Sunset, Clark County Wetlands parks are gems for Sunrise, Whitney residents

As autumn comes to the valley and its residents cautiously poke their heads from the air conditioning, it isn’t surprising that more people find themselves in the valley’s parks. Some of the valley’s largest and most diverse parks are in Sunrise and Whitney areas.

Sunset Park

Sunset Park, 2601 E. Sunset Road, is one of the first county parks. It was established 50 years ago on the remains of an old ranch and horse training facility. Some of the old-growth trees are still there, along with the last remaining patch of the Paradise Dunes, but recent renovations have made it seem like a completely new place.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about the changes,” said Steven Corry, assistant director of the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department. “People have really embraced it all.”

The aging pool was replaced with a water feature, and new large tented picnic areas were installed. A stage was also among the many upgrades that the park received during the four-year renovations. The park never completely closed during that time, as parks and recreation officials were keenly aware of how important the park is not only to nearby residents but also to visitors from across the valley.

“For some people, this is the valley park,” Corry said. “For a long time, it was the biggest park in the valley, and it was the home for a lot of valleywide and annual events.”

One of those events, the Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival, is set to return to Sunset Park Oct. 10-13 after a two-year move to Silver Bowl Park, 6800 E. Russell Road, during the last of the renovations.

“It wasn’t the same out there,” said Ty Hummon, a medieval re-enactor. “We’re all looking forward to coming back. The parking was great (at Silver Bowl Park), but we all missed the trees and the pond.”

The pond in the middle of Sunset Park provides refuge for aquatic fowl and is regularly stocked with fish. The shore almost always boasts at least six fishermen.

Clark County Wetlands Park

Near the eastern edge of the valley is Clark County Wetlands Park, 7050 Wetlands Park Lane, the largest park in the valley. Sunset Park is geared toward human activity, including large sporting events, festivals and picnic gatherings, and what wildlife that is there is almost incidental. However Wetlands Park clearly belongs to nature, and humans are allowed to quietly visit it.

The park was established 10 years ago when repairs and renovations by a number of government entities, most notably the Southern Nevada Water Authority, turned what had been a lonely, illegal dumping ground into a wildlife habitat.

The park spreads out on either side of the Las Vegas Wash, where all of the water that flows through the valley eventually drains toward Lake Mead. This creates a green oasis in the sea of taupe and neon that characterizes much of the rest of the valley. A series of weirs (low dams to slow water) have created many ponds in the park. The ponds are home to creatures not seen in any part of the valley, including beavers, a wide variety of birds, turtles, frogs and the valley’s only wild population of raccoons. It’s also a major watering hole for migrating birds, and it isn’t unheard of to see pelicans, seagulls, herons and ibises in the spring and fall.

“We have a new visitors center and a new exhibit hall,” said Brian Barrow, who took over as Wetlands Park coordinator two months ago. “It’s free and it’s educational and open seven days a week. We’d really like people to get a chance to come out and see it.”

The new visitors center provides commanding views of the wetlands. It’s likely to see more wildlife from its windows during a visit than most residents see in the valley in a year. It’s also a great place to orient yourself before heading out into the park’s miles of trails.

“There are a lot of trails out here,” Barrow said. “We’ve got a lot of new ones we’re hoping to have open by early winter, too. One of our long-term goals is trying to finish the loop trail and connect to the valley rim trails.”

Other area parks

While Clark County Wetlands Park and Sunset Park draw visitors from across the valley, Cesar E. Chavez Park, 1450 Radwick Drive, is virtually unknown outside of the households near it. The park wraps around two sides of O’Callaghan Middle School. The 5-acre park includes playgrounds, picnic areas and walking trials.

While most of the area residents may not have heard of the park, perched up on the foothills of Frenchman Mountain, it is one of the better places to view most of the valley.

The Robert E. “Bob” Price Recreation Center and Park opened in 2009 at 2100 Bonnie Lane on the 25th wedding anniversary of its namesake and his wife, Nancy. The 7-acre park features outdoor basketball courts and open space.

Hollywood Regional Park, 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd., features 21 acres with softball, picnic areas, walking paths, an aquatic center and a 29,000-square-foot skate park with an 11-foot deep kidney bowl, 18-foot full pipe and a plaza with 10-stair steps with rails, two fun boxes, two ledges and two sets of six-stair steps. There are 133 acres available for future development.

The Sunrise area also offers residents smaller parks, including:

The 19-acre Nellis Meadows, 4949 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Lewis Family Park, 1970 Tree Line Drive, with basketball courts, a fitness course, horseshoe pits, picnic areas, a playground, restrooms, a volleyball court and walking course.

Alexander Villas Park, 3620 Lincoln Road, 13 acres of softball fields, basketball courts, picnic areas, a fitness area and walking path, a water play park and a playground.

Sunrise Park, 2240 Linn Lane

The 24-acre Shadow Rock Park, 265 N. Los Feliz St.

Martin Luther King Park, 5349 E. Carey Ave.

Joe Shoong Park, 1503 Wesley St.

The Whitney area features the 38-acre Horseman’s Park at 5800 E. Flamingo Road, and the 20-acre Dog Fancier’s Park at the same location.

Smaller parks include:

Maslow Park, 4900 Lana Drive

The 3-acre Parkdale Community Center and Water Park, 3200 Ferndale St.

Magdelena Vegas Mountain Park, 4580 Vegas Valley Drive

Paradise Community Center and Water Center, 4775 McLeod Drive.

Harmony Park, 4530 Pearl St.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.