Recreate Responsibly

In love with the Silver State as much as we are?

Get the lowdown on how you can do your part to protect the places we love and keep the land pristine for your next trip (and the next generation).

Recreate Responsibly

CAVE LAKE, ELY

FIRE DANGER

Fire season hits Nevada harder than ever these days, and catastrophic blazes can easily start from campfire embers, vehicle undercarriages, hot bullet casings, and more. All of this is preventable. Always check local fire restrictions and use common sense.

STAY ON ALL TRAILS, TRACKS, AND ROADS

As you head into the desert, you’ll find a world of existing roads and trail systems—no need to blaze your own. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND More than 80 percent of Nevada is public lands— the highest percentage among all states, meaning this land is literally your land. Whatever land you’re on—private or public—it’s owned and managed by a person or an agency. Be a good land steward and respect all posted No Trespassing signs.

When exploring Nevada’s backroads, you might come across a fence with a cattle guard gate. So long as there are no posted No Trespassing signs, go ahead and go right on through. Just be sure that, whether the gate was open or closed, leave gates the way you found them.

Finders does NOT mean keepers. Whether it’s a ghost town mining relic, arrowhead, or other kind of artifact, regardless if it looks historical or not, it’s a vital piece of the Silver State story. Take all the photos you like but leave all objects where you found them. Taking—aka stealing—artifacts is illegal.

Don’t count on your cell phone to bail you out of a jam! Nevada’s wild places are some of the country’s most remote, which means they’re often out of cell service and far from help. Plan accordingly.

LEAVE NO TRACE

Nothing is worse than driving across Nevada’s perfect

TRAVEL NEVADA PRO TIP

landscape and seeing a grocery bag stuck in the sage or a bottle on the side of the road. Along with leaving every place better than you found it, familiarize yourself with the “Seven Principles” of LNT outdoor ethics.

WATCH FOR

Feeding wildlife of WILDLIFE any kind is not only Beyond the asphalt, extremely uncool, it’s Nevada’s diverse also illegal. Human food fauna ranges is not healthy for wild animals, and they do from rabbits to rattlesnakes, burros to bighorns, cattle to not need food from coyotes, pronghorn humans to survive. aplenty, more wild horses than anywhere else, and an abundance in between. If you’re going so fast that you miss them—or worse, that you can’t stop when you need to— then you’re going too fast.

STARLIGHT? TOO BRIGHT

Nevada’s night skies are some of the darkest in the Lower 48. Many visitors take to remote campgrounds for our unrivaled galactic view, so be aware of the light pollution you bring with you: it doesn’t take much to blow out another camper’s night vision. Help protect this disappearing, sacred natural resource by lighting your camp mindfully.

DIRT ROAD CODE

Study up on the Dirt Road Code if you plan on venturing outside metro areas for an unscripted adventure. You’ll find packing tips, vehicle suggestions, and how to safely navigate Nevada backroads like a dusty ol’ pro.