous Great Basin National Park is famous for its brilliant night sky and the oldest living trees on earth. Bag Wheeler Peak, one of the marquee hikes in Great Basin and the second-tallest peak in Nevada at 13,063 feet. For a more easygoing adventure, Bristlecone Trail is a walk among legends: the oldest living trees on earth!

And don’t miss Nevada’s stunning state parks. Hike among the marbled slot canyons and caves of Cathedral Gorge (pro tip: after exploring here, stay at a haunted hotel in a “living” ghost town—who dare ghosts there?!).

Or visit Spring Mountain Ranch during a full moon and go on a night hike. A night under the stars, whether at a state or national park, is time well spent. Starry nights in Nevada are some of the clearest on the planet.

PLAN IT: TravelNevada has an amazing website rich with ideas and tools for planning a road trip and exploring Nevada’s parks.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles

    Light This Way

    Hidden in the bucolic hills of Paso Robles lies one of the greatest light shows on earth. The lighted art exhibition, Sensorio, is as if the rainbow magic of the aurora borealis was plucked from the sky and planted in the fields.

    View
  2. Surfboards and tents for shade are set up on the beach at Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area in the Swim Lagoon Area

    Switchbacks and Swimming Holes

    Hike hard, play hard! This 7-mile out-and-back in Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area is a great workout with payoff vistas and a relaxing post-hike picnic and dip in the water.

    View

  3. Hike the Rainbow

    Catch all the colors of a rainbow at Calero County Park on this 10-mile hike currently showcasing the season’s best blooms.

    View

  4. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. A woman on a hiking trail with huge open space and yellow flowers around her at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks

    Going Wildwood

    Consider this your invitation to get a little untamed. In just one walk through Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks, you can chase the sound of a cascading waterfall, duck into a shadowy cave, and soak in big hillside vistas. The mostly flat 4.25-mile loop makes wild feel wonderfully accessible.

    View
  2. Two women on e-bikes at Cass Vineyard and Winery near Paso Robles

    Eat, Drink, E-bike!

    No offense to charcuterie but sometimes you want a full meal while tasting world-class wine. And Paso Robles knows this better than perhaps any other wine region in California. Case in point: Cass Vineyard and Winery, where you can eat, drink, and e-bike!

    View

  3. Jurupa Jamboree

    If you like a short hike with a side of adventure, try the Jurupa Hills North Trail in Martin Tudor Jurupa Hills Regional Park.

    View
  4. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View