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Navigating Nevada: Casinos, Theme Parks, And Outdoor Adventures Await

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Overview

Close up of the "Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign

Introduction

Nevada is a fascinating state with some amazing things to offer. It’s like nowhere else in the world, which is just one reason it is among the world’s top vacation spots – it has a little something for everyone, from adults-only entertainment to family-friendly theme parks, to unforgettable outdoor adventures. Whether you are planning a trip to Nevada for business or pleasure, give yourself time to check out a few of the state’s top dive sites while you’re there.

Nevada is a vast state which encompasses much of the Great Basin, along with the Mojave Desert and a portion of the Sierra Nevada mountains. While Nevada doesn’t rank among the nation’s best places to dive, it does have some surprising things to offer landlocked scuba divers who want to cool off while keeping their skills up to date.

Geography

The 9th least densely populated of all 50 United States, Nevada is full of wide open spaces. When you stop to consider that almost three-quarters of the state’s residents live in the Las Vegas area, it’s easy to imagine just how much empty space this state contains within the confines of its boundaries. About 86% of Nevada is government-owned.

History

Nevada’s history is a fascinating one. The land was inhabited by Native Americans for centuries, with most early residents belonging to the Paiute, Washoe, and Shoshone tribes prior to European contact. Claimed by Spain and later ceded to Mexico during the Mexican War of Independence, it was later gained by the United States at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War. Incorporated as part of the vast Utah Territory in 1861, it was added to the Union during the Civil War, becoming the nation’s 36th state on October 31st of 1864. The state’s borders expanded after statehood was granted, and miners came in search of gold, silver, and gems during the last several years of the 19th century, giving Nevada its nickname: “The Silver State.” By the end of the 19th century, small mining claims dried up and prospectors left. In 1900, Tonopah’s silver strike, along with strikes in Rhyolite and Goldfield brought miners back to the area. It remains an important industry today. When gambling was legalized after the Great Depression, Las Vegas and Reno, along with some smaller communities, started to grow. Today, everyone in America knows that if you want to enjoy some of the best gaming establishments in the world, Nevada is the place to go.

Economy

Nevada’s economy is excellent, with tourism being the driving force. People from all over the world come to Nevada to enjoy the wonders of Las Vegas as it is a city like none other. The state’s agricultural products include potatoes, alfalfa, cattle, and dairy goods, and its industrial outputs include machinery, minerals, electronics, and other important items.

Factfile

Capital

Carson City

Language(s)

English

Currency

US Dollar

Time Zone

UTC-7

International Dialing Instructions

Dial Exit Country Code + 1 + area code + telephone number

Power

Voltage

120V

Frequency

60Hz

Plug Type(s)

Climate

desert, mountain, hot summers, cold winters

Natural Hazards

rain, snow, wind, flood, drought, dangerous wildlife

Diving Season

Year Round

Tourism Office(s)

Website

http://travelnevada.com/

Police

911

Fire

911

Hospital

911

Hyperbaric Chambers

Carson City

Carson Tahoe Health

775 Fleischmann Drive

Carson City, NV 89703

Phone: 775-445-5623

Elko

Ward Chiropractic

618 Idaho Street, #3

Elko, NV 89801

Phone: 775-777-7066

Henderson

Hyperbaric Institute of Nevada

1691 West Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 140

Henderson, NV 89012

Phone: 702-304-4800

Las Vegas

Desert Hyperbarics

3663 E. Sunset Road, Suite 506

Las Vegas, NV 89120

Phone: 702-944-4268

Desert Oasis Clinic

6316 S. Rainbow Boulevard, Suite 100

Las Vegas, NV 89118

Phone: 702-310-9350

Reno

Northern Nevada Hyperbarics, Inc.

