Wetlands park hosts free ‘discovery walks’

Standing on the upper diversion weir bridge or the "Big Bridge" at the Clark County Wetlands Park looking east, a hiker can make out most of the casinos on or near the Strip.

There's the Stratosphere, the Paris Las Vegas' faux Eiffel Tower and Caesars Palace, among others.

"You can see it all from here," said Liz Bickmore, senior program administrator at the park. "It's better at night with the lights. You can see the entire valley. "

But Bickmore said she doesn't want park visitors to focus on the obvious Las Vegas landmarks. She said the city has so much more to offer, and the 2,900-acre wetlands park is just one of those things that Las Vegans and valley guests should see.

That's why she said the park is hosting two free "discovery walks" that people can register for during the summer months, with a tour guide.

Cool Summer Mornings is for the early birds, and Hot Summer Nights is for folks who prefer evening walks, she said. The 2- to 3-mile walks start at 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

"That's when you're going to see the wildlife," Bickmore said of the theme-based hikes that start at the Nature Center, which was built in 2013.

The nature walks, which sometimes go by other names in different times of the year, are part of a multitude of programs the park hosts weekly, said Bickmore.

"The walks are like you're discovering the park," said Alice Hulslander, a program assistant at the park. "Or an introduction to the park."

Along the 5 miles of trails and the 210 acres of nature preserve, visitors can encounter more than 70 species of mammals and reptiles and more than 212 species of birds, Bickmore said.

From coyotes to beavers to hummingbirds, hikers can expect to see a variety of wildlife during the walks.

Bickmore said guests should remember to bring the essentials, such as a hat, sunscreen, water and "comfortable shoes, not flip flops."

She said the park has been seeing an increase in visitors who come there looking to "get away from it all," especially during the fall and spring when it's cooler outside and children are in school.

The park saw an uptick in its visitation numbers in 2014, growing from 105,908 the previous year to 172,840, she said. Between January and June this year, the park has received 107,330 visitors, Bickmore added. The busiest times are October and April.

Even so, the park has seen declining numbers during the hot summer months, falling from 10,000 to about 6,500 visitors per month, said Crystalaura Jackson, park program assistant.

Bickmore said she wants visitors to remember the beauty of the nature preserve.

There's the sunset overlooking the eastern Las Vegas Valley. Spiny softshell turtles swimming around in a murky turtle pond. Mesquite trees covering the soft, rocky terrain.

"It's a balance between nature and appreciation," Bickmore said. "There's a whole other world out there."

Contact Michelle Iracheta at miracheta@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5205. Find her on Twitter: @cephira