Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

Our favorite park in Vegas, $ 7.00 for locals.

Any excuse to play outdoors and I am all in. I was introduced to SMRSP while going on a field trip with my class. What an oasis out here in Red Rock. I was so thrilled that I had to come out the next weekend to explore without 100 children by my side.
It is a bit of a drive from the city for most and the entrance fee may be a deterrent for some, but I would say that it is totally worth it.
There are various trails to walk along and the grassy tree lined area is enough for celebration. I saw people picnicking, napping, playing catch, BBQing, etc.
The short hike up to Lake Harriet is worth it as well. Stay quiet and out of the water and you may see waterfowl enjoying the lake as their home.
I have liked the park on Facebook which is great because it keeps you up to date on all the events they hold out here such as: 5ks, Easter Egg hunts, yoga, night hikes, movie nights, etc.
They do close early so plan accordingly.
There are flushing bathrooms that are near the grass area so that is a big plus.
Dogs are welcome on a leash.
There is a lot of history to the park so stop by the museum to learn more about it.
Park rangers were plenty on the days that I visited to help answer any questions or concerns and to keep you safe during your visit.

We love nature and adventure, we always come this way but never had been successful at finding this lake. For some reason never checked into Unilocal to see where it was, long story short we found it today and it was such beautiful day to start the month and to explore. We found out it was just before SBRANCH.
It felt like finding gold .
The lake is just beautiful aqua color and the mountains as background makes it totally amazing. They have a picnic area where you can BBQ and if you want to camp out then make reservations.
We didn’t went all the way back where the cemetery is but for sure we will go back. It’s incredible all the cool places Vegas has. Before I thought it was just desert and I was wrong. Explore Vegas, venture !
It’s great for kids too.

We were absolutely excited about this place!
There is a $ 7 entrance fee for those with Nevada plates. $ 10 otherwise.
Picnic areas with open field to fly a kite, throw a football, etc…
Burros walking, running, and burro-​playing (horseplaying…just felt odd to have written horseplaying. Lol) in field alone driveway.
They have a few trails you can trek on which are very family friendly. Nothing rigorous at all. Great closeup view of the nearby mountains. I never thought seeing a mountain for just rock could be so beautiful and majestic. Growing up, mountains I’m accustomed to looking at are those covered in greenery.
There’s even a lake that have benches where you can to embrace. It’s literally everything you could want in a hike in one. Tiny. tiny…waterfall that rolls into the lake, an easy trail, view of the mountains, cottontail and squirrels hopping around, cows, burros, what more could you ask for a day away from the city. Great place to take the kids to run around and be kids.
There’s an old farmhouse turned museum that you may enter without cost. On another trail, there’s even the Graves of family members who once lived on the property so not only is it very scenic, it also has history.
Highly recommend. Definitely kid friendly. If you plan on hiking, keep the strollers folded in the trunk.

Time to enjoy this weather before the Vegas heat rivals the surface of the sun.
Just past Cactus Joe’s Cacti Farm and beyond the Bonnie Springs Ranch is Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. This park has a little bit of everything, multiple hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty, cows, a field to run around in, old timey houses to tour, and a gift shop of some sorts.
You have pay to when you arrive, but they do offer local plate discounts, with the entry being seven-​dollars, normally it’s ten per car. I really enjoyed my time here; there are great trails that wind all through the red rock mountains with plenty of spots to hangout and enjoy the day.
The bummer here, is they close the park at 4:30pm, so it you’re going to visit get here early to elevate the pressure of a park ranger slowly driving behind you as walk back down the trail. This exact situation happened to me, it was a little weird.
Like said at the beginning, get outside now before the Vegas valley just turns into one giant oven!

A nice place to visit, and you can pick up some interesting information about Howard Hughes. He once owned the ranch at the park, but it’s never been confirmed he actually visited. The tour guide was very personable and funny as he took us through the house.

