When most people think of Nevada, they tend to picture the glittering neon of Las Vegas and Reno, as the two cities draw visitors from around the world for everything from weekend getaways to extended vacations. That is a shame, because remote Nevada has many great outdoor recreation opportunities, with uncrowded trails in spectacular wilderness areas around the state.

If people do think about the outdoors in Nevada, they probably consider Lake Tahoe. The lake is a great place for outdoor adventure, starting with the famous Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT). Open to hiking and mountain biking, the Tahoe Rim Trail contains well-known sections like the Flume Trail, Spooner Summit, and Kingsbury Grade as it circles the lake, providing great views of the lake itself and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Skiers and snowboarders love the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierras as well, carving turns on the trails of Mount Rose and Diamond Peak or the nearby resorts on the California side.

But although the Sierras contain the state’s highest point, 13,143-foot Boundary Peak, Nevada has countless other significant named mountain chains with great trails. The Toiyabe Range, Toquima Range, and Monitor Range in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest each have wilderness areas to explore. The Ruby Mountains near Elko are home to the trails of the Ruby Crest National Recreation Area, great for long distance hikers and backpackers looking for a multi-day traverse across some truly remote alpine territory, and the Snake Range houses Great Basin National Park and Mount Moriah Wilderness Area, near the Utah border. In the south, the trails of Charleston Peak and the Red Rocks National Conservation Area lie just outside the Las Vegas Strip, drawing adventurous hikers and climbers away from the casinos. And Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the Colorado River, just below Grand Canyon National Park, makes a great destination for everything from a scenic drive to a day trip with the family.