There are four National Parks in Nevada, each with fun things to do. This post introduces each one as well as some great experiences that you can have in each.
Four National Parks in Nevada
The four Nevada National Parks are listed below:
- Death Valley National Park (portions in Nevada and California)
- Great Basin National Park
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area (portions in Nevada and Arizona)
- Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
There are also a number of affiliated park units that are managed by the National Park Service. These additional sites include the California National Historic Trail, the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, and the Pony Express National Historic Trail.
We visited each of the four Nevada National Parks in Nevada on our National Park road trip from Las Vegas. We can attest that there are great experiences to be had in each location.
Make sure to grab your National Park passport to commemorate your visit to each of these beautiful parks.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a stunning landscape that shows the Earth’s resilience when presented with a harsh environment. Here, my favorite experience was our visit to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. At the sand dunes, you get to walk out on the expanse of sand that forms the largest dune field in the park. I like this experience because you get to be up close with some of the diversity that exists in the park: the trees, the sand, the mountains, and the animals.
If you’d like even more Death Valley experiences, read our suggestions for visiting Death Valley National Park in one day.
Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park is one of the most desolate places that I’ve ever been. It is located in Baker, Nevada, a little over four hours north of Las Vegas. This park features mountains, caves, lakes, and famous Bristlecone pines which only grow in the highest, harshest environments.
Our road trip only included a short visit to Great Basin, but we were able to partake of the Lodge Room Tour one of Lehman Caves ranger-guided tours. Book this experience in advance to make sure that you have a spot. You will love marveling at the amazing cave formations that adorn this beautiful cave.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a large park abutting the Hoover Dam. This is a massive lake with many opportunitites for recreation. Before getting into all of the fun things to do like fishing, boating and hiking, plan to visit the beautiful visitor center at 10 Lakeshore Rd in Boulder City. This beautiful visitor center will make you appreciate the area and features some great views of the lake as well as diverse cactus is the surrounding gardens.
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument is a newer National Park unit, established to protect the abundance of fossils in the area that date back to the Ice Age. Because it is relatively new, there wasn’t a ton to do at this site which sits at the end of a dead end road on the edge of Las Vegas. Nonetheless, this is a great place to look out and dream. The juxtaposition of ancient fossils against a backdrop of a city built in the middle of a desert gives you a chance to wonder.
Conclusion
In addition to these awesome National Parks, there are also a lot of beautiful state parks, preserves, and other National treasures in Nevada. This resource will help you to visit these great places.
Also, make sure to check out how you can visit all of these parks as a part of an awesome road trip from Las Vegas.
Enjoy the beautiful Nevada National Parks! Here, memory-making awaits! Happy exploring!