If Red Rock doesn’t do it for you, keep driving. Eventually you’ll hit this park. Pack a picnic because there’s nothing nearby and it’s practically half an hour away from civilization. Also, duh, it’s a park. What else were you planning to do there?
I have really mixed feelings about it: in the right weather, or if you time your visit for dusk, it’s gorgeous and the meadow area has grazing sheep and goats. The walkway is lit by eco-​friendly solar-​powered lights and there’s a path paved with decorative stones engraved with the names of donors and positive messages. The Super Summer Theater has shows out here June-​August.
But goddamn is it oddly similar to the surface of the sun. There’s a lot of animal droppings (maybe not the best pick if you’re toting kids). The parking area is not paved (minor complaint). And it is WAY out there, the word «remote» comes to mind. Probably a good choice for hiding a body. Unless I’ve missed something (entirely possible) there isn’t much in the way of trails out here? Look it up prior to your visit just in case, and print any materials you find– there’s no reception out here.

West of Red Rock Canyon this is a Nevada state park that was once a ranch owned by Howard Hughes. It’s interesting but the four stars are for the parks stars– the wild burros ! I saw 14 of them. I’m sure you’re supposed to revile them as threats to the eco system but they are hard not to adore. Also saw a jackrabbit and some coots. Make a a point of walking around the property. There are also some inviting trails but didn’t have time for them.

We went on a Saturday morning around 10 and there was only one other person there which was not that outlandish considering it was a September day.
We paid the $ 9 entrance fee which wouldn’t have been a huge deal had we stayed longer but more on that later…
We brought our dog who is a yorkie/​schnauzer to go hiking with us because the previous Unilocal reviews suggested that the trails are well suited for dogs.
I would have to completely disagree.
The cactus’ on the overlook trail were dropping spiny pods all over the ground and if your dog deviated even slightly off the path they could easily pick those up and unfortunately for my dog he had 4 huge cactus pods stuck in every single one of his pads. He couldn’t walk because they were so painful so every couple of feet he would start limping, I would go check his pads, remove the cactus spines and this continued over and over.
Again, we were on the overlook trail and decided that we should turn back and walk the grounds. That was a relief for his sweet feet and it was nicely shaded so we got some relief from the sun.
We will be back, without our dog, so that we can enjoy some of the hikes and do some more exploring.

If you like nature like me, this is a nice place to visit! $ 7 for entrance and bring your picnic essentials with you because they have a somewhat small, secluded grass picnic area with benches and BBQ grills surrounded by trees. The place is very clean! You can take the short tour of the ranch house and learn about its history. Not a bad getaway considering not too far from Las Vegas.

Nice little get away from the hustle and bustle. Walking trails, meadows, a lake, and some critters. Head over for a picnic and a leisure hike.

This is the best place to come & enjoy the warm summer nights while taking in a spectacular outdoor theatre performance! You can bring in your own food and beverages (wine or beer too)! Get here early for the best seats! High back or low back chairs can be rented for $ 1.00, but they sell out quickly! The one side of the lawn is just for blankets. Beginning next season, 2016, they won’t be allowing anyone to bring in any chairs with legs, so a stadium bleacher seat with a back will be the only thing you can bring to sit on. Gates open at 5 p.m. They also have a concession stand for snacks & drinks.

Super simple day hike when you want something easy and quick to stretch your legs. Located in the picturesque Spring Mountain Ranch Park, this is a nice setting for a family picnic, photoshoot or like I said, easy hike.
Once owned by a ranching family, the property has a beautiful house, barn, old building structure, a couple hot springs ponds, short hiking trails, large grassy area for picnics and parties, and it’s supposedly 10 – 15 degrees cooler out there than in Vegas.
We did the 1 mike loop trail one Sunday, it was quite easy and just sort of loops up around the hill and comes back down. Very easy, but we just wanted something to get us out for an hour or so.

