These Nevada state parks might be the state’s best-kept secret

From otherworldly red rocks to fossil beds and alpine lakes, Nevada’s state parks offer adventures far beyond the Las Vegas Strip.

• Nevada is home to 27 state parks offering a variety of landscapes and activities.
• Park attractions range from hiking and camping to viewing ancient ichthyosaur fossils.

CLARK COUNTY, NV – Standing at the edge of a sea of rocks, I was transported to another world less than an hour outside Las Vegas.

Instead of water, waves of rusty red sandstone and creamy limestone crested in every direction of the Fire Canyon/Silica Dome Overlook at Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park, 

I wasn’t the only one who found it otherworldly. Park signage indicated this place portrayed the fictional planet Veridian III in the 1994 film “Star Trek: Generations.” 

But Valley of Fire is very real, and it’s just one of the more than two dozen state parks offering travelers a different side of Nevada.

This stunning national park is free. Hardly anyone goes there.

How many state parks are there in NV? 

There are 27 state parks in Nevada. 

“What’s really nice is a lot of them are pretty clumped together, so you can hit multiple of them in a few days,” said Tyler Kerver, Education and Information officer for Nevada Division of State Parks. 

He said even he didn’t realize how many parks there were until he started working there.  

How to choose 

Kerver suggests exploring parks.nv.gov and narrowing options based on what you hope to experience. 

“If I was going to hike or mountain bike, I’d probably look at the Lake Tahoe-area parks, like Spooner Lake (and Backcounty) and Van Sickle,“ he said. “Maybe you just want to relax by a lake with the family. We have a few campgrounds with reservoirs.” 

On a recent RV trip, my family camped at Valley of Fire near Overton and also visited Cathedral Gorge State Park near Panaca and Kershaw-Ryan State Park in Caliente. The latter two are only about 20 minutes away from each other and roughly 2.5 hours away from Las Vegas. 

“If you’re looking just to get out and explore, Cathedral Gorge is definitely a great area to set up kind of a base camp, and then you can get to not only Cathedral Gorge, but all the other parks around Cathedral Gorge, all within like a day or two,” Kerver said. 

My kids enjoyed exploring Cathedral Gorge’s twisty slot canyons and taking it easy at Kershaw-Ryan, which felt like a little oasis in the desert with leisurely trails, manicured gardens, a spring-fed wading pool for young kids, and a tree-canopied picnic area, where we ate lunch. 

Young explorers may enjoy Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park near Austin, about 2.5 hours from Reno. The Smithsonian Institution describes ichthyosaurs as “extinct dolphin-shaped marine reptiles that flourished in the oceans” more than 65 millions years ago. Kerver said the park boasts the largest ichthyosaur fossil bed in the U.S.

“We do tours of the fossil house every summer, and you can walk right up to the actual fossils still laying in the ground,” he said. “Ice Age Fossils State Park is one of our newest ones in North Las Vegas, and that one is kind of similar … We have mammoth, bison, dire wolves, all kinds of cool fossils.”

One of Kerver’s personal favorites is Cave Lake State Park, near Ely. “It’s pretty cool, like Alpine summer camp,” he said.  

What is the prettiest place in Nevada? 

Pretty is subjective, but many people consider Lake Tahoe to be one of the state’s most beautiful areas. 

Sand Harbor State Park, in Lake Tahoe, is the most visited park in the system with 1.2 million visitors a year, according to Kerver. 

“Sand Harbor State Park is one of the only beaches in Lake Tahoe where you get lifeguards, an on-site restaurant, ample parking,” he said. “You can reserve your spot ahead of time, and you can’t really find that anywhere else in the Lake Tahoe Basin.” 

Desert scenery is just as pretty, in a different way.

I couldn’t imagine a more spectacular campsite setting than the one we had at Valley of Fire, Nevada’s second-most visited state park. It also offers sparkling facilities. 

“We get the reputation for having some of the cleanest bathrooms,” Kerver said. “We take that pretty seriously.” 

How much does it cost to go to a Nevada state park? 

Entry fees vary by park but are typically between $10 to $15. 

Kerver said the parks pride themselves on accessibility. 

“It’s not only ADA-accessible,” he said. “We’re maintaining a lower fee level than a lot of other places, so it’s still cheaper to get in … We really want to make sure that they are some of the least expensive places to visit and that they remain accessible to everyone.” 

To save even more, travelers planning to visit numerous Nevada state parks or who live within driving distance may want to consider a $100 annual permit, which can be assigned to up to two vehicles. 

USA TODAY reporter Eve Chen was provided access by RVshare. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.