Spring Mountain Ranch Las Vegas Nevada

Okay, let's start off by stating I've hiked to so many places I stopped keeping track.  Now I tend to travel from time-to-time and I thought it'd be good to share some of the experiences with everyone, along with some direction.

If you like to travel, hike, take photos, and just generally be outdoors, then this is a place for you.

One of the places I've visited quite frequently is the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park just outside Las Vegas, Nevada.  I'm adding a number of photographs, as photography is my passion, but I'll also add hiking information and RV Information when and where pertinent.

If you'd like a KMZ (Google Earth) file, including the hikes, click this link.

Use this link via Google Maps to get driving directions.

LAT and LON for the entrance:  LAT: 36.073769  LON: -115.443751  (Make sure you always verify directions)
                                                     LAT: 36° 4' 25.5684'' N  LON: 115° 26' 37.5036'' W

Lake Harriet - Panorama

The picture above is of Lake Harriet.  Normally this lake is full, a nice blue color, full of wildlife, and simply a beautiful spectacle when the time is right.  However, because of the most invasive species of them all, ungrateful humans, the lake is almost completely drained because persons introduced invasive fish (Koi), fresh water Crayfish, and mosquito fish.  These invasive species nearly decimated the local Pahrump Poolfish.

Lake Harriet now mostly drained after approximately three to four months

The photo above shows Lake Harriet nearly completely drained.  The deepest part of the lake is visible in the top left.  The water appears to be down approximately twenty feet.  Hopefully all invasive species can be eliminated and everything brought back to its natural state.

 A little information about the park follows in the next photo.

The Wilson family was one of the original owners of the Ranch.  Several of their family members were buried on the Ranch as seen in the next picture.

Wilson Family Cemetery

There are many hiking trails in the Park as well, a few signs follow.

Trails sign depicting the many hiking locations and "where you are"

One of the entrances to the Ash grove

View of the Ranch from one of the hiking trails

Donkey stop.  See the winding trail, this is to stop the donkeys from crossing into this section of the park

Part of the water canyon, water still flowing 2017-05

Stream-bed which runs along the side of the park.  Water often exists until May or June

There are several lush areas; lots of underground water you'd not expect in such an arid place

An area of the Ash grove, full of many trees with an abundance of Ash trees

Original toilet

If you need to go to the bathroom you can't use this one.  It's just past the Ranger station to the North West.  There are modern flush toilets down in the green grass area of the park.

One of the few lush spring areas the park is known for.  These plants bloom a brilliant white flower in May or June depending on the weather and water.

Around the lake area, these are the same plants shown in the previous picture, the white flowers are very visible.

A panorama of the lake when the water was full.

A shot of the lake from the small cement spillway, a small outlet to feed yet another smaller lake not shown here.

When you visit the Park on cloudy days, the skies are beautiful, especially with the mountains as the backdrop.

Another panorama from one of the hiking trails showing parts of the vast area of the Park.

Another panorama of the park when a light brush of snow was on the ground.

When the water level of the lake is normal, there are almost always water foul of some type.  I've never seen a duck with a blue beek before, but...

Typically Mallards are always present in the lake.

When the cacti are blooming they are truly a spectacular site, the colors are endless in the desert during the right times.

Colors of the lake when the water was high and all things are presumed normal.

Several times during the year you're likely to see donkeys, here they were about 100 feet from us getting a drink from the stream.

It may not look like it from this picture, but the flower above are only one to three millimeters in diameter.

The original Ranch House.

Driveway from the Ranch House.

Amazing cacti flowers, they're everywhere.

Another view of Lake Harriet as its being dried.

Every year there are Civil War re-enactments.

Back of the Ranch House.

Park entrance.

One of the flowering trees on property.  It only had flowers for a couple weeks.

If you get the chance to visit this park I highly recommend it.

This map shows the majority of the hiking trails available at the Ranch.  I use a GPS and this is the typical track I take when I go, it's approximately 5.0 miles.  The trail takes you through several climate zones and allows viewing of several species.  You will enjoy.  The hike is rather easy.  If it's warm, bring water.





The following additional links will provide more artistic pictures of the Spring Mountain Ranch area.


Wide lake shot
Flowers toward the Southern Mountains
Hiking through the hills
Wide shot from the road
Another shot from the road
Pano of the lake
Artistic of hills and clouds
Artistic of more flowers
Artistic cacti
A cloud cover shot
On top of a hill, pano of the valley
Rock climber at Red Rock