Below you will find helpful information about Red Rock Canyon.
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
Spring Mountain Ranch is a historic ranch located between the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and downtown Vegas along State Route 159, beneath the colorful cliffs of the magnificent Wilson Range. Past owners of the ranch included Chester Lauck of the comedy team "Lum & Abner," German actress Vera Krupp, and millionaire Howard Hughes. The many springs in the Wilson Mountains provided water for Piute Indians and later brought mountain men and early settlers to the area. The 520 acre ranch was developed into a combination working ranch and luxurious retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history. The ranch has been controlled by the state of Nevada since 1974. The sprawling lawns of the ranch and the historic buildings serving as a visitor center form an excellent backdrop for an enjoyable evening picnic and often times concerts away from the hectic energy of downtown Las Vegas. Visitors interested in a visit here should contact the local state park ranger for more information on hours and park rules & regulations.
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Sanctuary
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge incorporates over 22,000 acres of spring-fed wetlands and alkaline desert uplands and is located just outside Pahrump on State Route 160, approximately 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. This refuge provides habitat for at least 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world with four fish and one plant currently listed as endangered. This concentration of indigenous life distinguishes Ash Meadows NWR as having a greater concentration of endemic life than any other local area in the United States and the second greatest in all of North America. Ash Meadows provides a valuable and unprecedented example of desert oases that are now extremely uncommon in the southwestern United States. The refuge is still in its developmental infancy and many visitor services don't exist yet making it an even more fun place for the outdoor recreationalists to visit. Visitors should consider a stroll on the Crystal Springs Interpretive Boardwalk Trail or observing the endangered Ash Meadows pupfish at Point of Rocks. Visitors planning a trip to visit the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Sanctuary should be sure to bring plenty of water, sun screen, and hats during the hot summer months. Extreme caution should be used when driving on and around the refuge during wet weather and visitors should keep in mind that secondary roads quickly become flooded and impassable during and after rains.
Rhyolite Ghost Town
Rhyolite, named for the mineral veins from which gold is extracted, was first founded in the early 20th century on a productive gold mining strike, at one point had a population of 6000 fortune seekers. Luck ran out for Rhyolite shortly after the gold ran out and eventually the last resident of Rhyolite departed in the mid 1950s. Rhyloite is now considered by many to be the quintessential ghost town in Nevada due to its picturesque location and interesting art installations featuring ghostlike statues, courtesy of the Gold Well Open Air museum. Rhyolite is governed by the BLM has a good number of structures that are still relatively intact and many interesting nooks and crannies that visitors can explore and get a mental image of what mining life in the early 20th century may have been like. Rhyolite is best accessed via route 95, turning onto State Route 374 four miles to the west of Beatty and following the signs pointing to Rhyolite.
