If you want an easy way to see bighorn sheep without trekking out into the mountains, there is a secret, maybe not so much anymore, little gem in Boulder City that is a great place to see bighorn sheep.
The special location is Hemenway Park. Hemenway Park is located at 401 Ville Dr., which is just north off the Great Basin Highway as you are headed down the hill to Lake Mead.
The best time to find the sheep is early morning or in the evening before sunset. Your chances of seeing the sheep at Hemenway Park are highest when there hasn’t been any rain and the plants are not growing in the rocky hills by the park. The park is always full of grass ready for eating.
I shot most of these images with my 100-400 mm lens, but you can get close enough to the sheep to get good shots with almost any set up. The sheep are definitely used to humans.
Most of the time, there is a huge herd of probably thirty or so sheep that are together, but they also break into smaller groups. I have even been there when there is just one or two sheep by themselves.
Later in the evening, the sheep head back up the hill to the mountains.
My kids love going to Hemenway Park to see the sheep. It is about a thirty minute drive for us, but we go quite often. The hardest part for me is not getting distracted shooting the sheep while my kids get way too close to the animals.
After you have seen the sheep during the golden light, be sure to stick around for sunset as you may get lucky with a beautiful sunset over Lake Mead.
Even if you aren’t lucky enough to see the sheep, Hemenway Park is fun for the kids. The big grass fields are fun for all kids. They love running around, rolling down the hill and doing cartwheels.
There is a lot more to do besides just playing in the grass. There is a small little mountain right by the field that the kids love climbing. It is also a great place to see rabbits running around.
During the right season, you can even find some good wildflowers at the base of the hill closest to the road.
Besides the fields and natural play areas, there is also a pretty good play structure, tennis and basketball courts. Honestly, my kids always have so much fun playing in the grass and mountain that they don’t spend much time on the playground. They are always upset that we have to leave before they get to the playground.
