Columnist Barb Henderson: Plenty to do on Nevada Day

Barb Henderson

Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

The State of Nevada honors and celebrates our state holiday on the last Friday in October. But it was on Oct. 31, 1864, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Nevada's admission to the union as the 36th state.

From the northern shores of Lake Tahoe to the southern tip of Nevada along the Colorado River in Laughlin, outdoors in the Silver State is unique.

With the desert, rivers, lakes, mountain scenery, ghost towns, agriculture, state parks, national parks, wildlife refuges, geological formations and mining and wildlife, outdoor enthusiasts have a wide range to discover nature's playground, and it's packed full of outdoor recreational opportunities for them to enjoy.

There is hunting, fishing, shooting sports, biking, hiking, off-roading, kayaking, boating, camping, back-packing, birdwatching, hot-air ballooning, paragliding, hang gliding, photography, rafting, rock climbing, horseback riding, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, scuba diving and more.

Here are some other interesting "state" facts about Nevada:

The Nevada Commission on Tourism has a new adventure guide titled: "The Dirt." The front of the book reads: "Your Nitty-Gritty, Down-and-Dirty Guide to Nevada, The Wildest Adventure State in the Lower 48."

The guide tells where to find adventures for all activity levels and describes the terrain, elevation, level of difficulty, lodging, how to get there, distance from cities and information sources, including Web sites. Call toll-free 1-800-NEVADA-8 or order online at www.travelnevada.com by clicking on the "Down and Dirty Adventure Guide" icon or going directly to www.travelnevada.com/adventure.

Outdoor briefs

Holiday Activities

Partial proceeds from the event benefit the Parks and Community Services scholarship fund. It's the County Parks and Community Services Department's way of saying thanks to patrons for utilizing their services and recreation centers and for attending their events during 2002.

Until next week, enjoy the Great Outdoors.