Doggin’ Las Vegas: Where To Hike With Your Dog When In Sin City

Sunset Park at East Sunset Road and S. Eastern Avenue is a traditional urban
recreational park with ballfields and playgrounds. While lacking an extensive trail
system, there is fresh green grass and shade trees aplenty that will be a welcome
sight for any dog visiting Las Vegas. A paved trail traces the edge of a prominent
artificial pond and beyond that is a patch of undeveloped mesquite-dunes land
similar to what all Las Vegas looked like before the coming of neon.

For some serious hikes with your dog head out of town to the northeast and Valley
of Fire State Park. The stunning red sandstone rock formations that give the Valley
of Fire its name are the result of great shifting sand dunes. Two thousand years ago
the Basket Maker people traveled here and left rock art reminders of their visits that
can be seen today. In 1935 the Valley of Fire, now 34,000 acres, was dedicated as
Nevada’s first state park.

Dogs are welcome on all nine short interpretive trails, all easily accessed from the
main park roadways. In many places the hiking is over fine red sand trails. The
feature trail here is the White Domes Loop Trail in the far northern section of the
park. The path circles through rock formations and a slot canyon on its one-mile
odyssey. Look for the stone ruins of a movie set from The Professionals when Lee
Marvin led a crew of four hard-edged adventurers on a rescue mission for a
kidnapped woman. Many movies have used the Valley of Fire as a backdrop but
this is the only set in the park as filmmakers are no longer allowed to abandon their
sets.

The quick hikes in the Valley of Fire are especially attractive for dogs visiting in the
summer when the sun’s rays bouncing off the red rocks make the landscape appear
on fire – and feel like it. Canine hikers visiting Las Vegas in more hospitable weather
can also enjoy red rocks just west of town, heading out West Charleston Boulevard
to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

A 13-mile scenic drive winds through the iron-tinged sandstone mountains and
climbs about 1000 feet. Parking areas are liberally sprinkled along the route that
provide access to 19 hiking trails. Many of the routes explore side canyons with
only moderate elevation gains of a few hundred feet.

The most difficult of the Red Rock Canyon trails is the climb along the Turtlehead
Peak Trail. This five-mile round trip is never too punishing as it makes its way to
the 6,323-foot summit. Your purchase is sweeping views of the Calico Hills and the
city of Las Vegas.

To reach Valley of Fire State Park take I-15 north out of Las Vegas for 55 miles
to the Valley of Fire Road. Head east to the park’s West Entrance Station.

copyright 2006

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine Hiker’s Bible.
To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy
of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit
http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes
for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking
adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit
parks, historical sites and beaches.