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Blue Diamond
Despite its close proximity to the city, Blue Diamond prides itself as one of the last places in the valley where its ruralty is supreme. Blue Diamond is a place people pass right on by to get to somewhere else, but on occasion, the town will see a flurry of motorcyclists, most of them attracted to the same thing the locals enjoy. ​
A bit of ruralty is certainly welcome down here in the giant metro Las Vegas Valley, and this is precisely what makes Blue Diamond special. "Blue Diamond" is a small, rural company town just fifteen minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, wedged between SR 159 and SR 160. ​
Blue Diamond takes its name from the rich gypsum mine on the hills just north of town. When I say "rich," this is understatement. The mine is a rare one that contains 99% pure gypsum. The giant PABCO gypsum plant still manufactures drywall and other gypsum products that brings a bit more economy to the area in addition to the usual neon glitz.​
The real treasure here is it's scenic surroundings and with it
a great variety of nearby outdoor attractions!
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The nearby Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, administered by Nevada State Parks, is a 520 acre oasis developed into a combination working ranch and luxurious retreat by a string of owners who have given the area a long and colorful history. Even have live outdoor performances in the theater.
The most popular is the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, located just seven minutes away on SR 159. Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada's first National Conservation Area, preserving over 195,000 acres and is frequented by more than one million people each year. In marked contrast to a city geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers enticements of a different nature that include a 13-mile scenic drive and more than 60 miles of hiking trails, and several hidden waterfalls and oases. The unique geologic features, plants and animals of Red Rock represent some of the best examples of the Mojave Desert.
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Due to the proximity of Blue Diamond to Red Rock many of the residents of Blue Diamond are active with the SaveRedRock.com organization. Currently they are working to seed the clouds.
Las Vegas, NV (Sept. 1, 2022) — Save Red Rock is partnering with DRI to fund a cloud seeding program which will augment precipitation in the Spring Mountains, helping to replenish the aquifers within the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The partnership is working to alleviate some of the devastating effects of drought by stimulating additional snowfall in the winter and rainfall in the summer from naturally-occurring storm clouds…
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As for Blue Diamond itself, the town has a great restaurant, a verdant town park, a school, a post office and volunteer fire department. Who needs much more than that?