Things to do outside in Las Vegas instead of watching Gonzaga basketball

At some point, even the hardiest Gonzaga basketball fans may find themselves overwhelmed and underfunded amidst the glitzy cacophony of Las Vegas.

Sure, the strip is known as Adult Disneyland, but like any over-sugared, snotty-nosed kid, you Zag fans might need a timeout from the City of Sin.

Luckily, a different kind of playground is less than 30 minutes from casino lights.

World-class rock climbing, hiking, road cycling and more await.

As a student at Gonzaga I spent seven days in Las Vegas several years ago writing and photographing the men’s and women’s games. By Sunday, the usual rest day during the tournament (thanks, BYU), I was ready for a break.

Happily, a friend of mine was touring the Southwest on a climbing trip with her friends.

She picked me up at 8 a.m. from my hotel. Still groggy from the night’s festivities, I loaded into their van. I was surrounded by grimy, smelly rock climbers. No gelled hair. No shiny shoes. No high-octane body perfume. And no $30 bottles of beer.

What a relief. Within 20 minutes we were in the midst of beautiful red cliffs, not a single electric billboard in sight. We’d arrived at Red Rock Canyon.

We spent the day climbing sandstone routes. With hundreds of easily accessible sport routes lined up, it was like a climbing gym, minus the plastic holds and electric lighting.

I returned to my hotel refreshed and ready to finish out the Vegas marathon.

So, I encourage you to take advantage of Las Vegas’ outdoor wonders. They’re close. They’re cheap. And they’re plentiful.

Here are some outdoor suggestions from Las Vegas resident and Spokesman-Review employee Sean Stoops. For more detailed directions visit birdsandhikes.com and search for the particular hike or activity. The website was put together by Las Vegas resident Jim Boone and has detailed directions, warnings and tips.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Explore. It’s an outdoor wonderland.

Climbing

With world-class bouldering, sport and traditional climbing you can’t go wrong in Red Rock. There is plenty of information on Mountain Project. But also check out Desert Rock Sports (climbvegas.com) for information on fees and areas.

Hiking

Calico Tanks. This 2.4-mile round-trip hike takes you to the top of the Calico Hills formation. From there you will find small, rainwater-fed ponds in the middle of sandstone.

Ice Box Canyon. This 2.4-mile moderate hike takes you through the bottom of canyons, with solid rock faces towering a thousand or more feet overhead.

“Ice Box Canyon is especially impressive after a rain or during snow melt as you get a chance to see a near 200-foot cascading waterfall drain from the mountains,” Stoops said in an email.

Hot springs

There are two hot springs within a half-hour drive of Las Vegas, near Lake Mead. They are Arizona Hot Springs and Goldstrike Canyon Hot Springs. It’s roughly an hour hike to both hot springs.

Wildlife

Mojave National Preserve is an hour south of Las Vegas in California. In the Mojave Desert, this preserve features mountain lions, coyotes, bats and black-tailed jackrabbits.

Desert National Wildlife Preserve is an hour and a half north of the Strip and boasts 20 bird species, 53 mammal species, 35 reptile species, and four amphibian species, plus more than 500 plant species.

Road cycling

The 13-mile Red Rock loop road is a popular cycling route featuring views of Red Rock Canyon. For route information: bicycling.com. McGhie’s Bike Outpost offers rentals.