pictographs on canyon wall
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History of Las Vegas

The refuge was established in 1965, but the history of this area dates much further back - as far back as 8,000 BC when old world Indians inhabited the area. Pueblo Indians also spent time living in this region, until the 1100's, when drought and Apaches forced them out. In the mid-1500's, Spanish conquistadors and missionaries explored and settled the region, and the influence of Spanish culture is still prevalent here today. Westward expansion continued in the late 1800's, and by the turn of the century, the Santa Fe Trail and the railroad made Las Vegas the place to be! For more information on the fascinating history of this area, we suggest you stop by the Las Vegas City Museum and Rough Rider Memorial Collection while you are visiting the area.
Pictographs left by an early Pueblo culture on a canyon wall, circa 1000 AD.
Click here for more information about cultural resources and historic preservation on National Wildlife Refuges.
old homestead site
Several homestead sites on the refuge date back to the turn of the century, when the railroad and Santa Fe trail brought a wave of economic progress to Las Vegas.
Southwest Region 2 Refuges | National Wildlife Refuge System | USFWS National Site