A true oasis in the desert. I almost don't want to share how incredible this part of Lake Mead NRA…read moreis so that it stays beautiful. Here's the irony--I lived in Las Vegas for 15 years and had never been to Lake Mohave until I moved to Phoenix and came back for a work project at Cottonwood Cove. Man oh man do I wish I had known of this beauty in all the years I felt stuck in a overbuilt, dirty city. My zen level would have been far better had I taken periodic trips to the lake. I mean, I've obviously been to Lake Mead but it's not special. The surrounding desert is, but the lake is murky and gross. Lake Mohave has no serious bath ring, has beaches, and has beautiful clear water. The Cottonwood Cove area even has a store with tons of beverages and snacks at reasonable prices. I definitely will be back in the future for some R&R in this desert oasis. Definitely do yourself a favor and spend some time relaxing on a boat here, I really don't think you'll regret it.

An awesome find on a roadtrip from Flagstaff to Hoover Dam. Pulled off of Highway 40 on a whim to…read moreexplore Lake Mohave and after several long minutes on winding narrow road amongst the desolate desert landscape, the road opens up and you arrive at the lake, which laid beautiful against the backdrop of the desert landscape and gave off an aura of mystery and tranquility and rest. People were canoeing and paddle boarding and fishing. Met a young conservationist from the fish hatchery there who showed off the baby fish which he had taken from the lake to nurture in the hatchery. We sat by the lake for awhile and enjoyed the atmosphere and scenery, but wished we had more time dedicated to the lake. Will definitely be back and do some canoeing next time!

Great hike in Lake Mead. Once you see Mile marker 16 turn left into the dirt road. Take the road to…read moreOre Car Mine sign pass the sign and go about 400ft past Ore Car Sign to where the road ends. The last 200 Feet Hike in or back in with vehicle there is no turn around use a guide there is a 10ft drop at end of road from there walk into the wash to the right and travel the wash the side that narrows and walk .75 miles you will then begin Anniversary Narrows. When you enter off Marker 16 you will only see one small sign for Anniversary Narrows 4x4 makes it easier you can go by car just take it very slow. No cell service so do not get hurt out there.

Epic hike! Only 45…read moremin from vegas to feel like your hiking in Antelope Canyon with a beautiful narrow slot canyon. Moderate hike definitely had some challenging areas but my legs are pretty strong from doing exercise classes so I took it slow and had a great experience. It rained in Vegas a few days prior to our hike, so the bowl of fire in the narrows was flooded about 3 feet. We took our shoes and socks off and slid our pants up and walked through it to get to the other side where the narrows begin. It was cold and unknown territory, but I'm so glad we did it because The rest of the hike was amazing.. Enter Lake Mead past the pay station and then turn left on North Shore Rd. Until you get to mile marker 16 take a left and follow the sign for Calville Wash until you see a fork in the road to the left is anniversary mine road. Keep left there. You don't wanna go to the right because it's deeper sand and without a 4 x 4 you may get stuck. So keep going left on anniversary mine Road it's a dirt road. You'll see some 2 WD parking shortly after being on that road but if you have a four-wheel-drive car, keep going down further until you see a wash. This will save you from having to walk further. From the 2WD point to the entrance of the narrows is 1.8 miles . You can't go any further into the wash because there's no way to get back up unless you have one of those big jumbo jeeps. Find some parking off the side of the road and walk into the wash, which is to the left. Follow the Wash for about a mile into the entrance of the narrows. There are several steep ledges throughout the hike and you'll see some spectacular hues of color throughout your time there.. once you reach the end of the narrows, you could keep going up to the top of the ridge and see an overlook of the narrows. There is also a mine that you can check out. We did not go any further than the end of the narrows, but plenty of other people were. We brought our two small dogs and everybody had a great time. Our friends from New York came with us and were deterred from the flooded fire bowl so they turned back and went to the car, but we continued on with our hike.

This hike is not for dogs, and I wouldn't recommend small kids under 10. You have to go up and own…read moreropes, climb a lot of rocks. It is a part of willow beach. So I would recommend maybe meeting at the end of the trail if you HAVE to bring small kids or dogs. You would have to kayak or canoe from willow beach to the end of the trail. At willow beach they do have the equipment available for rent. This hike is long. It took me 4 hours to get to the end and back. There are 7 ropes you will have to go down and climb up to get back. We had to have young men help us up some of the rocks. Boost were needed, and assistance getting down the rocks.

Great hike. Pretty intense and not recommended for kids or elderly in my opinion. Also leave your…read moredogs at home. There are 5 (?) spots with ropes or ladders that you have to climb up / down. The hike is all downhill on the way to the springs and uphill on the way out so remember that. Definitely pack snacks! It's a long hike, our round trip ended up being 7 miles but we did a lot of walking once we got down to the Colorado River. Don't forget to keep ur head above the hot springs water! There are signs for brain eating amoebas that live in the springs (only attack humans if they can travel up the nasal passage)

Very beautiful Joshua plants. 44,000 acres! Plenty of snakes out here! About 21 miles from the…read moreentrance to the Grand Canyon and Hualapai Reservation NW Arizona. Parking lot very limited space. Be careful when it gets busy late afternoon. Sometimes it's very crowded. Plan ahead. I'd recommend the morning is best time.

This was an awesome place that my wife and I drove through got a few good pitchers in Arizona on…read morethe way to the Grand Canyon West. Is my first time being an Arizona first time being in the desert and it's very hot, but does have some cool scenery on the long the way.

