The Las Vegas area offers some of the most diverse outdoor activities in the country! Canyons, mountains, deserts, and lakes are less than an hour’s drive away from the Strip with easy access to trails at Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, Spring Mountain Ranch, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Bureau of Land Management public lands and Death Valley National Park.
In addition to exploring the wilderness, we have been venturing into Las Vegas to experience the wild side of a different sort and visiting some of the festivals in the desert town of Pahrump.
Located on the Mohave Desert, the southern Nevada region experiences a significant cool down at the end of the year from the triple digit summers. It is not unusual for our nights to be in the 30’s and 40’s following day time temps in the 60’s. It has been an excellent time of year to hike the desert terrain and enjoy an occasional cup of camp stove tea.
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Ash Meadows is a desert oasis comprised of over 23,000 acres of spring fed wetlands and alkaline uplands in the Mohave Desert. The Ash Meadows Visitor Center is staffed with knowledgeable volunteers and contains exhibits of the protected plants and wildlife. Boardwalks and trails are located throughout the Refuge.
Home to the greatest concentration of endemic plant and animal life in the U.S., the Refuge has several endangered species as well. The most famous endangered inhabitant is the Devil’s Hole pupfish. These cute little blue goldfish-sized native fish have been isolated for as long as 10,000-20,000 years.
During the winter, desert bighorn sheep visit the warm springs near Point of Rocks. We were thrilled to see a small group of them during one of our hikes!
Ash Meadows has become one of our favorite exploration destinations.
Here’s a 360 degree view of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from the eastern boundary.
Public Lands (Bureau of Land Management “BLM” Land)
One of the RV campgrounds we use is adjacent to BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). BLM land is located throughout the country but is most prevalent in the western states. This land is set aside for public use and has only primitive (little to none) amenities. It is free to access and has free dispersed camping for up to 14 days at a time. The campgrounds are just cleared spaces where vehicles and RVs can park and are located off unpaved gravel roads. We love hiking the BLM areas and finding a place to enjoy a backcountry cup of tea.
Pahrump, Nevada
The desert town of Pahrump has become a great base camp for exploring this wilderness area just an hour west of Las Vegas. Originally a community of cotton and alfalfa farmers, the valley also boomed during the gold, silver and gem mining of the late 1800’s. The eclectic development of the town, cowboy and pioneer history, and the impact of the atomic age are displayed at the Pahrump Valley Museum.
Pahrump Balloon Festival
The wind and weather were perfect for Pahrump’s three day balloon festival. Sunrise balloon launches filled the sky with graceful ascents under the power of roaring and sputtering upright flames, and the sunset “glow shows” filled the dark fields with fire lit globes of every color. Watching the pilots light up their balloons in time to “Dueling Banjos” was a visual treat! In between the shows were balloon rides, vendor booths, live entertainment, corn-hole championships, and all the favorite fair foods!
Las Vegas
It’s bright. It’s energetic. It’s got everything and more that you could ever dream of wanting. We enjoy driving in to the city to visit some of the attractions. The whole area is quite a wonder.
“Simple Gifts” from Bellagio – Las Vegas!
Two Good Sams
Our first time driving Lil’ Sebastian through Las Vegas on our way to Wine Ridge RV Park, a good samaritan pulled up beside us and gestured that we had a flat tire. Fortunately, we were at the very western edge of the city and at a place where there was a wide margin at the side of the road. We were able to pull out of traffic and call Good Sam roadside assistance. Waiting for help is a cinch when our home is pulled behind us. We set up our camp chairs, had lunch, read and waited for help to arrive. We were soon back on the road and arrived at our destination well before sunset.
New tires now installed!
CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Wine Ridge RV Resort
We stayed at Wine Ridge RV Resort for a month in a back-in, FHU site. Sites are gravel, level and separated by a small amount of vegetation located near the rear of the site. The common areas include two separate pool areas, hot tubs and a gas fire pit near each pool. Other amenities include ping-pong, quality horseshoe pits, fitness facility, and pickleball courts. The resort offers breakfasts and simple dinners a few times each week as well as a large assortment of activities throughout the week. Individual bathroom/shower rooms are cleaned daily and conveniently located near the clubhouse. Coin operated laundry room has restricted hours and is clean. The staff is very efficient and kind. The resort accepts package deliveries in a very organized and secure manner. Even with a mix of long term and short term sites, the park is well maintained with little to no clutter around each space. Picnic tables are available with some of the more premium sites. There is very little shade available at most sites. The cottages are spacious and clean. We had good T-Mobile service but intermittent Wi-FI service at our site. Strong and reliable Wi-Fi is available at the clubhouse, however. Located next to the Pahrump Valley Winery (but not affiliated with it), provides a beautiful setting in this desert town. This is an outstanding park and we look forward to another extended stay in the future.
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Next up…Death Valley National Park
Their RV Travels 
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