In Southern Nevada, those seeking outdoor recreation can camp year-round. Illustration by Mike Miller.

Thanks to its location, Southern Nevada enjoys more opportunities for year-round recreation than many parts of the country. Good highways reach hundreds of recreational areas all year. Very few close entirely because of harsh winter conditions. Months considered off-season elsewhere become prime time for visiting places such as Death Valley National Park. Death Valley welcomes the greatest number of visitors in the cooler months from October to May.

Winter visitors to some of the high altitude parks enjoy unique experiences. Nevada's Cave Lake State Park near Ely offers ice fishing. In Bryce Canyon National Park, the gate remains open in winter to snowshoe trekkers and cross-country skiers. In Yosemite National Park, winter activities include ice skating. In Yellowstone National Park, winter visitors tour park attractions and view wildlife on snowcat tours. Many consider staying in a park lodge adventure enough in winter at places like Zion National Park, Grand Canyon's South Rim, Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Those who enjoy camping as part of their outdoor experiences discover that they need not limit their fun to summer. Even snow-covered national forests and state and federal parks keep a portion of some campgrounds open for off-season visitors. In fact, of several major parks accessible in a day's drive of Las Vegas, only the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park shuts down in winter. A closed gate denies access from mid-November until mid-April most years.

Those adventurous enthusiasts desiring overnight outings in snow-covered surrounds need only drive as far as the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area west of Las Vegas. Part of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, this popular scenic area boasts several campgrounds, including a couple that welcome winter use. Most winter campers use self-contained RVs, but a few hardy souls arrive equipped with arctic gear for nighttime comfort sleeping in tents. Others avail themselves of the comforts of rooms with fireplaces offered by the Mount Charleston Lodge and the Mount Charleston Hotel, both in Kyle Canyon.

Winter users of desert parks find most facilities open, including visitor centers, campgrounds and trails. Most of these parks curtail some outings and campfire programs because of reduced staff, with the exception of Death Valley where programs expand in the cool season. Special activities like horseback tours close down in winter in Zion and other Western parks. Sometimes the outfitters move their livestock to other parks too hot for riding in the summer or use them for autumn hunting safaris elsewhere.

Off-season park users find solitude most of the time, except during a few busy holiday weekends. They enjoy the scenery and their activities without the company of hordes of visitors found in most recreational areas during the traditional summer vacation season. They pull into most campgrounds to find few neighbors and wide choices of campsites. They peruse exhibits in visitor centers without jostling crowds. They hike trails with few signs of footprints.

Several areas near Las Vegas offer good off-season experiences. Try National Park Service developments within Lake Mead National Recreation Area at places like Callville Bay, Echo Bay, Boulder Beach, Cottonwood Cove, Temple Bar and Katherine's Landing. Camp in Valley of Fire State Park to experience spectacular scenery and explore ancient cultures. Venture into the vast Mojave National Preserve just across the California border to explore enormous sand dunes, historic overland routes, a variety of hiking and horseback trails, wide open spaces, a new visitor center in an old railroad depot and two high desert campgrounds.

Camping in winter, with our without snow, demands good planning. Find out if the campsite has access to water in winter. If not, bring plenty from home. Also bring your own firewood -- lots of it. Plan to pack your trash out when you leave. Hearty meals and warm beverages help keep the cold at bay. Layer warm clothing, keeping heads and hands covered and feet warm and dry.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.