Welcome to Nevada

The bright lights of Sin City might be the first impressions of Nevada that come to mind, but this Southwestern state is home to ruggedly beautiful deserts and shimmering lakes beyond the glow of Las Vegas.

State Bird: Mountain Bluebird. Getty Images

Great Outdoors: Otherworldly Scenery

Located near the Utah border, Great Basin National Park is known for its rocky landscape, replete with gnarly bristlecone pines and one of the southernmost glaciers in North America. The alpine hills are home to superb recreational activities, including hiking and biking. A couple hours to the south, Cathedral Gorge State Park is an otherworldly landscape, with deep slot canyons and eye-popping spires formed from eroded volcanic ash.

Inimitable Cities

Las Vegas is like a theme park for adults, offering all kinds of over-the-top experiences found no place else. The simple casinos of decades past have been replaced by extravagant pleasure palaces, with dancing waters, gondola rides and roller coasters. A wealth of live entertainment options, shopping and restaurants mean that even non-gamblers will be pleased. In northern Nevada, Reno offers similar thrills, with the Sierra Nevada in close proximity.

Gorgeous Waterways to Explore

Formed by the Hoover Sam, Lake Mead is a feast for the senses, with the red desert hills forming a surreal border between brilliant blue skies and waters. This national recreation area offers boating, fishing and paddling on 247 square miles of water. The state’s red desert landscape gives way to green pines and turquoise waters at Lake Tahoe, one of the most stunning spots in the nation. North America’s largest alpine lake offers fabulous boating and fishing, with ample populations of trout and kokanee salmon. Running between Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River entices paddlers and anglers, with amazing mountain views on the horizon.

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