Tule Springs is a rare desert oasis in Las Vegas and the wider valley, where small lakes once created dependable water and habitat in the Mojave Desert. For numerous Native Americans in the pre-Columbian period, it was an important water source. Later, it became the site of a guest ranch that drew out-of-state residents seeking to establish Nevada residency for the state’s easy divorce laws; some ranch buildings and a few peacocks remain. The ranch district and archaeological site are both formally recognized for their historic value. The surrounding area also preserves rare desert plants, fossil lands, and an important remnant of urban desert ecology.