Author: Shauna Wekherlien

The 3 Best Places for Hikers Visiting Las Vegas

/ Shauna Wekherlien / Leave a comment

If you find yourself headed to Las Vegas, either for a conference, music festival or because of a cheap flight deal, then you might be surprised to learn that it’s a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Sure, the flash and sparkle of The Strip gets all the credit, but there is more to Las Vegas than casinos and cheap booze. In fact, there are some great places for hikes in the vicinity of the city. So, if you find yourself in Sin City and craving a good hike, below are some of the best hikes for you to check out.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Located about a half hour west of The Strip, Red Rock is a local favorite for day hikes, mountain biking, and rock climbing. More than 20 trails are easily accessible direct from the 13-miles scenic loop that goes through the park. If you’re traveling with kids, or just want an easy hike, choose either the Red Spring boardwalk or Lost Creek Children’s Discovery trail. But if you only have time one for trail, and can handle easy to moderate terrain, then go on the Calico Tanks trail. You’ll get to experience the best of the scenery that Red Rock has to offer, and when you reach the highest vantage point you’ll be rewarded with an amazing view of the Las Vegas Strip.

 

Valley of Fire State Park

Located about an hour’s drive northeast east of the city, this 35,000-acre park is the oldest in the state. And it offers up some amazing scenery. With more than 10 official trails to choose from, the Rainbow Vista trail is one of the most popular due to the array of colors that hikers get to see on the rocks. This trail is easy to moderate, with only some slight inclines. For an easier trail, check out Mouse’s Tank trail where you can view some ancient petroglyphs on the canyon walls. Just be warned that this trail floor is entirely desert sand that will get in your shoes.

Valley Of Fire Sunset

Mount Charleston

Located about a half hour northwest of the city, Mount Charleston is part of the Spring Mountain Range and Toiyabe National Forest and a welcome cool retreat for visitors and local during the hot summer months. There are over 50 marked trails to choose from, which range in difficulty. But the best part about these trails is that Mount Charleston is often less crowded than the other popular hiking spots. The Mary Jane Falls trails is the best option for those who want an easy hike, plus you get to see a waterfall on this trail. If you prefer to take in canyon walls, then go on the equally as easy Fletcher Canyon trail. For those a bit more seasoned, the best half-day hike options are the Cathedral Rock trail for it’s amazing views and the Big Falls trails for its 100-foot waterfall.

Mount Charleston view

Though these three parks offer some of the best hikes in Las Vegas, you can also find great options just a few hours outside of the city. So, if you have the time, consider a day trip to Death Valley or Zion National Park in Utah.

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls

/ Shauna Wekherlien / 1 Comment

These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi River, which is more than 2 km wide at this point, plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises an iridescent mist that can be seen more than 20 km away.

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The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world’s greatest sheet of falling water and significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows. This transboundary property extends over 6860 ha and comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia), 2340 ha of Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe), 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe). A riverine strip of the Zambezi National Park extending 9 km west along the right bank of the Zambezi and islands in the river are all within the Park as far as Palm and Kandahar Islands, with the Victoria Falls being one of the major attractions. The waterfall stands at an altitude of about 915 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.) and spans to about 1708 m wide with an average depth of 100 m and the deepest point being 108 m. Sprays from this giant waterfall can be seen from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road, Zambia and 50 km from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe. Basalts have been cut by a river system producing a series of eightspectacular gorges that serve as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds. The basalts of the Victoria Falls World Heritage property are layered unlike those of the Giants Causeway World Heritage site which are vertical and columnar.

 

Find more at http://goo.gl/LFLsIO

 

 

 

PRSKALO WATERFALL

/ Shauna Wekherlien / Leave a comment

Prskalo waterfall is one of the most beautiful and most interesting waterfalls in Serbia, with its very unusual structure that resembles a tall stone sculpture. The water from the nearby spring flows over the top of the rock, creating a thin but powerful jet. It is located in the Kučaj mountains, 17 km away from the nearest paved road, at about 760 meters above sea level. Continue reading →