I am biased on my reviews with Nevada State Parks. Let me explain why:
Echo Canyon State Park is only a few hours outside of Las Vegas and delivers mountain views, clean forest air & skies (minimal/no light pollution), great camping (clean showers! and restrooms), and the quiet & peaceful ambience of a mountain landscape.
Echo Canyon State Park features Echo Canyon Reservior which is popular for fishing and boating in a very comfortable size reservior. Shore fishing is just as great and the smaller size of the reservior make exploring the shorelines easy: a quick car drive can get you across the other side of the lake in minutes, or exploring the inlet of Meadow Valley Wash.
There are also hikes to explore, the bridge to nowhere, and Spring Valley State Park, and Cathedral Gorge State Park are both not too far, nearby. And out of these three State Parks, Echo Canyon is often the least busy/occupied, which makes it one of my favorites.
Escape the city here, or if you're driving/passing through our state, this park is the best to set up basecamp if you are exploring the area.