Park it in Nevada

Nevada National and State Parks

Ready to go big this summer? We’re talking road-tripping the most mountainous region in the Lower 48: Nevada! This place is made for adventurers who prefer their pit stops to be national and state parks.

Nevada is a wide-open land with a gem of a park—mountainous Great Basin National Park is famous for its brilliant night sky and the oldest living trees on earth. Bag Wheeler Peak, one of the marquee hikes in Great Basin and the second-tallest peak in Nevada at 13,063 feet. For a more easygoing adventure, Bristlecone Trail is a walk among legends: the oldest living trees on earth!

And don’t miss Nevada’s stunning state parks. Hike among the marbled slot canyons and caves of Cathedral Gorge (pro tip: after exploring here, stay at a haunted hotel in a “living” ghost town—who dare ghosts there?!).

Or visit Spring Mountain Ranch during a full moon and go on a night hike. A night under the stars, whether at a state or national park, is time well spent. Starry nights in Nevada are some of the clearest on the planet.

PLAN IT: TravelNevada has an amazing website rich with ideas and tools for planning a road trip and exploring Nevada’s parks.

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    Sunset Hike (and Manly Lake Vista!) at Dante's View

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  2. The Carson Show

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  3. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park waterfall hike in Sonoma Valley

    Sweet as Sugarloaf

    Right in the heart of wine country there’s plenty more than wine flowing right now, with an oft unheralded waterfall that surges to an exuberant spectacle from all the recent rain.

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  4. Taking the Stage: Tyler Ranch

    Hike the recently opened Tyler Ranch Staging Area in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, with 18 miles of new trails. This 6.5-mile loop up Sunol Peak is a challenge and rewards with exceptional views of seasonal iridescent hills.

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  1. Rise and Shine Zabriskie Hike

    The sunrise at Zabriskie Point makes a grand entrance, with the light ascending slowly and washing over the golden badlands. It’s signature Death Valley. It’s also a great starting point for one of the Valley’s marquee hikes.

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  2. Kelso Dunes

    The hike to the top of Kelso Dunes in the Mojave National Preserve is only 3 miles (out and back), but you’ll feel like you’ve hiked much farther by the time you’re done.

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  3. Woman on Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Death Valley National Park

    Starry Night & Dark Sky Adventures

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  4. Woman at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tree Grove in LA

    LA's Memorial to MLK

    The 400-acre Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area is home to trails, lawns, picnic areas, and—at the park’s highest point, overlooking LA’s skyline—the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tree Grove.

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