Recreation
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park |
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Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Details
- Hours of operation: Picnic area is open daily, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The main ranch house is open daily, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Guided tours throughout the historic area are given on weekdays at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. and weekends at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Super Summer Theater (June - August) gates open at 6 p.m. and shows start at 8 p.m.
- Cost: An entrance fee of $6 is charged per vehicle upon entering the park. Annual passes are available for $50. Tickets for Super Summer Theater shows are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Tickets may be purchased at UNLV's Ham Hall box office (or Prestige Travel at Rampart and Lake Mead).
- Payment options: Cash.
- Location / Distance from Las Vegas: Located about 15 miles outside Las Vegas within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. There are two routes to the park. If you head west out of Las Vegas on Charleston Boulevard, you will drive past the Red Rock Canyon Visitor's Center. The entrance to Spring Mountain Ranch will be on the right. Watch for the signs. You also can enter the park from the south by taking Interstate 15 south to state Route 160 through Blue Diamond. You will pass Bonnie Springs, and the entrance to Spring Mountain Ranch will be on your left.
- Travel options: Private vehicle, cab.
- On the way: Enjoy the stunning view of Red Rock Canyon..
- Amenities: Picnic areas are available.
- Annual visitors/busy season: The park is open year-round, and is most popular in the spring and fall.
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park Review
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is located within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, beneath the colorful cliffs of the Wilson Range.
The 520-acre property was developed into a combination working ranch and luxury retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history. Past owners of the ranch include Chester Lauck of the comedy team "Lum & Abner," German actress Vera Krupp and millionaire Howard Hughes.
In 1955 Krupp, the longest-residing owner, purchased the ranch from Lauck. She expanded the ranch's business by raising Hereford and Brahma cows. Krupp also was responsible for naming the property Spring Mountain Ranch, expanding the west wing of the main house and adding the pool. It was her principal home until 1967.
Over the years, the ranch was used to raise cattle, as a boy's camp and to raise chinchillas by a prominent Hollywood furrier.
Historical sites at the park include the main ranch house, Wilson cemetery, sandstone cabin, blacksmith's shop, hay and horse barn/corral, two-hole outhouse, and chinchilla shed.
Living history programs at the park give visitors an opportunity to view life at the ranch as it might have been. These programs include costumed role playing, demonstrations and re-enactments of historic events. Each spring and fall a series of living history programs is presented depicting the lives of early settlers and prominent Las Vegas pioneers.
Spring Mountain Ranch is well known by local residents for its outdoor "Super Summer Theatre" series that runs every June, July and August. The "Theater under the Stars" features musicals and plays for the whole family at an outdoor theater.
At 3,800 feet, Spring Mountain Ranch is usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley. Plants typical of the desert as well as woodland can be seen, and after a good winter rainfall, the spring brings a burst of wildflowers.
Animal life is diverse but comes out mainly at night. Typical animals include a variety of lizards and snakes, ground squirrels, jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, kit foxes, coyotes, rock squirrels, badgers, mule deer and bighorn sheep.
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