Decided to explore Death Valley since the weather has finally cooled off. Over two days we managed to see: the sand dunes, badwater basin, zabriskie point, ubehehe crater, and artist’s drive.

Ended up sand boarding!!!! It was so much fun!!! Definitely bring your board with you to try it out.

We camped at furnace creek campground, which was conveniently located in the middle of the things we wanted to see. They don’t take any reservations during the summer and charge $22 a night. Definitely worth it. Just make sure to check the weather before you go as it gets REALLY HOT!!!

Located 45 minutes outside of Vegas, Emerald Cave is an absolute beauty. If you’re looking to get out of the city, enjoy the nice weather and warm lake water, this is the place for you. Oh and did I mention, there’s a cave to explore nearby???!!

We decide to rent a kayak for the weekend so we can explore Emerald Cave and it’s surrondings.

Ended up camping nearby, on a sandy beach area. No permit required or reservation. Free of charge, primitive campsite. Make sure to get there early as the area fills up quickly!!!

Went to Zion for the weekend to hike the narrows and hidden canyon. This time around, we decided to camp at one of the established campgrounds.

Pros: located near the entrance, therefore convenient.

Cons: have to book weeks ahead of time, there’s a $20 a night fee, and a sea of people, therefore no privacy.

To avoid the crowds, I would suggest camping on Kolob road (see my previous post). Even though it’s 30 minutes from Zion and considerate a primitive campground, it is free, next to a stream, and with not crowded

Lower Calf Creek hike is located in Grand Staircase Escalante, 5 hours away from Las Vegas, Nevada. The hike itself is 6 miles round trip with beautiful scenery and a beautiful waterfall at the end. Go during the summer time when the water is warmer so you take a dip in the waterfall.

First come basis for the campground, no reservations allowed. You have to pay a $5 campground fee at the trailhead. Make sure you get there ealry, there’s only 14 spots total and the place gets crowded quick as it the most popular hike/ campground in Escalante. Have fun!!! Totally worth the long drive!!!

My friend and I decided to hike Mt Charleston Peak in order to train for hiking Machu Picchu. Here’s a breakdown of the hike: 17 miles | 11,916 ft elevation | 8,241 ft prominence | Highest peak in Southern Nevada | 8th most prominent mountain in the U.S. | Most prominent mountain in Nevada. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

In terms of camping, we decided to avoid the crowds, and camp on our way back, along the trail. Primitive/ dispersed camping available. Fire is allowed depending on the season, so check their website before hand. Pack-in-pack-out type camp.

Whipple cave is located 3 hours from Las Vegas, heading north. Coordinates to the cave can be found here: latitude 38.48909 longitude 115.01829

Once you get to the Whipple cave access road, pass the wire fenced gate located on the right hand side. Here, you will drive on a dirt road for about 2 miles. A 4w drive is highly encountered. You won’t be able to make the drive in a sedan. You will see the trailhead at the end of the road.

You can camp here for the night. There’s fire pits available throughout, it’s a very secluded area so you will not run into other people or crowds. Just an FYI, it gets pretty windy at night. Dog friendly! No reservation required, free to camp!

The cave is located a couple minutes away, up the mountain. You will see signs for it. You can enter the cave by rappelling down 70 feet. Once at the bottom, you can embark on a 2 mile spelunking adventure!!! You will need a 165 ft rope and headlamps to accomplish this adventure as well as technical rope-climbing skills.

Arizona Hot Springs is located at Mile Marker 4 US 93 South Of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City, NV 89005. Those directions will take you to the parking lot trailhead.

Although it’s only a 6 mile round trip hike, make sure to bring plenty of water as it gets extremely hot in the canyon. A bathing suit and water shoes are highly encouraged as you will pass multiple hot springs (when I say they’re hot, they’re steaming hot). Here, you can relax for a little bit in the man made jacuzzi, or continue your hike until you hit a 20 ft ladder which you need to climb and then you’re minutes away from the Colorado river.

Just an FYI,The hike itself is closed during the summer months.

In terms of camping, once you reach the Colorado river, you will come across a beachy area. You can set camp here for the night. Just an FYI, it gets pretty crowded prior to the summer months so get here early in order to get a nice spot. First come basis, no reservation. Free of charge, can stay up to 15 days. Primitive campsite with limited fire pits available. However, the area is absolutely beautiful, and makes up for the primitive campsite with so many amazing options from dipping in the hot springs or jumping in the river to cool off.

One of the best hikes I’ve ever done!!! The campground is located near Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls and absolutely worth the $140 per night fee. You will have to book at least 6 months ahead of time! Worth the wait and the 12 miles hike in.

Located in Grand Staircase - Escalante National Park, on Hole in the Rock Road, near the trailhead for Peek-A-Boo and Spooky Canyon trailhead. Primitive campsite with fire pits available in some spots. Perfect place to camp after a long hike, especially if you’re planning on being the area for a couple days. Enjoy!

If you’re looking to explore a lesser known area of Zion National Park and avoid the crowds, this is the place for you. Located 30 minutes from Zion National Park, on Kolob Terrace Road (0.1 miles once on Kolob road on the right hand side). The campsite is located near a stream and is absolutely beautiful. Free to camp here, no permit required, first come basis. Fire pits are available throughout.

For those of you who are planning on hiking the Subway, this is the perfect place to camp as it only located a few miles from the Subway Trailhead - Left Fork Trailhead.

Enjoy.

Approximate location: GPS: 37.231354, -113.156843