These are the best places to hike around Las Vegas

Just after the exit of the Red Rock Scenic Loop, this easy two-mile, out-and-back round-trip stroll follows a sandy path through the desert leading to a clutch of cottonwood trees and willows that burst into life along a creek that forms a small, hidden waterfall each spring. While you may occasionally spot a group of wild burros or a family of bighorn sheep, you’re more likely to encounter rabbits among the bushes.

Bird-watchers flock to Wetlands Park for the chance to spot any of the more than 280 species the Red Rock Audubon Society says frequent the desert park: quail, sandpipers, wood ducks, great blue herons and egrets, among them. The 210-acre preserve, which is 20 minutes from the Strip, has more than seven miles of paved and unpaved trails (three miles are ADA accessible) that loop past ponds, over washes and through cottonwood groves.

The tracks and trains—built to support the construction of the Hoover Dam—are long gone but a level, roughly seven-mile walking path remains. Today, the family-friendly Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail is suitable for kids, dogs and anyone who just wants to enjoy a casual walk along a gravel path.

Hiking in the suburbs? Absolutely. Sloan Canyon is a bit of a surprise because it butts up against a neighborhood yet preserves 48,438 acres of native land protecting one of the region’s most important petroglyph sites. Along the 4.4-mile Petroglyph Trail there are more than 300 panels with nearly 1,700 man-made carvings. Another nearby hike climbs through ancient lava fields to the top of Black Mountain.

Strictly a cold weather hike, this six-mile scramble near Lake Mead sends individuals navigating through a narrow canyon, which requires some light rappelling using fixed ropes attached to the rocky route—so weary sturdy shoes over sneakers. Keep an eye out for bighorn sheep along the way to the river. Gold Strike is closed in the summer due to the extreme heat.

Pick a trail, any trail. It’s hard to go wrong at this spectacular state park, where petroglyphs mark rock faces and sandstone-weathered formations like Elephant Rock vie for your attention among the slot canyons. Most of the trails here are short treks across sandy ground to rock formations sculpted over millions of years by wind and water. No matter which you choose, you’re bound to be awed. Fire Wave Trail, for example, is a quick route that leads to an undulating rock “wave” with alternative candy cane-like stripes that’s best seen in golden hours of dusk or dawn.

This six miler is one of the coolest hikes you can do in Las Vegas. And for those who have never seen an ancient bristlecone pine it will be the most memorable. Located in the Spring Mountains, the Bristlecone Trail gains about 1,100 feet in elevation, which takes hikers from a dense forest to the bristlecones—some of the oldest living things on the planet, some of which date back 4,000 years.

Rising nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, Mount Charleston is the tallest peak in the Spring Mountains range. Just north of Las Vegas, it’s a magnet for serious hikers but you’ll need an early start to tackle this one. At 16.3 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of 4,888 feet, it’s not an easy hike. But the views and the accomplishment are worth the effort.

Death Valley isn’t technically in Las Vegas, but the country’s hottest, driest and lowest national park is just two hours away. Hiking season in this fascinating landscape is November through March before the heat reaches unbearable, life-threatening levels. Artists Palate, Zabriskie Point and the salt-crusted Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level) are the drive-to highlights. Walk on the dunes or try the two-mile trail to Darwin Falls, a lush break from the harsh environment.