Things to Do in Northwest Las Vegas: Country Living Without Leaving Las Vegas
Up the mountain
1. Ski and ride at Lee Canyon
Lee Canyon is Southern Nevada's ski area, up Lee Canyon Road (SR 156) in the Spring Mountains, about 36 miles and 51 minutes from Centennial Hills Park. Marc skis. So do a lot of our clients, and a season pass is a very local kind of status symbol.
Big news for 2026-27: Lee Canyon is opening a new West Bowl with a four-person chairlift and five new trails of mixed difficulty. Powder reported the lift at a 2,200-foot span, 650 feet of vertical and 1,800 riders an hour. The Hillside Lodge dates to 2019, and in summer the mountain runs a downhill bike park.
Our tip: on a powder Saturday, the road up fills early. Go on a weekday if you can, or leave before sunrise.
2. Hike Mount Charleston
The trails up Kyle Canyon (SR 157) are in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, run by the U.S. Forest Service. The lodge area is about 25 miles and 42 minutes from Centennial Hills Park, and it's much cooler up there than in the valley in July.
- Cathedral Rock Trail: 1.4 miles, out and back, with a few short, steep switchbacks near the top, per the Forest Service. The trailhead is by the first lot at the Cathedral Rock Picnic Area.
- Mary Jane Falls: a 1.5-mile trail the Forest Service calls extremely popular and heavily trafficked. The Forest Service lists it as closed because of damage from Tropical Storm Hilary in August 2023, so check before you go.
The Forest Service posts closures and alerts for the whole area. Look before you drive up, especially after summer storms.
If you want to live closer to the mountain, see our Kyle Canyon community guide.
Parks and open desert in the valley
3. Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs
This is the one we send every new client to first. Floyd Lamb Park is a City of Las Vegas park at 9200 Tule Springs Road with fishing ponds, old ranch buildings, horse trails and a flock of peacocks that act like they own the place. Entry is $6 per vehicle. Bring your camera for the peacocks.
4. Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
The National Park Service manages 22,650 acres of open desert here, set aside in December 2014 for its Ice Age fossils (think mammoths and ancient camels). Access is off the north end of Durango. Know before you go: the NPS says there's no visitor center, shade, water or restrooms on site yet while it goes through park planning. Bring more water than you think you need, and go early.
5. Gilcrease Orchard
A nonprofit orchard at 7800 N Tenaya Way in 89131, and a northwest tradition. It does apples, and in the fall there's a pumpkin patch that fills up with families on the weekends. Hours and what's ripe change with the season, so check the orchard's own updates before you go.
6. The Lone Mountain trail
Lone Mountain is the peak you see from half the northwest, and there's a trail to the top. Pick your trailhead around the base, and the view from the summit shows you exactly where the big lots and horse streets are. Go at sunrise in summer. By 9 a.m. in July, the rock is hot.
7. Centennial Hills Park
The big one: 120 acres at 7207 N Buffalo Drive, per the city. There's an amphitheater that seats more than 3,000 on the grass, two pickleball courts, a dog park and splash pads for the kids. If you live in Centennial Hills, this is your backyard.
A smaller local favorite: Teton Trails Park at 7850 N Bradley Road, with water play, a walking path and lacrosse fields.
Pickleball
8. Where to play now, and the big complex coming
Pickleball is how half our clients make friends. Right now you can play on the two courts at Centennial Hills Park and in open gym at the Centennial Hills YMCA on Buffalo.
The big news is Wayne Bunker Park. The City of Las Vegas broke ground in January 2026 on a $12 million complex with 24 courts, and the city expects it to open in early 2027. When it does, the city's public court count will go to 59.
Horses
9. Horseback riding and horse life
The northwest is horse country, and we mean that. Marc keeps five horses on his mini ranch near Kyle Canyon. Out here you'll see people riding the rural streets, trailering out to the mountain and working horses in backyard arenas.
Floyd Lamb Park has horse trails. The rural areas of Centennial Hills and Lone Mountain are zoned for animals, with plenty of people boarding and riding. If you want a place for your own horses, read our horse property guide. And if you just want to ride, ask us. A barn is the fastest way to meet your neighbors.