Absolutely loved this place! Took my 3 & 4 yr old and they loved it as well! Tons of green grassy fields to run and play. Picnic areas, walking/​hiking trails and a little lake. The tour of the ranch house was interesting and my toddlers loved it as well. However the tour guide did not like our kids touching anything, understandably, as everything is super old and priceless. I’d love to go back without the kiddos and do some of the hikes.

A lush Ranch with green grass and a lake in the middle of the desert. Located a short 15 mile drive from the strip is Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. This is a pleasant change from the concrete and light polluted jungle of vegas. A great spot to bring the kids or just get away from the craziness of the city. The elevation over here is 3,800ft which leads to a 10 – 15 degree drop in temperatures. The park offers a summer theater, historical buildings, Guided tours both day and night, picnic areas and bbq pits, nature studies, high elevation wildlife including deer, hiking trails around Lake Harriet. This is a very photogenic spot so please bring your camera for some great landscape shots. This area is located a few miles from Redrock so if your;e feeling really adventurous and get an early start you can check out both parks in one day.

Lucky for us, Red Rock was closed due to a rainstorm flooding up the roads. So we ended up going further down the road. So happy we did. Found Spring Mountain Ranch and ended up loving it. Didn’t get to explore the whole park, because the storm became a downpour. We weren’t properly dressed for rain, wearing dresses.
What I love about this park, is how beautiful it is. Simply breathtaking. A wonderful back drop for a wedding. Massive mountain sides, green grass, a pond in the back. Check out the ranch house, they offer free tours. Fun fact, this place used to be run by the Howard Huges company. I really can’t wait to go back here to walk the trails I couldn’t on my last trip.

Of all the state parks in Las Vegas this is THEE one. It has it all. RedRock picturesque mountain backdrop. large fields of grass in front of the ranch. A magnificently wellkept ranch house that belonged to classic actress Vera Krupp who just treasured this property in her time. This is the classic American dream home. With a barn stable (garage of its time) connected to it and a hidden room. Very rustic and sophisticated. Howard Hughes owned the property at one time. It is unsure whether he actually lived there during his ownership.
Go towards the back of the property and you will find an old farmhouse that is the epitome of old western. It sits atop a grass hill and looks to be in perfect shape. Further on is an old blacksmith shop. You could still almost hear the clanging of metal as the horseshoes were being readied for the cowboys about to embark in the wild west. You could still feel the history that is preserved in this ranch.
At the very end of the ranch over the last hill is the cherry on top. A natural spring fed lake has been properly modernized and is the view of all views in RedRock Canyon. I’ll say that it may be a bit of a trip on foot to reach it for some. Once you get there you will be rewarded. The one thing about this lake is it being used as a refuge to preserve one of the most rare fish in the planet. The Devilshole pupfish population fluctuates between 42 to 200 specimens yearly. It was the reason we visited the park the first time and I am glad to report that we actually spotted a few!
The fee to enter this park is more than fair for all that you can experience here. Beautiful sights wonderful history and chances to see something that may never be seen by generations not too far off.

This place was absolutely AMAZING, and the highlight of my visit to Vegas, of all things. I have a feeling that Spring Mountain gets overlooked more than once — because it’s not on the Strip. But you’re doing yourself a major disservice if you DON’T stop here.
This place is a nature lover’s paradise. Not only are there picnic areas, the ranch house, and wild creatures about, but the best part of all — hiking up well worn paths and seeing the beauty of the rocks up close and personal. My husband and I actually were so much into hiking the trails that we went off the beaten path a little and were standing in one of the gorges — oh, my, God. It was absolutely gorgeous, breath-​taking, and gave me a brand new appreciation for nature.
Lake Harriet was awesome. All kinds of water fowl there, doing what they do. I watched them for what I know seemed like hours.
A word of caution: be careful if you’re going a bit off of the pathways. Really easy to get lost, and if my husband hadn’t known how to get back, we’d probably still be out there. I do NOT recommend bringing the kids on these trails — there were some VERY steep areas that a child just cannot navigate. My husband and I had a bit of trouble climbing in some areas. But, oh, was it WORTH it!!!
Also: toward the end of the trails (there’ll be signs warning you not to go further), there are a LOT of bugs. I mean, a lot. So bring repellent or something, because they WILL land on you.
Sunblock. Bring it. That Nevada weather might feel okay, but the sun is MEGA-​STRONG out there. You WILL get burned, and quickly.
I have never had such a good time as I did here. Wholeheartedly recommended. Worth three times the entrance fee!
The park service lady was also a sweetheart.