Center for Advanced Medicine

1500 E. Second Street, Suite 104

Reno, NV 89502

Phone: 775-826-2084

Trip Planning

Customs and Immigration

All international visitors to Nevada are required to possess passports. Visitors from other states do not need passports. Since immigration policies change frequently and without prior notice, all international travelers are advised to verify the current immigration requirements for Nevada with the local authorities prior to leaving home. For more information and updates regarding Nevada’s immigration policies and procedures, be sure to visit the state’s tourism page. Plan to pay all departure taxes on all domestic and international flights.

Nevada’s customs regulations are not overly strict, though a few items are prohibited or restricted. These include:

Counterfeit items
Narcotics
Most Weapons; dive knives are permitted, but should be packed in stowed luggage

Failure to declare items or fill out paperwork correctly can result in fines. For more information regarding the customs requirements of Nevada, please visit the United States customs page or call the customs department at 1-877-CBP-5511.

Health and Insurance

Before visiting Nevada, be sure that your routine vaccines are up to date. These vaccines include:

MMR – Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine
Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine
Annual flu vaccine
Polio vaccine

All travelers are advised to check with their doctors to determine if there are any additional vaccines which may help protect health while traveling to Nevada.

Nevada has numerous medical facilities including hospitals in larger communities and clinics in smaller towns. If you need medical assistance while traveling in the state, check directory assistance for the nearest hospital or clinic.

It is recommended that all tourists purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover theft, loss, accidents, and medical emergencies. If you plan to participate in adventure sports while on vacation, please verify that your policy will cover you for these events. All necessary prescriptions along with a letter from your physician detailing your medical condition and the medication being carried with you should accompany all visitors to Nevada.

Traveling There

All major cities in Nevada have airports, as do many smaller communities. The state is also served by numerous domestic and international airlines, and travelers have plenty of convenient flight options available. Many flights come in via McCarron International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas. Many airlines run specials for travel to Nevada, and flights are often jam-packed. Travelers should consider the length of the flight, mandatory stopovers, and price when selecting an airline carrier.

If you have the time and have always wondered what it might be like to take a road trip through the desert, consider driving to Nevada! Be sure to carry plenty of water, and ensure that you keep your fuel tank topped off if you plan to undertake this adventure. In addition, be sure that your car is in tip-top shape as nothing is quite so disheartening as a breakdown in the middle of nowhere. Rail travel is also available in many areas, depending on your destination.

Because Nevada is landlocked, visiting by sea is not possible.

Traveling Around

Domestic air travel is a quick and convenient way to get around Nevada; there are several daily flights between major cities and smaller communities.

Taxis are available at local airports, and mini-buses belonging to travel companies are also common in larger cities. Organized tours are also available, with comfortable climate-controlled buses that offer you the opportunity to take in the sights without having to worry about fuel levels or focus on driving. Look for informational kiosks, or simply keep an eye out for the tour busses that frequent airport, hotel, and downtown areas. If you’ve ever wanted to visit a ghost town, this is the place to do it, and organized tours are the easiest, safest way to do so.

If you prefer to drive, you can rent a car and enjoy the wide-open spaces and desert scenes Nevada’s highways are famous for. Be sure to follow traffic laws at all times and use caution and common sense in traffic, particularly around Las Vegas, and particularly after dark. Impaired driving is a problem, particularly after dark, so be vigilant while sharing the road with others.

Travel by sea is not possible as Nevada is a landlocked state. You’ll find houseboats and pleasure craft available for rent at larger lakes and reservoirs, and if you travel to Lake Tahoe, part of which belongs to the State of Nevada, you can enjoy a scenic cruise on a yacht or paddleboat.

Accomodations

Nevada has a vast smorgasbord of hotels to choose from, ranging from low-budget basic accommodations to ultra-luxurious themed hotel rooms with million-dollar views. Motels and small chain hotels are also available, as are a few eclectic bed and breakfast type lodgings. Most of the hotels and motels in Nevada offer gambling of some type, and it goes on 24 hours a day. We recommend that you bring earplugs with you if you are a light sleeper – at some venues, the chiming of slot machines can be heard throughout the entire establishment. Despite this minor inconvenience, just about everyone enjoys visiting Nevada and plans to return in the future. Whether you like staying at all-inclusive resorts, convenient chain hotels, or quiet, privately owned getaways, you’ll be pleased with what Nevada has to offer.

