Editor's Note: Many members of the shooting and hunting world will journey to Las Vegas next month for the huge SHOT(Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade) Show. Bright lights and floor shows hold little allure to many of these outdoorspeople. But nature lovers visiting Las Vegas needn't travel far for something more to their taste, as Carolee Boyles-Sprenkel explains in this article.
Las Vegas. The name conjures images of showgirls in scanty costumes, row upon row of slot machines, all-night partying.
But beyond the glitter and bright lights is another face of southern Nevada, one only a few tourists see. An hour's drive from downtown, visitors can find themselves walking through a landscape as desolate as the moon or staring into the powerful Colorado River.
Travelers arriving by air get a tantalizing glimpse of what southern Nevada has to offer. Lake Mead gleams sapphire-like in the desert. North of the lake, the red sandstone spires of the Valley of Fire are clearly visible. As the plane comes in on final approach, the maroon and cream striped cliffs of Red Rock Canyon beckon.
To reach Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, take Highway 93 south and east from Las Vegas. The route winds between steep cliffs covered with cactus and desert scrub, and passes through Henderson and Boulder City. The road reaches the dam 25 from town.
Towering 726 feet above the underlying bedrock, Hoover Dam is the tallest concrete dam in the western hemisphere. From the walkway crossing the dam, the face of the dam seems to continue down into Black Canyon almost forever; the water-control buildings at the base look small enough to pick up like Tinkertoys. A faint but steady vibration from the dam's turbines reminds visitors of the enormous amount of electricity generated by the Colorado River as it flows through the structure.
For a charge of $1, visitors can go down into the dam itself (children under 16 are admitted free of charge). At the bottom of the dam, a guide ushers guests through a series of narrow hallways as he recounts the history of the dam. First conceived on paper in 1922 when Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce, negotiated the Colorado River Compact, the dam was authorized in 1928. Construction began in 1931, with the last concrete poured in 1935, two years ahead of schedule. The first electricity was generated by the dam in 1936; the 17th and last generator didn't go into operation until 1961. The dam is open 8:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 daily for the rest of the year.
The walking tour of Hoover Dam is not the only way to visit the dam. Instead of going all the way to the dam itself, take Lakeshore Drive to the left just past Boulder City. There, the National Park Service operates the Lake Mead Ferry Service. An excursion boat makes a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute trip around Lake Mead and to the dam. The fare for the trip is $7.50 for adults and $4.00 for children 12 and under. Cruises depart at 10:30 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m. during the winter; a fourth tour leaves at 3:00 p.m. in the summer.
Nor is this the only attraction Lake Mead has to offer. The lake has good fishing, with excellent populations of both black and striped bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish.
Head west from Las Vegas on either Route 159 or Route 160 to get to Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands. The most striking feature of the canyon is the Keystone Thrust Fault. The fault is visible from far outside the recreation area; it looks as if a child took a magic marker and ran along a cream-colored fence, leaving a red streak in his wake.
Red Rock Canyon offers something for everyone from couch potatoes to experienced climbers. A 13-mile scenic drive winds through the canyon, with turnoffs to picnic sites. Wild burros graze along the sides of the roads. Occasionally an antelope ground squirrel, looking like a silver chipmunk, scurries across the road. There is no charge to enter the canyon.
Red Rock Canyon is a hiker's and climber's heaven. A number of trails lead into the arroyos and cliffs. Along some are water-filled potholes the southwest Indians called "tinajas". A visitor to Lost Creek comes unexpectedly on the seasonal waterfall that gives the creek its name. In Pine Creek Canyon, a two- mile trail leads to what's left of a pioneer homestead.
Probably the most remarkable day-trip a Las Vegas visitor can make, though, is one to the Valley of Fire. This is the oldest of Nevada's state parks, and is 55 miles from Las Vegas. To get there, take Interstate 15 north and east from town; an exit sign at Route 169 directs visitors from there. Entry to the park is free, but fees are charged for overnight camping.
Near the entrance to the park is a visitor's center, complete with a small museum. Exhibits in the museum explain that the name "Valley of Fire" derives from the brilliant red sandstone cliffs that are the dominant feature of the park. These formations were caused by the uplifting and faulting of sand dunes during the Jurassic Period, 150 million years ago.
Indians used the area that is now the park during the period from 300 B. C. to 1150 A. D. The two main groups were most likely the Basketmaker people and the later Anasazi Pueblos. They probably did not stay in the valley for any length of time because of the scarcity of water, but used the area for hunting, food gathering, and religious ceremonies.
Along the Petroglyph Canyon trail, a one-half-mile roundtrip walk, some of these Indians--probably the Anasazi--left art to mark their passage through the valley. High on the faces of several cliffs, they scratched symbols in the black "desert varnish" that covers the rocks. Those scratchings still are evident today.
The origin of the petroglyphs is shrouded in mystery. No one has come up with a way to date them; some archaeologists believe they may be up to 3,000 years old, though others think they are much younger. Nor are experts agreed as to their purpose. They may have been merely idle doodlings of bored hunters during a long afternoon. Or, they may be the key to a lost language.
At the end of the paved road, hiking trails lead into a stark landscape of rock and sand. A few desert plants maintain a tenuous toehold in cracks in the rocks. Wind-scoured "blow-holes" sing eerily. Looking out over this vista, it's easy to imagine you're the last human on Earth.
Be warned, however: this is not a "tame" park. Weather conditions can vary from bitingly cold to sweltering in a single day. Once you get out on a trail, there are no comfort stops, and no place to get water. A brief rain shower can turn gullies into torrents. Climbing on sandstone can be dangerous if you aren't experienced. If you decide to hike, be sure someone knows where you are and when you're expected back.
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire are only a few of the day trips convenient to Las Vegas visitors. If you're inclined to go a little farther afield, there's always the Grand Canyon and Death Valley. Close in are ghost towns, museums, and botanical gardens.
So when you're tired of gambling, tired of the glitz and glitter of Las Vegas, head out to the desert for a taste of the true wild life of southern Nevada.
For more information, write or call:
Hoover Dam
P. O. Box 299
Boulder City, NV 89005
Lake Mead Ferry Service
1646 Nevada Highway
Boulder City, NV 89005
702-293-6180
Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands
P. O. Box 26569
Las Vegas, NV 89126
702-363-1921
Valley of Fire State Park
Division of State Parks
Capitol Complex
Carson City, NV 89710
Additional attractions and day trips:
Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority
3150 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-733-2323
Cultural Focus
749 Veteran's Memorial Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89101
702-382-7198
Copyright (c) Carolee Boyles-Sprenkel. All rights reserved.
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