Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

By America's State Parks Editorial TeamMarch 17, 2023 · Updated February 8, 2026

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park near Las Vegas is a 528-acre historic oasis in the Red Rock Canyon area! Once owned by Howard Hughes and German actress Vera Krupp, this 1876 ranch features historic buildings and the famous Super Summer Theatre.

Historic Ranch (1876)

Self-guided tours: 10 AM – 4 PM daily (Main Ranch House). Guided tours available by calling the park.

Super Summer Theatre

Desert Hiking Trails

Park Info

FAQ

Things to Do

Spring Mountain Ranch is a walk-and-wander park: five short loop trails — Sandstone Canyon (1.2 miles), Overlook (0.8), Lake Harriet (0.4), and the North and South Ash Grove loops (0.3 and 1.4) — connect the ranch buildings, Lake Harriet and the Wilson family cemetery under the red sandstone cliffs. All five allow bikes, horses and leashed dogs, and none takes more than an hour, which is exactly the point: this is where you slow down after the scenery-chasing next door in Red Rock Canyon (the adjacent National Conservation Area is BLM land with its own entry fee — the two are not one ticket).

The Main Ranch House is open for self-guided tours of the interior, and the grounds hold some of the oldest buildings in Nevada — the sandstone cabin and blacksmith shop date to about 1864, a decade before the Wilsons even filed on the land in 1876. The park runs living-history reenactments in costume; call 702-875-4141 for guided-tour schedules. Tree-shaded picnic sites with grills sit near the ranch house, and a group area handles up to 200 people via reservenevada.com.

Best Time to Visit

At 3,800 feet, the ranch is officially “usually 10–15 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley” — the very reason Vera Krupp and Howard Hughes kept it as a retreat, and the reason a summer afternoon here beats one on the Strip. From May through September, Super Summer Theatre stages outdoor productions in the meadow (tickets at supersummertheatre.org); bring blankets and a picnic. Hours run seasonally from 8 a.m. — to 8 p.m. in high summer, 4:30 p.m. in winter — and trails close one hour before the park does. Watch for summer thunderstorms and flash-flood warnings; winter occasionally dusts the cliffs with snow.

Visitor Tips

Entry is $10 per vehicle with Nevada plates, $15 for out-of-state vehicles, $2 per bicycle — as of August 2026. There is no camping here, and the rules protect the historic setting: no drones, no charcoal grills or ground fires, no collecting of rocks or plants, and no off-trail hiking. Dogs are welcome on a 6-foot leash.

The history is more cinematic than most parks can claim: on April 10, 1959, three men broke into the ranch house and stole Vera Krupp’s 33.6-carat blue-white diamond off her hand; Hughes bought the ranch eight years later, and Nevada made it a state park in 1973. If someone in your group asks what there is to do in Nevada besides Las Vegas — this ranch, 528 acres of it, is a good first answer.

Fees, hours and facility details verified against parks.nv.gov on August 29, 2026. Fees change — confirm before you travel.

Explore More Nevada State Parks

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is one of many outstanding state parks in Nevada. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in Nevada guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.

Nearby state parks: If you have extra time, Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs is within about an hour’s drive, and Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park is within about an hour’s drive.

About the Author

America's State Parks Editorial Team

America's State Parks is an independent online guide to the state parks of the United States. Our editorial team compiles and reviews each park profile from official state park agency sources and other primary references, and follows a published editorial and review methodology (see /editorial-review-methodology/). We update profiles and correct errors on an ongoing basis.

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