Boulder Beach – Did you know there was a beach near Las Vegas? We mean a real one, not the fake one at Mandalay Bay. Boulder Beach is located a mile south of Lake Mead Marina in Boulder City.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation – This is a beautiful park featuring an array of wildlife and plant life, and beautiful scenery featuring the red rock formations. There are plenty of trails for hiking and biking throughout the Red Rock area far west Charleston Blvd.
Ethel M Botanical Cactus Garden - Located at 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson, it features one of the largest cactus collections in the world with both Mojave and Sonoran cactus. Naturally you get a free chocolate sample at the end.
North Las Vegas Desert Demonstration Garden – 2200 Civic Center Drive North Las Vegas. It is a one acre garden with over 70 different types of water-smart plants. Currently a larger garden is being built.
University of Nevada Las Vegas Arboretum – On the UNLV campus, but open to the public, technically the entire campus is an arboretum but you may be more interested in the two acre xeriscape garden next to the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies.
Pahrump Desert Demonstration Garden – 1651 East Calvada Boulevard, Pahrump NV. It’s a one acre garden featuring many drought tolerant plants.
Spring Preserve – At 333 S. Valley View Blvd, it’s a huge 180 acre preserve with a range of wildlife and plant life. It is a cultural center commemorating Las Vegas history. Botanical gardens weave through the preserve and a scenic wetland habitat. It is an educational retreat as well, teaching sustainability in a desert climate.
Atomic Test Museum – It is easy to forget we are only a handful of miles from the atomic test site. This museum features many pieces from the actual tests and visual renditions of the explosions. Along with atomic artifacts it features reminders of the time period. Located at 755 E. Flamingo Rd.
Clark County Museum – It is located at 1830 South Boulder Highway and features historic homes, a ghost town, a Paiute Indian Camp and more.
Las Vegas Natural History Museum – 900 North Las Vegas Blvd by Cashman Center, the exhibits feature wildlife past and present and focuses on educating the public on the natural sciences.
Nevada State Museum and Historical Society – An educational institute that collects, researches, interprets then exhibits Nevada’s heritage. The highlight is perhaps the Columbian Mammoth exhibit. How many people knew there were mammoths here 15,000 to 20,000 years ago? 700 Twin Lakes Drive, Las Vegas NV.
For parks and recreation check out the official Nevada Parks and Recreation site, Las Vegas Parks. There is also a more complete list of Las Vegas museums here, Museum Guide.
If you have other great tips or places to visit we’d love to hear about them! Leave your comments below.
