Wide Open
» Wide Open Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
January/February 2012
Located in the middle of nowhere, according to our visitors, is a place like no other in the world. Literally. In an area smaller than Disney World exist at least 26 species of plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.
» Wide Open reno-tahoe’s lakes and parks
November/December 2011
Reno-Tahoe Territory is brimming with places to escape the urban grind. From day trips on the trails and beaches of awe-inspiring Lake Tahoe and camping, boating, and fishing at Pyramid Lake to shady afternoon picnics at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park and alpine hiking just minutes from Reno at Galena Creek Regional Park, there’s an outing in Reno-Tahoe to suit any taste.
» Wide Open beyond burning man
November/December 2011
The playa is just the beginning of the Black Rock Desert experience. For prepared hunters, hikers, wildlife enthusiasts, and other explorers with four-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicles, survival equipment, and common sense, a lifetime of rugged, remote, and beautiful escapades await in Black Rock-High Rock.
» Wide Open parks and recreation
September/October 2011
Nevada’s largest territory, the vast south-central swath of land known as Silver Trails, is a symphony in isolated grandeur—from the flood-carved walls of Cathedral Gorge State Park and the daunting expanses of parched Death Valley National Park to picturesque wetlands in Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and the ruins of a once-mighty silver industry at Belmont Courthouse State Historic Park.
» Wide Open park pentathlon
September/October 2011
Five of Nevada’s finest state parks—Beaver Dam State Park, Cathedral Gorge State Park, Echo Canyon State Park, Kershaw-Ryan State Park, and Spring Valley State Park—make Lincoln County a must-visit destination.
» Wide Open off the beaten path
September/October 2011
Nevada Silver Trails has long been an arena for inspiring travels. Though staking a mining claim of your own might be a little difficult these days, many treasures await prepared modern adventurers in Nevada’s largest and most geographically diverse territory.
» Wide Open prehistoric storage
July/August 2011
Two such grottos—Hidden Cave above the Carson Sink near Fallon and Lovelock Cave above the Humboldt Sink near Lovelock—offer glimpses into the lives of the people who used them for thousands of years.
» Wide Open parks and recreation
May/June 2011
Whether it’s rattling down Winnemucca’s Bloody Shins (mountain bike) Trail, casting a line into trout-filled South Fork Reservoir, or hiking and scaling peaks in the Jarbidge Wilderness, Cowboy Country provides destinations to suit any outdoor enthusiast.
» Wide Open off the beaten path
May/June 2011
To experience the breathtaking beauty of Cowboy Country’s off-the-beaten-path destinations, making responsible decisions is paramount, and self-reliance is key. Keeping that in mind, here are several ways you can find solitude in this expansive territory.
» Wide Open parks and recreation
March/April 2011
Nevada’s U.S. Highway 50 corridor is dotted with a diverse arrangement of nationally and state-protected sites from Great Basin National Park in the east to Dayton State Park in the west.
» Wide Open off the beaten path
March/April 2011
If the words silence and solitude ever come up during your vacation planning, Nevada’s Pony Express Territory and its off-the-beaten-path attractions should be your next destination.
» Wide Open parks and recreation
January/February 2011
These 10 geological and recreational gems are all within a 90-minute drive of Las Vegas and promise a different kind of indulgence for Nevada visitors.
» Wide Open off the beaten path
January/February 2011
Some of Southern Nevada’s best attractions aren’t so universally known. These off-the-beaten-path stops are generally every bit as easy to get to as the heavy hitters, but offer smaller crowds and a feeling of discovery that is as real-Nevada as sagebrush and silver mines.
» Wide Open back in the saddle
November/December 2010
Buck swung up onto his palomino mare with an ease I envied. As his toe searched for a stirrup, his horse reared up, frightening the horses and riders milling about the corral in anticipation of our first day of a four-day cattle drive that would end at the Elko County Fairgrounds.
» Wide Open thunderbird lodge
September/October 2010
Imagine owning 27 miles of Lake Tahoe’s beautiful shoreline encompassing more than 40,000 acres. Sound impossible? Not if your name was George Whittell Jr., the former owner and resident of Thunderbird Lodge, now an intriguing Nevada tourist attraction.
» Wide Open mackay mansion reborn
September/October 2010
A tour of The Mackay Mansion Museum reveals many nuggets of Virginia City history. Perhaps the most fascinating is learning of a system of underground tunnels that once led from John Mackay’s home to a number of businesses in town. After a four-year hiatus, the museum reopened for tours on May 1.
» Wide Open wild nevada
July/August 2010
Of the nine National Wildlife Refuges in Nevada, the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Nevada and the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in extreme northwestern Nevada are the largest. Visits to either offer a wealth of land to explore.
» Wide Open seeing stars
May/June 2010
My degree is in journalism, but one of my favorite college classes was astronomy. Studying a starlit sky is one of the best ways to get some perspective on our very small place in this infinite universe.
» Wide Open trains keep a rollin’
March/April 2010
In the hierarchy of Nevada lore, railroads rank right up there with ghost towns and wild horses. And it was never more apparent than on a perfect summer evening last August, when the Virginia & Truckee Railroad woke up from a seven-decade slumber to again transport passengers from Virginia City to Carson City.
» Wide Open romancing the stones
January/February 2010
Nevada has more turquoise mines than any other state and some of the most important deposits in the world. Eureka County and neighboring Lander County are home to some legendary claims: Blue Gem, Carico Lake, Colorback, Fox, Lander Blue, Number 8, and Orvil Jack to name a few.