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Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden
4.8 ★★★★★ 355 Google reviews · Running trail in Boulder City, Nevada · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden
“This park features 5–6 large animal sculptures—such as lizards, birds, and tortoises—connected by a well-maintained, paved path.”
“The statutes are also really cool and the rocks and plants are beautiful (in a desert kind of way).”
“This hidden gem in Boulder City is a great place to take a walk or ride a bike and best of all it is usually very quiet.”
“Nice place, not popular, FREE, underrated to my opinion, had a great time, now is better to go during AM during summer as it gets really hot, easy hike.”
Amazing spot to take your pets and human friends for a walk! All the statues are spectacular up close, and there is even a giant open field in the back of the trail. The parking is easy to find and provides decent shade. There is a nice covered table at the top of the hill where you can have a picnic.
My family loved this trail. Along the trail are several native desert animal sculptures placed in a natural desert environment. The sculptures are great for pictures, I took several with my kids they love posing with them or even sitting atop the huge ones like the giant desert tortoise.
This is a really neat place to stop by, go for a quick hike, and take some cool photos. The statues are awesome. You can get some scenic photos as well, especially during sunset. I must disclose that when we were there, around sunset, there were some coyotes nearby. We heard their howls and saw them in the distance.
This hidden gem of a park is NOT on Trip Advisors top 70 places in Boulder City, or highlighted in other tourist information. It was a serendipitous discovery for us, after walking around the Nevada State Railroad Museum. The rocks and plantings are awesome, as are the giant sculptures for kids to play on.
Trail conditions & character
“The covered gazebo has two picnic tables available for those who would like to enjoy lunch while taking in a wonderful view of Boulder City.”
“They were getting closer as we were getting back to our car at the parking lot.”
“It’s got a nice, paved, ADA-accessible nature trail that takes you by various sculptures of desert animals alongside placards that talk about the animals.”
“It’s got a nice, paved, ADA-accessible nature trail that takes you by various sculptures of desert animals alongside placards that talk about the animals.”
“This hidden gem in Boulder City is a great place to take a walk or ride a bike and best of all it is usually very quiet.”
“The area is easily accessible for strollers and wheelchairs and is part of the River Mountains Loop Trail, making it especially suitable for cycling.”
Plan your run at Nature Discovery Trail and Rock Garden
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitebouldercity.com
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–10 PM |
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