Overview

33 Hole Picnic Area sits on a 3-pronged, flat-topped bluff overlooking Las Vegas Bay. Each prong (left, middle, and right) is the site of a small picnic area. When the lake was full, water lapped at the edge of all three picnic areas, but now the three provide only elevated positions for looking down on waterbirds in the very far distance.

The right picnic area provides limited birding from a distance. To bird this area now, birders must follow either of two fishermen trails (about 0.4 miles) down to the edge of the lake.

Returning can be a bit confusing because the picnic area is not visible from the lakeshore, but all trails lead back to the pavement.

The landscape is sparsely vegetated with stunted creosote bush, white bursage, and few other shrubs, and the lakeshore is mud or grown up in saltcedar and other shrubs, depending on water levels.

Link to map.

33-Hole Left Trail: From the bottom of the turn-around loop, behind four bollards, a concrete trail leads out a ridgeline to an overlook. From there, a dirt fisherman trail leads down to the edge of Lake Mead. The trail runs down the ridgeline, passing two fairly steep parts. Some of the trail is faint, but there are so many trails that birders need only switch to another trail when it seem useful.

Near the lake, the trail passes left of a knob, then drops to the edge of Lake Mead near the Las Vegas Wash delta. Birders can wander left or right along the lakeshore watching for birds loafing near the shore or feeding far out in the water. With a scope, be sure to scan the far shoreline and up Las Vegas Wash.

33-Hole Right Trail: Starting from the middle picnic shelter, a gravel trail runs down the ridgeline with some steep parts. The trail runs down to a flat area before a knob, then traverses the left side of the ridge (bypassing the knob) onto a ledge with nice views out over Lake Mead. This trail takes birders to the edge of the water farther from the Las Vegas Wash delta with more open deep water. This spot is on the end of the ridge with bays on both sides, so it is somewhat harder to wander left and right along the shoreline, but birds seem to like loafing in the bays.