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Boulder City’s Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden

Giant Statues. Sneeking in Education. Outdoor Play. One of the area's best kept secerates!

By Gayle Helton- Henderson & Boulder City Macaroni Kid Publisher July 27, 2022

Boulder City’s Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden are one of my all-time favorite places to take the kids when we have been in the car!  If you are heading to Boulder City, it is a great introduction to the city where the kids can If you live in Boulder City, you know the struggle of lugging the kids to Costco or Target. I expect hope dream of my kids behaving in the car, both ways, and in the store. It is a lot to ask. If they manage to not pull a fire alarm or end up in lost and found children, I like to treat them to a fun way to stretch out!  There are 1800 feet of a gently inclined paved hiking, biking, scooting and dog walking trail. However, my kids usually RUN!  

There are not a lot of places I feel super comfortable letting my kids run. Having a kiddo with special needs that "elopes" (aka runs away with no rhyme or reason), well, the helicopter mom deep inside takes over my rational mind.  But this place is a zig-zag right up to the top of the hill.  I feel pretty confident that my family will stay on the path and feel the need to stop and climb every statue! 


The first stop is a Giant Jack Rabbit!  There is not a really great way to climb this one.  But get the kids excited about the fun facts! Can they outrun a 40-mile-an-hour rabbit? Time to find out!
Keep your eyes peeled for the Joshua Trees, Prickly Pear and Cholla Cactus.  One of our Family Favorites is the Road Runner!  We love taking pictures of the whole family piling on top! Is the Roadrunner faster than the Jack Rabbit?
The scorpion is another great photo stop (and educational opportunity) to gather the kids and get them into some trivia!

A giant Gila Monster is not something I have seen in my ten years in Nevada, so it's a great way to learn more about our environment.  Rattle Snakes and a Tortoise round out the simple hike to the top.



Once you reach the top, the kids are sure to be ready for a break at the covered picnic table. Be sure to bring water bottles!  We love having a quick picnic here. (It is a great way to walk off a happy meal too!)

Boulder City’s Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden is a great place to let the kids run, walk, bike and scoot!  It also happens to be my favorite place to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July.   I love recreating the pictures we took when the kids were little. 


Take Yucca Street uphill and take a left at the roundabout. You will pass the Train Station and Animal Control. Want to do a good deed? Drop off a small bag of food to the Amazing Ann at Animal Control. Tell her Macaroni Kid sent you!