A guide to Nevada’s unmatched natural experiences

10.01.2025 - 22:51 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Tahoe

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Jan 10, 2025 • 5 min read

Nevada’s landscapes are a mosaic of glimmering lakes, rugged mountain ranges, fiery canyons, and towering dunes. This diversity provides an astonishing array of easy, intermediate and challenging activities that you can spend a lifetime enjoying without repeating the same adventure twice. The best part? Nevada is home to more than 60 million acres of public land, andmore than 80 percent of the state is open to recreational activities. Here’s just a taste. 

It’s hard not to be captivated the first time you lay eyes onLake Tahoe. With a surface area of 191 square miles, the water appears as vast as the turquoise sky. For the best views, rent a kayak fromSand Harbor State Park or Zephyr Cove Resort and head toward the center of the lake where the water is so clear you can see more than 70 feet below. Afterward, pull into a cove to sun yourself on the sand or relax on one of Lake Tahoe’s colossal smooth rocks.

Lake Tahoe is just as bewitching in the winter, when the snow-covered Sierra Nevada casts its reflection across the lake. The region becomes a wonderland for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and skiing at resorts likeMount Rose Ski Tahoe orDiamond Peak Ski Resort. For an unforgettable winter hike, head toChickadee Ridge. Although you’ll often need snowshoes after a fresh dump of powder or in icy conditions, the snow is often firm enough to trek through the forest in boots or waterproof shoes. The views of the lake at the summit are breathtaking, but the real stars of this hike are the mountain chickadees that frequent the area.

Las Vegas is so famous for its neon lights and entertainment that it’s easy to forget the city is surrounded by dramatic desertscape. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is only a 20-minute drive away, but this kingdom of rust-red canyons, sandstone bluffs, and ancient petroglyphs might as well be in another universe. Designated trails are perfect for mountain bikers who want to get up close and personal with the spectacular scenery.

The Calico Hills offer some of the park’s most unique hikes including the Calico Tanks Trail, which winds its way up banded rock formations to a natural pool. The crags and canyons are a paradise for climbers: the area contains more than 1,200 named routes of sandstone, basalt, and limestone – some of which offer the occasional glimpse of the Las Vegas Strip in the distance.

Red Rock Canyon is also home to a population of burros. They are understandably shy, but you can sometimes spot them in the park’s northern section near Cold Creek.

Just outside Fallon, in the northwestern section of the state, you’ll findSand Mountain Recreation Area. The epic two-mile-long, six-story-high dune is beloved by ATV riders and