Hikes in Nevada
One of the luckiest things you can do in Nevada is get outdoors. Play the slots by hiking through a slot canyon in Valley of Fire State Park or bet it all on red with a trek in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The Silver State has plenty of ways to win.
Highlights of Nevada
Hiking Nevada
Nevada is the seventh largest state in America by area and has lots of wide open spaces. Over two million people live in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. However, most of Nevada is sparsely populated and full of lands managed by the state and federal government. Nevada has beautiful natural features and great parks to explore.
Valley of Fire State Park – 60 minute drive from Las Vegas – Nevada’s first state park holds vibrant formations of red sandstone and is packed with attractions like a natural “wave,” petroglyphs, petrified logs, and arches.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area – 30 minute drive from Las Vegas – The 13-mile scenic drive through this BLM park puts grand landscapes on display. Leave the road and hike up colorful canyons. Anyone who stays on the strip will be red with envy.
Farther from Vegas – Lake Tahoe straddles the California border on the west side of Nevada and is a beautiful locale for scenic mountain hiking.
Nevada Hiking
This collection of trails in Nevada lists hikes from north to south and west to east. The table may also be sorted alphabetically or by distance to help you pick your next hike. Each trail links to its own report complete with photos, GPS maps, elevation profiles, directions, and all the other information needed to locate and enjoy these trails. Below the table is an interactive map showing the location of each hike.
| Trail | Description | Distance | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
 010 | Chimney Beach Trail This hike descends to a scenic and unique cove on the shore of Lake Tahoe that houses a stand-along chimney lingering from an old cabin. | 1.1 miles 215 feet | 39.16355, -119.93072 |
 020 | Cave Rock Trail This short hike above the east shore of Lake Tahoe finishes with a scramble up a rocky crown that has panoramic views. | 0.9 miles 165 feet | 39.0420, -119.9465 |
 170 | Fire Wave Trail This hike leads to a sensational striped creation where a slickrock depression is painted in waves of orange and beige. | 1.5 miles 175 feet | 36.4882, -114.52875 |
 175 | White Domes This short loop is impressive from start to finish as it explores colorful, intricate rock formations, passes and old film set, and slips through a narrow slot canyon. | 1.1 miles 150 feet | 36.4859, -114.5329 |
 180 | Rainbow Vista This hike goes through sandstone formations to summit a short crest with 360-degree views over multi-colored landscapes and the hike can be extended down to Fire Canyon Overlook. | 0.7 - 1.5 miles 60 - 150 feet | 36.45083, -114.51535 |
 190 | Petroglyph Canyon Trail to Mouse's Tank This out and back hike travels past an enormous amount of petroglyphs to a natural basin formed in the sandstone. | 0.75 miles 25 feet | 36.441, -114.5165 |
 200 | Balancing Rock This brief hike, which begins next to the Valley of Fire State Park Visitor Center, approaches a rock formation that appears to stand with a bit of magic. | 0.25 miles 10 feet | 36.42987, -114.51446 |
 210 | Elephant Rock This short hike at the east entrance of Valley of Fire State Park leads to a sandstone formation resembling an elephant with a unique natural arch for a trunk. | 0.3 miles 50 feet | 36.4289, -114.458175 |
 220 | Atlatl Rock Step right up a flight of stairs to a platform in front of a group of petroglyphs on the side of a boulder. | 0.1 miles 50 feet | 36.42306, -114.550535 |
 230 | Petrified Logs Loop This short hike gets close to petrified logs on the desert floor passing panels that explain how wood is petrified. | 0.3 miles 45 feet | 36.42266, -114.5413 |
 425 | Willow Springs Loop This hike travels explores desert landscapes on both sides of Red Rock Wash, discovering Native American rock art and potentially a seasonal waterfall. | 1 - 1.33 miles 140 - 165 feet | 36.1609, -115.4985 |
 430 | Lost Creek Canyon This short hike visits Lost Creek Waterfall, a seasonal waterfall in a steep canyon above Red Rock Wash. | 0.7 - 0.8 miles 165 feet | 36.15735, -115.49373 |
 450 | Calico Tanks Trail This hike ventures up a colorful canyon to a pond in a sandstone-framed basin accompanied by great view of Las Vegas. | 2.5 miles 420 feet | 36.1624, -115.45035 |
 460 | Calico I and Calico II This hike explores colorful, whimsically shaped sandstone formations in the Calico Hills near the start of Scenic Drive. | 0.8 to 2.75 mile 190 to 345 feet | 36.1461, -115.430725 |
 490 | Red Spring Boardwalk This easy nature trail circles a meadow at the base of the Calico Hills and visits a small but relied upon spring. | 0.55 miles 50 feet | 36.14652, -115.4191 |