As a park, this is a lovely park. It has a view of Lake Mead and is simply beautiful! The…read moreplayground has a lot of equipment that kept our tiny one busy and so happy! There are beautiful picnic facilities and a lot of seating throughout the park . There is also a tennis court and ample shade to help stay cool. The walking path provides informational displays that explain the best part of the park....the long-horned sheep. There is a large herd that spends part of their day right here in the park. Of course they are wild animals and should not be approached but you are able to sit so close to them and observe as they relax in the grass. They are not tame but it is so neat to be able to be so close to them without them being at all disturbed by our presence. If you are in the area, stop by and see if you are able to share part of your day with wildlife!

A surprise visit that was amazing and special. A beautiful park that offered a treat with wild…read morelife. An experience that I will never unsee such magic and beauty of the desert. As Hemingway would say - "Every day above earth is a good day."

VOF state park is DEF one of the cooler state parks in not just Nevada, but the US! The landscapes…read moreare beautiful, and very unique. I've not been to the wave but I have been to other slot canyons/antelope canyon, and the ring of fire trail leading to the scenic view of the fire wave is reminiscent of it!! There was also a pink sand slot canyon along that trail if you do the full loop (called the Pastel (pink) canyon trail). It's super cute and very unique, I did not see any other landforms quite like it on my road trip through Utah! Another short trail I enjoyed was the rainbow view trail - it's not long at all and is just a generally pretty, pink sand trail to a nice viewpoint. And the iconic valley of fire road view actually is just past this trailhead on your way back toward the main road (driving away from ring of fire trail). DO BE AWARE it gets hotter THAN out here. They have signs up at several trailheads that essentially say "drink water, you could die." I went on a day in April and it wasn't too bad, but it was still hot enough I was sweating a bit by the time I returned to my car, and it got VERY hot inside the car as well and took a hot minute to cool down. Overall though: this is one state park that is so unique it is absolutely worth traveling off the beaten path and the $10 entry fee to visit. The visitor center is also super nice and has lots of fun learning exhibits!

Valley of Fire is a 10/10 for families! It's not too far from Vegas (~1 hour), hikes are easy…read moreenough for small kids (and probably older adults too), and the April weather was perfect. Tips: - Pack way more snacks than you think you'll need. - Use a real restroom before you get deep into the park--the ones on-site were pretty rough. It's a must-do before the summer heat kicks in

My husband and I did the full-day Black Canyon kayak tour with Desert Adventures and I seriously…read morecan't recommend it enough. I grew up in Vegas and have been on this river a ton by boat, and I've also hiked to both Gold Strike and Arizona Hot Springs. Those hikes are super rewarding but honestly brutal. This experience was completely different in the best way. Being able to get out of the river and be steps away from hot springs was amazing, and the views from the water are hands down the best. We met the team bright and early at 5:30am for launch, and everything was super smooth. They shuttled us, got us fitted for life jackets, handled waivers, and gave a quick safety rundown. Launch timing is strict because of the park service, but they made it feel easy and not stressful at all. Definitely be on time, though, because due to this strict timing, they will leave without you. The kayaks were such a game-changer. They were longer touring kayaks with foot-controlled rudders, dry storage, and actual back support. Super comfortable for me and somehow also worked great for my 6'2" husband (he had a larger boat). Since it was just the two of us, our guide Holmes customized the whole day to our pace. He took us to hidden spots I had never seen before, even as a local, and helped us avoid crowds. We did some hiking, rock scrambling, used ropes at Boy Scout Canyon, and explored hot springs that you can only get to from the river. It felt adventurous but still very safe, and he gave great tips the whole time. He also knew so much about the area. History of the Hoover Dam, plants, wildlife, etc. I learned a ton - even as someone who felt familiar with the area. This is exactly why I'm glad we didn't just rent kayaks. Having a guide made it feel like a next-level experience. We got to relax more while he handled the route and found the best spots. We got lucky with perfect early April weather. No wind, super glassy water, and we could see fish deep in the water. The 12 miles honestly felt way easier than expected, especially with how well Holmes guided us through the current so we could just float and chill a lot of the time. They also packed a great lunch, snacks, and plenty of water. You really just need a sun shirt, hat, sunglasses, swimsuit, water shoes, and sunscreen. They take care of the rest. Even though we leaned a little more adventurous, I could totally see this being doable for beginners, too. You don't need to be super athletic to enjoy it. Pickup and cleanup were easy and seamless. They handled everything while I grabbed a snack and relaxed, which honestly made it feel even more special. This was such a cool experience, and I would 100% do it again. Already recommending it to friends, and I would definitely consider doing the overnight version next time.

Desert Adventures is great! We did a self led excursion…read moredown the Colorado river but used this company to drop us off and pick us up! They provided a large trailer with ample shelves and space to put are gear onto. A safety speech was also given. This company has special authorization to enter the Hoover Dam property and take people down to launch from the entrance of the Hoover Dam. They instructed you to move quickly as there was a time limit for getting everyone/everything Into the water and away from the area. The next day, they were prompt with their pick up and helped us load our gear back onto the trailer. I would definitely use this company again and recommend them to others.

Beautiful park in a nice location with plenty of activities…read more The pond is nice and has a few ducks and turtles in it. There is a walking path, picnic area, playground, splash pad for the kids, basketball court, and tennis courts. You get a nice view of the mountains as your backdrop from here. A nice spot for a little walk or playground outing.

Large and beautiful park with so many activities here. Playgrounds, walking trail, sports, etc…read more There's a large parking lot. The pond with ducks and little bridge is cute. This is in a suburban area. There were a lot of people.