Clark County Wetlands Park

When you’re standing inside a smoky casino dominated by the ding-ding-ding of slot machines, it’s difficult to fathom that a beautiful desert environment cradles the modern edifices of the Strip. It’s worth a visit to this work-in-progress county park just to breathe deeply of the fresh air and to focus your eyes on the Frenchman Mountains arching over this desert basin. The focus of the small wetlands preserve is a sandy and marshy wash environment, rich in seasonal bird life, where gravel trails lead to wildlife-viewing blinds. Drop by the volunteer-staffed information center for interpretive displays about native ecology and the county’s environmental restoration work. A nature center should open here in 2009.