City Cast Las Vegas logo

The Best Outdoors Places to Clear Your Head

Posted on June 6, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Scott Dickensheets

Scott Dickensheets

Photo of old ghost town ruin

Used to be a happening place, this Rhyolite. (Scott Dickensheets/City Cast Las Vegas)


These days, keeping your head clear is practically a full-time job, especially in the clang and bang of 21st-century Las Vegas. Need a shortcut to calm down? Get outside while the temps are still in double digits. Here are five of the best places:

😌 Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens: Go ahead, cocoon yourself in LV’s premiere urban oasis, says reader Jen M.: “Walk the trails, listen to the birds, and escape the noisy city and busy traffic.”

🚶‍♀️ The Hill at Exploration Peak Park: The trail up this Mountain’s Edge amenity is “not too treacherous even for us out-of-shape folks,” reader Celestia Ward assures me. “There's a clear view of the entire valley up there.”

👻 Rhyolite Ghost Town: Editor’s choice No. 1. These ruins of what was once, very briefly, among Nevada’s most thriving cities, make for a fun afternoon of exploring — and quiet contemplation. Don’t skip the nearby Goldwell Open Air Museum, either.

🪑 Ferguson’s Downtown: “I like the mini-amphi steps, and even more specifically the chairs outside Mike's Recovery, near the palm trees,” says reader Poly Schmitt. “It's a good place to sip coffee or tea and have an existential crisis.”

🎨 Seven Magic Mountains: Editor’s choice No. 2. My big feelz for this place are no secret; the snarky banter between these Day-Glo rock stacks and the austere brown desert usually reboots my woozy brain to its factory settings, and I’m good to go again.

Share article

Hey Las Vegas

Stay connected to City Cast Las Vegas and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

The latest in Las Vegas

Keep It Local from City Cast Las VegasJune 26

Turn Your Closet Into a Store

Looking for the best vintage clothing in Las Vegas? Visit Republic Goods in the Arts District to shop pre-loved fashion, rare finds, and...

The front of Republic Goods - an olive-painted building with a rose mural.
Keep It Local from City Cast Las VegasJune 26

High-End Style Without the High-End Price Tag

Discover Vegas' booming vintage and consignment scene! Shop consciously, find unique designer fashion, and give second life to old treasu...

A bright, open store with clothing racks along the walls and a long wood bench running down the center.
Las Vegas, ExplainedJune 19

Take This Week's Las Vegas News Trivia Quiz

Ready for a challenge? Take our weekly quiz, based on the news and stories of this past week in Las Vegas.

The Fremont Street Experience and a street light.
Las Vegas, ExplainedJune 15

Where to Watch July 4 Fireworks in Las Vegas 2026

Your guide to fireworks shows and the legalities of setting off your own in Clark County. Spoiler: It's complicated.

Fireworks erupting above Downtown.
Food & DrinkJune 4

Our Top Picks for Restaurant Week

The City Cast Las Vegas team shares our top picks for the most interesting and attractive prix fixe menus during Restaurant Week.

A bowl of rigatoni.
Las Vegas, ExplainedJune 2

Where to Watch FIFA World Cup Soccer in Las Vegas

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is June 11-19. So we've narrowed down the best places to watch soccer in Las Vegas.

Mexico and Costa Rica face off at Allegiant Stadium during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Food & DrinkMay 28

Culinary Empires That Help Make the Vegas Dining Scene Great

Some of our city's best chefs and restaurateurs prove it's possible to have quantity without sacrificing quality.

Food on a table.
Las Vegas HistoryMay 27

Remembering the Barbary Coast Hotel and Casino

The Vanderpump Hotel is now open, but we kinda miss the days when the property was known as something else.

The exterior of the Barbary Coast casino.