Local Attractions

Nevada offers numerous attractions, ranging from world-class casinos to theme parks, to outdoor adventures in its state and national parks. There’s a strong emphasis on history and culture in the state, with historic towns, intriguing museums, and memorable historic sites. Whether you take in a few shows in Las Vegas, visit Reno’s Fleischmann Planetarium for an incomparable view of the night sky, or head to Lake Tahoe’s maritime museum, you’ll find yourself hoping for a return trip to the state.

Other Activities

Nevada is all about fun, with an emphasis on thrilling experiences and outdoor recreation of all kinds. Kayaking, river rafting, hiking, mountain climbing and rock climbing, snowboarding, and skiing are just a few of the many ways you can spend some time enjoying the great outdoors while in Nevada. Museums, ghost towns, cultural centers, and state and national parks offering tours of archaeological sites are plentiful, as are more common indoor activities such as shopping, exceptional live performances, and gambling. Whether you prefer indoor or outdoor activities, and whether you are traveling alone or with a group, you’ll find no end to the many enjoyable activities to be found in Nevada.

Dining Out

Nevada’s cuisine is varied and delicious, with an emphasis on beautifully prepared food and lots of it. You’ll find a wide array of ethnic delights available, ranging from fine Asian food to spectacular French cuisine. Many establishments feature entertainment along with dinner, particularly in Las Vegas and other large cities. If you prefer fine dining, there’s no shortage of highly rated restaurants in larger cities and smaller communities alike. Be sure to check the dress code when going out as some establishments are strictly black tie.

Nightlife

Nevada’s nightlife is varied and vibrant, with casinos and bars offering no shortage of libations – often on the house for players – and clubs where you can literally dance until the dawn’s early light. Musical theatre, plays, professional dance, comedy, and other shows are available in Las Vegas and other cities, even the state’s smaller towns tend to have cozy casinos, movie theatres, friendly local bars, and coffee shops that stay open well into the wee hours. If there’s a particular show you want to see while visiting Nevada, be sure to buy the seats you want well in advance of your travel dates. If you’ve forgotten to purchase tickets, don’t despair – you might not get front row seats, but most venues do offer last-minute opportunities on site. Check with your hotel’s concierge to see what is available.

Shopping

Nevada is an excellent place to shop for everything from fine jewelry and other luxury goods to local handicrafts and all sorts of souvenirs. Designer boutiques can be found in many communities, with some of the best being located in Las Vegas and Reno.

Scuba Diving

Dive Sites

Scuba diving and snorkeling are quite popular in Nevada. Air temperatures vary widely from one city to the next, and cities’ weather data varies from one year to the next, with some years being remarkably cold and others being much hotter. Water temperatures are typically much cooler than air temepratures, and most people wear at least a 5mm wetsuit for summer diving in Nevada, and a thicker wetsuit or drysuit for deeper dives such as those available at Lake Tahoe. If you plan to go ice diving in Nevada, you will certainly need a drysuit. No matter when you’re diving or where you’re going, you may find that gloves, hoods, and other thermal protection make your underwater adventures much more enjoyable, even during warmer weather. Check with a local dive shop to see what type of thermal protection people prefer at various sites during various seasons. There are so many variables to scuba diving in Nevada that this is the best course of action.

Nevada offers some unique scuba diving experiences; for example, some water-based shows in Las Vegas sometimes give divers a chance to witness rehearsals from an underwater vantage point. At Mandalay Bay Resort and Hotel, you can enjoy a dive in the aquarium, which is home to a group of about 30 sharks and numerous species of fish.