Golf
10. Painted Desert Golf Club
Painted Desert is an 18-hole, daily-fee public course at 5555 Painted Mirage Road in 89149, designed by Jay Morrish and operated by Arcis Golf. It has real elevation changes and native desert between the fairways, and it once hosted the Nevada Open. The Rockwall Grille is there for after your round.
The lake
11. Lake Mead boating
Boating and water skiing on Lake Mead are a regular weekend for a lot of northwest families. It's a National Park Service area, and the fees are simple: $25 per private vehicle for up to seven days, $45 for an annual park pass, and $16 a day or $50 a year for a motorized boat, per the NPS (updated June 2026). Entry is cashless, so bring a card.
If you own a boat, you'll want somewhere to keep it. Our RV and boat buyers usually end up on a big lot or in a home with an RV garage.
Nights out, the local way
12. Santa Fe Station
The northwest's locals casino, on Rancho Drive. It has 60 bowling lanes, a 16-screen Century theater, the Chrome Showroom for live shows and Stoney's North Forty for country music and dancing. Nobody's there to see the Strip. They're there for bowling league, a movie and dinner.
13. Concerts close to home
You don't have to fight Strip traffic for live music. Centennial Hills Park's amphitheater holds more than 3,000 on the lawn for city events, and the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station books live shows.
14. Bob Taylor's Ranch House
A northwest steakhouse at 6250 Rio Vista Street that was named a James Beard America's Classic in 2026. It's the place for a birthday, an anniversary or an out-of-town guest you want to impress without going downtown.
Game day
15. Raiders, Golden Knights and the A's
Las Vegas is a real sports town now. The Raiders play here, the Golden Knights play here, and the A's are building their stadium on the Strip with plans to open for the 2028 season. We're fans of all three, the Raiders and the A's most of all. On a Raiders Sunday, half the northwest is wearing silver and black at the grocery store.
Pools: the other summer sport
When it's 110 in July, the best thing to do in the northwest is get in your pool. Pool season "starts as soon as it hits 100 degrees," and a lot of our clients' social lives run through their backyards from May to September. We design pools, too, so if you're dreaming about one, see Marc & Michelle Pool Design.
Living close to all of it
The draw of the northwest is that everything on the mountain and in the valley on this list is within about an hour of Centennial Hills Park, and none of it involves a Strip view. It's country living without leaving Las Vegas. Tell us what you like to do and we'll tell you which neighborhoods put you closest to it. Call or text Michelle at 702-250-7224 or Marc at 702-768-9670, or send us a note. More guides are on our resources page.
Frequently asked questions about things to do in northwest Las Vegas
How far is Lee Canyon from northwest Las Vegas?
About 36 miles and 51 minutes from Centennial Hills Park without traffic, up Lee Canyon Road (SR 156). For the 2026-27 season, Lee Canyon is opening a new West Bowl with a four-person chairlift and five new trails.
How much does it cost to get into Floyd Lamb Park?
Entry is $6 per vehicle. Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs is a City of Las Vegas park at 9200 Tule Springs Road, with fishing ponds, historic ranch buildings, horse trails and resident peacocks.
Is Mary Jane Falls open?
Not as of our latest check. The U.S. Forest Service lists the Mary Jane Falls Trail as closed because of damage from Tropical Storm Hilary in August 2023. Cathedral Rock Trail, a 1.4-mile out-and-back nearby, is a good alternative. Check the Forest Service alerts before you drive up.
Where can I play pickleball in northwest Las Vegas?
Centennial Hills Park has two courts, and the Centennial Hills YMCA has open-gym pickleball. The City of Las Vegas is building a 24-court complex at Wayne Bunker Park, expected to open in early 2027.
Is there anything to do at Tule Springs Fossil Beds?
Yes, mainly hiking and exploring open desert with an Ice Age fossil story. The monument covers 22,650 acres, with access off the north end of Durango. The NPS says there's no visitor center, shade, water or restrooms yet, so bring water and go early.