Silver State Sights - Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KOLO) - If you were driving into the Red Rock Canyon area on State Route 159 from the south, you could turn off into an area that used to be a stop for travelers before cars were invented.

“When I think about Spring Mountain Ranch I think about the continuity. We are one of the only places that hasn’t changed since being founded in the 1870s,” said David Low, a ranger at the park.

It’s easy to see why settlers in the 1800s chose the area now known as Spring Mountain Ranch State Park to settle in, with its lush surrounding serving as a stark contrast to the barren Nevada desert located around it.

“We are an actual oasis,” Low added. “That’s why it was chosen as a ranch. We have five springs here.”

Low has been a ranger at the park for nearly a decade, and he says what attracted those settlers in the 1800s is often the same thing that brings in tourists today who want to get away from Las Vegas.

“We are a day use park,” he explained. “One of the biggest attractions is what you see behind me, the grassy shady picnic area.”

Given its status as a true oasis, the park proved invaluable to pioneers headed to California along the Spanish trail. It became a reliable place to rest and stock up on supplies required for the remainder of the trip.

Today, people go to the park in search of a good hike.

“We have four miles of hiking trails,” said Low. “The most difficult is only moderately difficult. The easiest you can take a stroller on.”

The park is in the Las Vegas area but if you go there when staying on the strip, you will still be looking at about a 45 minute drive to get there.

You can also check out Red Rock Canyon, or it’s scenic overlook on your trip to this area.

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