Scuba diving in Nevada is different from diving in other areas simply because there are so many different types of places to dive including desert lakes, Lake Tahoe, and indoor aquariums. While average depth is 30 meters or less, it is possible to visit several sites where depth exceeds 40 meters. Currents are almost non-existent in most places and visibility ranges from poor to excellent. Some unique dangers of diving in Nevada include very poor visibility at some sites, overhead boat and jet ski traffic at some sites, and anglers at other sites, along with the potential to be caught in swift currents at river sites and close to dam water intakes. Read about individual sites to learn about specific hazards – many have none to speak of and are suitable for novices, while others are suitable only for experts.

Top Dive Sites

Nevada has numerous lakes and reservoirs where diving is permitted, and many of these offer several distinct dive sites. As the popularity of scuba diving increases in the state, the number of named dive sites is also likely to increase. Some of the most popular Nevada dive sites include the following:

Sand Harbor State Park – Sand Harbor State Park is an exquisite Lake Tahoe dive site located about 5 miles south of Incline Village on Highway 28. With an elevation of 6,230 feet and maximum depth at just about 30 feet, it offers exceptional visibility and an intriguing look at Lake Tahoe’s unique geology. Expert divers may want to leave the cove and descend along a challenging slope, where huge rocks, sunken trees, and vertical walls offering views hundreds of feet down into the lake await. Visibility here is excellent.
Carnelian Bay – Another of Nevada’s Lake Tahoe dive sites, Carnelian Bay is suitable for all divers and is excellent day or night. Home to a huge crawdad population and teeming with trout, it offers excellent visibility and a maximum depth of about 30 feet. Besides the aquatic creatures that call Carnelian Bay home, the site is also features beautiful boulders, sunken fishing boats, a sunken barge, and some enormous sunken logs, as well as some beautiful sandy stretches where you may find pieces of semi-precious carnelian.
Lake Mead – Lake Mead is the world’s second largest man-made reservoir, and it offers numerous dive sites for all levels. You’ll see huge rock formations, lots of fish and other critters, and plenty of “treasure” dropped by boaters. Do be cautious of overhead boat traffic here, particularly on weekends in the summer. For technical divers, a maximum depth of about 150 meters may be attained.

Dive Operators

All scuba divers in Nevada are requipred to carry certification cards, and reputable dive operators typically require checkout dives. Be sure to bring your c-card and your log book with you, particularly if you hope to visit deep or challenging dive sites. Most dive operators do offer PADI courses, so if a friend or family member wants to learn to dive while visiting Nevada, arrangements may be made. Rental equipment may be available – be sure to check with your dive operator to see what you need to bring with you, and what you can rent there. Nevada state law requires all divers to tow a flag, so be sure to purchase one if needed.

Hyperbaric Chambers

Nevada has several recompression facilities. Even so, many dive sites – particularly those at higher elevations – are a long distance from the nearest hyperbaric chamber and the potential for DCS is a factor to keep in mind while planning. Divers are advised to discuss, finalize, and agree upon an emergency assistance plan, which includes obtaining all local medical emergency contact numbers, prior to beginning any dive. When a diving emergency arises, divers are strongly urged to follow any agreed upon Emergency Assistance Plan.

Conservation Efforts

Nevada‘s lakes, reservoirs, and rivers are vital to the state’s survival and conservation efforts are ongoing. Harassing wildlife, fishing without a license, and littering are offenses that are punishable by fines, jail time, or both. Rangers may also confiscate scuba gear from offenders, adding just one more reason why a “no touch, no take” policy is best practice.

Location:

North America
United States
Nevada

Keywords: diving guides, north america dive travel, united states dive travel, nevada dive travel, nevada diving, lake tahoe diving, lake mead diving Author:

Melissa Gwaldis

Related Tags: Diving Guides

Comments

kmartin

Vegas is a great spot for

Vegas is a great spot for nightlife and gambling. I never thought about diving there. What are the closest dive sites to Las Vegas?

kmartin replied on September 20, 2014 - 2:13pm

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Navigating Nevada: Casinos, Theme Parks, And Outdoor Adventures Await

Accordion Content

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Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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You are here

Warning message

Navigating Nevada: Casinos, Theme Parks, And Outdoor Adventures Await

Accordion Content

Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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