I am so glad this preserve has a web presence or I never would have found it. I was in Henderson visiting an old friend and she didn't even know it existed!?! We drove out of the maze of housing developments to a part of the desert that looks like it will soon be a maze of housing developments, if the heavy machinery nearby is any indication. Peaceful, cool, only a few visitors were here on a weekday afternoon. Entering through the well staffed visitors center (I later found out they were volunteers - Bravo), maps and viewing guides in hand, we stepped into a desert oasis. Being winter we could only expect a few water birds, but the guides promised an abundance of birds in warmer weather. The multiple trails will take you around their wetlands, plenty of birds to admire and many well labeled ground plants and trees, most waiting for warmer weather to show themselves.
I could be happy here, sitting in the winter sunshine, reading undisturbed but for the calling of grebes. Check it out.

What a lovely alternative to the "spicy" life of the Las Vegs Strip! It was a delight to be able to walk around the ponds and observe desert birds and other critters. KUDOS to the team who dreamed this project and saw it through to completion!!!

Having only a morning left in Las Vegas, I turned to the Nevada birding list serve for nearby birding sites. What a gem this Preserve is, nine ponds surrounded by trees, reeds and grasses which serve as a magnet for all types of birds: shorebirds, ducks, warblers and more. Wonderful employees with loaner binoculars greeted us. Being from the East, our highlight was the roadrunner that crossed right in front of us and continued on the path! It was hot and there was not much shade, go early, gates open at six.

We visited on a Sunday morning in early September, just before heading to the airport for our flight home. My husband is an amateur bird-watcher and I thought this would be a good alternative to the usual "Vegas" offerings. Since it was a warm day, we appreciated being offered the opportunity to ride around with the staff member on his "golf cart" ~ his personalized tour, bird sightings and explanations were much appreciated. The preserve is much larger than I expected. During migration season it would be more interesting, but we did see birds we hadn't known about. The exhibit space is informational as well. If I'm ever in Henderson during spring or fall, I'll be sure to make a return visit. Even if you're not into birds, it's a quiet place to walk and commune with nature!