You really can’t knock how exquisitely beautiful and peaceful this place is, so I want to only discuss my reason for the negative experience (which won’t apply to most people).
TL:DR Our wedding here almost didn’t happen! A gorgeous place for a day trip, but event-​plan at your own risk!
We booked this place for my small (35ish guests) October wedding. The on-​site manager told us the place books up quickly, so we ended up confirming in late January. It’s just an outdoor picnic /​covered ramada area, but with those incredible views and our DIY goals, we were freaking thrilled to spend a mere 100 DOLLARS to reserve our spot. Who gets a wedding venue for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS? Even reserving space at a playground park is more than that.
The downside here is beyond this, the manager was pretty disorganized and unhelpful. It took several back and forth emails and calls to get a copy of the reservation paperwork in the mail, which isn’t a super-​good sign to me. I understand this person is in no way a wedding planner, but according to her (and the state park site), dozens of events are hosted there every year ranging from company outings to boy scout events. We had very basic questions that she couldn’t (wouldn’t?) answer, like, «Are there outlets?», so that was somewhat frustrating.
However, the big kicker was the actual day-​of. My MOH arrived at the park early to set up only to find THE ENTIRE PARK LOCKED AND CLOSED. In a panic, she drove around the park and called the manager repeatedly trying to find assistance. By sheer divine providence, a guy was hiking through who USED to work there and remembered the gate code from years back and was able to open it up to let her in. Unfortunately, with that delay, and the fact that all of the trash cans and recycling in our reserved area were OVERFLOWING, our wedding got off to a late start, but we were still able to make it work.
I guess I want to emphasize that without that random gentleman, we literally would not have been able to have our wedding. We never did hear back from the manager as to why none of the staff were present that day and why we didn’t get ANY contact from her giving us a heads-​up. If you’re planning to host an event here, I would say make sure you’re flexible, and do so at your own risk. However, if you’re coming for a day trip or picnic or hike, the views and photographs cannot be beat.

Came here for a romantic picnic with my boo, my boo this past Sunday~
…thanks to the suggestions of some helpful Unilocalers. Who knew there was such a pretty/​relaxing place so close to home???
We stopped by Fresh & Easy and packed a picnic basket complete with some wine and champagne and headed up Blue Diamond and made a right on JCT 159… It is the left right after Bonnie Springs. We paid $ 7 at the pay station and got a map from the ranger there. We followed the road to the public parking area and parked close to the picnic area.
There was some sort of Civil War reenactment going on so there were a bunch of white tents, Confederate flags and people dressed in costume. felt like we were in «Gone with the Wind.» LOL We picked a spot by a tree and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon. the weather was perfect and we didn’t even notice the war going on hahahh There are BBQ grills, restrooms, hiking trails and lots of green green grass! Before we left we wanted to check out Lake Harriet which is just a short walk up the trail. It’s not a picnic area so don’t plan to eat by the lake ;ppp
All the rangers were friendly and I can’t wait to go back ;]]]
HOT TIP: If you’re going to bring your dog please pick up after them. We kept almost stepping on dog poop. No bueno. There was no soap in the restroom so bring hand sanitizer!!! Also, if you’re coming up Blue Diamond and realize you forgot something. no worries! There is a gas station on the left of the road before you make the right onto JCT 159.