Saturday, December 21, 2013

Yes Las Vegas, There Is A Wetlands Park (And A Trail, Too)

I've been in the Las Vegas area for more than a year and I'm still discovering new terrain to ride. Like today, for example. Michael Wixom of all people, a member of the Nevada Board of Regents, told me about a new regional trail near the Lake Las Vegas area on the opposite side of the Las Vegas Valley from Summerlin.

After a morning hike from my home to Little Red Rocks, I packed up the Zaskar LE mountain bike and headed over to what is called Wetlands Park (it contains the Las Vegas Wash, which leads to Lake Mead) and tested the waters, and trails, too.

The trailhead is six miles from Lake Las Vegas and the paved trail meanders through some desert but through some gorgeous vegetative areas, too, near the Las Vegas Wash.

Here's the beautiful thing about riding a mountain bike on this course -- I was able to mix and match surfaces, biking on the paved trail but also going off pavement to bike on an unpaved road and also some dirt areas near the Wash.

Let's take a tour. The trail is smooth as silk.

  

But check out the off-pavement riding, too. Some easy camel back riding.



Amazingly, Sam Boyd Stadium and the Las Vegas Bowl college football game had just started when I started biking. It was only a few miles away -- but on the other side of the Wash. I heard the cheers and PA announcer.




Check out the paved trail skirting the trees and water.



Went off trail to check the trees and vegetation



Whoa nellie, we have some equine activity.


Checking some more off pavement scenery.



Then, there was some unpaved roads, too, to explore.



Some gorgeous scenery for the paved trail to explore.


Hard to believe the desert in Vegas has a park called Wetlands Park.


Keeping the Zaskar LE off dirt is like keeping a fish out of water.




Did see a few bicyclists, but only four total including this fella.



Reminds me of the Platter River in Denver -- but it's Wetlands Park outside Vegas.



The bridge over the Las Vegas Wash was nice.



The scenes were not as colorful as the sign today, but it was a wonderful discovery.

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