Four of Alex Honnold’s Favorite Nevada Adventures

The series premiere finds Honnold accompanied by his wife, Sanni McCandless Honnold—an accomplished outdoorswoman and life coach in her own right—and their young children. This shift toward family-oriented adventure highlights a growing trend in the outdoor industry where elite athletes are refocusing their narratives on sustainability, localism, and the introduction of the next generation to the natural world. Their journey begins not on a sheer cliffside, but on the slopes of Mt. Charleston, the highest point in Clark County and a cornerstone of the Southern Nevada landscape.

Mt. Charleston, or officially Charleston Peak, serves as a dramatic introduction to the ecological diversity of the Mojave Desert. Standing at 11,916 feet, it is the most prominent summit in Nevada and the eighth-most prominent in the contiguous United States. For locals like the Honnolds, Mt. Charleston is more than just a peak; it is a "sky island." This biological term refers to isolated mountain ranges surrounded by radically different lowland environments—in this case, a lush, alpine forest encircled by the scorching Mojave Desert. The ascent of Mt. Charleston is a formidable undertaking even for seasoned hikers. The trail gains approximately 5,000 feet of elevation over an eight-mile trek, transitioning from desert scrub to ponderosa pines, and eventually to the ancient bristlecone pine forests that cling to the upper reaches of the limestone ridges. Some of these bristlecone pines are estimated to be over 3,000 years old, standing as silent witnesses to millennia of climatic shifts. For Alex and Sanni, the hike offers a masterclass in Nevada’s vertical geography, where the temperature can drop as much as 30 degrees from the valley floor to the summit, providing a necessary reprieve from the relentless Las Vegas heat.

While Mt. Charleston provides the high-altitude thrills, the series quickly pivots to the depths of the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Located just below the monumental Hoover Dam, the Black Canyon National Water Trail offers a stark contrast to the arid peaks. This was the first National Water Trail established in the Southwest and the first in the nation to flow through a desert. Honnold’s exploration here focuses on the intersection of human engineering and raw nature. The Hoover Dam, completed in 1936 during the height of the Great Depression, remains a marvel of 20th-century civil engineering. It stands 726 feet tall and contains enough concrete to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York.

In the series, the Honnolds engage in a guided rafting tour, a method of travel that allows for a deeper exploration of the canyon’s history. Rafting through the Black Canyon provides views of the "sausage" walkways and old gauging stations used during the dam’s construction, while also offering glimpses of the region’s wildlife. The desert bighorn sheep, Nevada’s state animal, are frequently spotted perched precariously on the volcanic canyon walls. The area is also home to the Gold Strike Canyon hot springs, where geothermal activity heats water to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, creating natural soaking pools that have become a pilgrimage site for outdoor enthusiasts. This segment of the journey underscores the importance of the Colorado River as the lifeblood of the American West, providing water and power to millions while sustaining a fragile desert ecosystem.

However, "Get a Little Out There" is not solely focused on traditional outdoor recreation. A significant portion of Nevada’s identity is tied to the eccentric, the unexplained, and the "otherworldly." This is explored through the lens of Boulder City, a town with a unique historical pedigree. Unlike almost every other municipality in Nevada, Boulder City prohibits gambling, a legacy of its origins as a federal "model city" built to house the workers who constructed the Hoover Dam. Today, it serves as a gateway to the state’s more unusual attractions, including the Outpost 51 Alien Museum.

The presence of the museum in Boulder City taps into Nevada’s long-standing association with extraterrestrial lore, largely driven by the proximity of the Nevada Test and Training Range and the infamous Area 51. The state even officially designated State Route 375 as the "Extraterrestrial Highway" in 1996. The Outpost 51 Alien Museum offers a curated look at this cultural phenomenon, featuring Hollywood-grade exhibits that detail reported crash sites, government conspiracies, and the evolution of alien iconography in American pop culture. For Honnold, whose career has been defined by scientific preparation and physical reality, the foray into the supernatural represents the "wild people" side of Nevada that he has grown to love. It highlights the state’s role as a sanctuary for individualists, dreamers, and those who look toward the stars.

The cultural immersion continues with a visit to Grandma Daisy’s Candy Store and Ice Cream Parlor in the heart of Boulder City’s historic district. This segment serves as a reminder that travel is as much about community and local commerce as it is about landscapes. Grandma Daisy’s is a quintessential example of the small-business spirit that thrives in the shadows of the Las Vegas Strip’s mega-resorts. Specializing in handmade fudge, nostalgic candies, and old-fashioned malts, the shop provides a sensory connection to the past. In an era of globalized retail, these localized "mom-and-pop" establishments are vital to maintaining the distinct character of Nevada’s rural and suburban towns. For the Honnold family, it’s a moment of levity and a chance to participate in the "small-town charm" that Boulder City has preserved since the 1930s.

The broader context of the series is a strategic move by Travel Nevada to diversify the state’s tourism economy. Historically, Nevada’s tourism has been heavily concentrated in the gaming and entertainment sectors of Las Vegas and Reno. However, recent data suggests a shift in traveler preferences toward "transformative travel" and outdoor adventure. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation contributes billions to Nevada’s GDP and supports tens of thousands of jobs. By partnering with an athlete of Honnold’s caliber, Travel Nevada is positioning the state as a premier destination for world-class climbing, hiking, and water sports, while also highlighting the cultural quirks that make it unique.

Alex Honnold’s involvement also brings a layer of environmental advocacy to the project. Through the Honnold Foundation, Alex has long promoted solar energy and sustainable development. While "Get a Little Out There" is a travel series, it inherently promotes the "Leave No Trace" ethics and the preservation of public lands. The areas featured—Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, and the Black Canyon—are all subject to intense environmental pressures from climate change and high visitation. Honnold’s platform helps amplify the message that these "wild places" require active stewardship and respect from those who visit them.

As the series progresses beyond the first episode, viewers can expect to see Honnold venture further into the remote corners of the Silver State, perhaps toward the Great Basin National Park or the mysterious lunar landscapes of the Black Rock Desert. But the core message remains established in the premiere: adventure does not always require a trip halfway across the globe or a death-defying feat. Sometimes, the most profound discoveries are found just outside one’s doorstep, in the limestone cliffs, the historic candy shops, and the alien museums of one’s own backyard. "Get a Little Out There with Alex Honnold" is ultimately a love letter to Nevada, viewed through the eyes of a man who has seen the world from its highest peaks and decided that there is no place quite like home. By blending high-adrenaline exploration with family dynamics and local culture, the series offers a comprehensive look at the modern American West, proving that Nevada is much more than just a neon oasis in the desert—it is a vast, multifaceted wilderness waiting to be explored by anyone willing to get a little out there.