camping

In 1862, a wagon bounced over a stretch of dusty road from the booming mining town of Aurora to Nine Mile Ranch, just outside soon-to-be Yerington. On board was Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) racing to the aid of his seriously ill friend, Captain John Nye who owned the ranch. Nye recovered, but the trip cost Clemens a sizeable fortune. He lost his claim due to his absence. Clemens’ trek to Nine Mile Ranch was a costly one, but today, the benefits of visiting the area far outweigh any cost. The ranch is just one small part of the Walker River State Recreation Area (Walker River SRA) which opened in 2018.

Few people picture T-shirts and shorts when planning their winter adventure. In southern Nevada, however, that’s the perfect wardrobe. From November through February the daytime temperatures are rarely below 60 degrees, and the great outdoors beg to be enjoyed before the return of summer’s blast-furnace temps. That said, both Big Bend of the Colorado and Spring Mountain Ranch are packed with plenty of reasons to visit any time of year. 

Sometimes, you just need a place to stay the night. Nothing wrong with that, but when you’re ready for lodgings that are as much a part of the adventure, look no further than Tarantula Ranch Vineyard in Amargosa Valley. 

One of the lures of Nevada’s wide-open spaces is the ability to find a bit of solitude in a busy world. Sometimes finding that outdoor quiet requires long treks and dirt roads—not that there’s anything wrong with that! But sometimes, that quiet escape can be found just off the highway. No matter your choice, if you’re looking to go where the crowds aren’t, look no further than these naturally socially-distanced state parks.

Traffic jams, smog, lines, crowds, the DMV, cellphones, deadlines, alarm clocks…when will it all stop?  It stops when you say it stops. Through the chaos of everyday life that many of us experience, serenity never ceases to whisper in our ear. In fact, when dealing with life’s sometimes-less-than-ideal aspects mentioned above, nature’s constant calling may increase in volume to a violent roar, signaling the time to retreat to the state’s rural recesses for some rest, relaxation, recreation, and recuperation.