Silver State Sights - Pahrump

PAHRUMP, Nev. (KOLO) - It’s certainly not the southern Nevada town that comes to mind first for most people.

“Pahrump is about an hour west of Las Vegas and about an hour east of Death Valley,” explained Tracie Barnthouse of Travel Nevada.

A drive down State Route 160, the main road in the town of Pahrump, reveals it to be a bit of an extension of Las Vegas. There is the desert landscape, casinos, even signs for Vegas based lawyers. Some locals though, see it as 180 degrees different compared to Nevada’s largest city.

“It’s the perfect getaway from the Clark county area. We are rural enough that we have a real change of scenery here,” said Arlette Ledbetter, the town’s tourism director.

Ledbetter also says one of the big draws to the Nye County town is wine.

“We are what we call Nevada’s wine country,” she explained.

The town is now home to 36,000 people, and tourists, keep coming in – many of them in recreational vehicles. The town has about 1200 spots for RVs to park.

In addition to its multiple wineries, the town is home to a number of museums and casinos. And if you are a racing fan, you are in luck as well.

“Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club is the 2nd longest high performance driving track in the world,” Ledbetter remarked.

And despite its population, there is no mayor of Pahrump, as its residents have voted against becoming an incorporated city.

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