Bootleg Canyon

Forget helicopter tours and crawling to summits, if you really want to experience the magic of Nevada's canyons from an aerial perspective, you need to fly! Free as a bird on the current of the wind, there's no greater thrill than soaring above the lofty tips of Bootleg Canyon, the iconic image of Red Mountain looming as you've never seen it before. It sounds like a fantasy of superhero proportions, yet more than 50,000 people are experiencing the thrill of engineless flight each year at Boulder City - the sister metropolis to hustling Vegas, just 45 minutes North.

Encompassing a wide area along the far Northern stretch of Boulder City, Bootleg Canyon is an adventurer's playground. Rocky outcrops along the south of the canyon provide a challenging natural pathway which had been unofficially adopted by bikers as a prime mountain bike trail, prior to 2000. Caldera trail itself is of championship status, with both cross-country and downhill extremes now recognized by the International Mountain Bicycling Association as competition routes. Spanning a distance of 35 miles, MTB Trail is by far the most popular among amateurs, yet poses an equally challenging terrain if you're not used to such rugged conditions. Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park has recently incorporated trails for all skillsets, the best being River Mountain Trail Loop if you happen to have kids in tow.

Bootleg Canyon is renowned for adventure sports, yet few come quite as close to the zip-wires for thrill and fear-factor. Located upon the peak of Red Mountain, Bootleg Canyon Flightlines offer a unique opportunity to experience aerial views from 1,000 feet above the canyon floor. Suspended from a wire with little more than a safety para-gliding harness and suspension ropes to grip onto, you'll commence a two and a half hour aerial tour, zipping from one mountain to the next with nothing below you but canyon wash and deep ravines. With only 15 minutes trail hiking required between stations, this is easily one of the most relaxed mountaineering adventures you'll ever experience!