Riffle & Schilling | Summit Collective at Simply Vegas
Luxury Homes, private amenities, Red Rock views and evolution of golf inside one of Summerlin's signature residential communities.
By: Kristen Riffle
There are luxury neighborhoods in Las Vegas, and then there are communities that helped define what luxury living in Las Vegas could become.
The Ridges is one of them.
Located along the elevated western edge of Summerlin, The Ridges occupies approximately 793 acres against the dramatic backdrop of Red Rock Canyon. Development began in 2000, and over the years it has evolved into one of the most recognizable guard-gated luxury communities in Southern Nevada.
But what has always made The Ridges interesting to me isn’t simply the price of the homes behind the gates.
It’s the combination.
Architecture. Elevation. Privacy. Views. Golf. Proximity to the city. And the feeling that you’re tucked against the desert while still being minutes from everything that makes Summerlin convenient.
For luxury buyers considering Las Vegas, that’s a difficult combination to replicate.
The Ridges is located in Summerlin’s 89135 ZIP code, along the western edge of the Las Vegas Valley near Red Rock Canyon.
That location gives certain properties something buyers specifically seek in Las Vegas: dramatic elevation and sight lines.
Depending on the home’s position within the community, properties can capture views toward Red Rock Canyon, the surrounding mountains, the golf course or across the valley toward the Las Vegas Strip.
Meanwhile, Downtown Summerlin’s restaurants, shopping and entertainment are nearby, while Red Rock Canyon provides an entirely different kind of Las Vegas experience in the opposite direction. The community itself highlights both as major components of The Ridges lifestyle.
It’s one of my favorite contradictions about living on this side of Las Vegas:
You can feel removed from the city without actually being removed from it.
This is where The Ridges becomes particularly interesting from a real estate perspective.
It isn’t one neighborhood filled with variations of the same house.
The community contains numerous individual residential enclaves, including names Las Vegas luxury buyers may encounter such as Azure, Indigo, Talon Ridge and Sterling Ridge, among others.
Some contain fully custom estates. Others feature semi-custom or attached luxury residences. Certain enclaves have an additional layer of controlled access beyond the primary Ridges gates.
Historically, builders and custom-home firms represented within The Ridges have included names such as Christopher Homes and Blue Heron, while custom properties can vary dramatically in architecture, size and age.
That means comparing two homes in The Ridges based purely on square footage can be misleading.
The enclave matters.
The lot matters.
The view corridor matters.
The architecture matters.
The quality and age of the construction matter.
And increasingly, the relationship of a property to the evolving golf course may matter as well.
The Ridges isn’t really one luxury real estate market. It’s a collection of micro-markets behind one set of gates.
That distinction becomes important when buying — and extremely important when pricing a home for sale.
One of the amenities that distinguishes The Ridges is Club Ridges, the private resident facility within the community.
Club Ridges is approximately 9,000 square feet and includes fitness facilities, an aerobic space, tennis facilities, a resort-style pool and a heated lap pool. Summerlin completed a substantial renovation of the facility in 2020.
For me, amenities like this matter because they change the way a neighborhood functions.
Luxury isn’t always another 2,000 square feet inside the house.
Sometimes it’s being able to walk or drive a few minutes within your own community to work out, swim or play tennis without leaving the gates.
This is probably the biggest change since I originally wrote about The Ridges.
For years, golf in The Ridges meant Bear’s Best Las Vegas, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course featuring holes inspired by Nicklaus-designed courses elsewhere.
Bear’s Best closed to public play in June 2025 following its acquisition, and the property is now undergoing a transformation into Amara Golf Club, a private club.
That’s an important distinction for buyers reading older articles about The Ridges online.
Historically, you’ll see Bear’s Best described as a public or daily-fee golf course.
That description no longer reflects what’s happening today.
And for anyone considering a golf-front property in The Ridges, I would specifically recommend verifying current club membership terms, access and plans independently rather than assuming that owning a home adjacent to the course automatically includes golf privileges.
The landscape is changing — quite literally.
The Ridges has staffed guard-gated access, and privacy has always been part of its identity. The community’s own materials emphasize controlled access and security alongside its lifestyle amenities.
For some buyers, that’s simply nice to have.
For others — executives, professional athletes, entertainers or anyone whose lifestyle makes privacy particularly important — it can be one of the first criteria in the home search.
And privacy isn’t only about a gate.
It’s the position of the home.
Where neighboring properties sit.
How outdoor spaces are oriented.
Whether the backyard is visible from another residence.
How guests enter.
Where vehicles are parked.
Those details often become much more important at this level of the market.
The Ridges has also played an important role in Las Vegas’ movement toward contemporary desert architecture.
You’ll find expansive glass, disappearing doors, indoor-outdoor living spaces, dramatic pools, courtyards and homes designed specifically around mountain, golf or Strip views.
But buyers shouldn’t assume every home is contemporary.
The community has developed over decades, so architectural styles and interior finishes vary substantially from property to property.
Personally, I think that’s part of what makes The Ridges interesting.
You’re not shopping for a floor plan.
You’re shopping for a property.
This is worth explaining because people unfamiliar with Summerlin sometimes confuse the two.
The Summit Club and The Ridges are distinct luxury communities, despite their proximity to one another.
The Summit Club is its own private residential club community with a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and separate amenities. The Ridges has its own residential structure, Club Ridges and the golf property now being redeveloped as Amara.
If you’re researching luxury homes in Summerlin, you’re likely to encounter both names frequently.
They’re both at the very high end of Las Vegas real estate.
But they’re not interchangeable experiences.
And choosing between them comes down to much more than which house photographs better online.
This is where I would make the refreshed article sound very much like you, rather than every other Realtor’s neighborhood page.
When I’m looking at a property in The Ridges with a buyer, I’m not just looking at bedrooms, bathrooms and price per square foot.
I’m looking at the things that will matter after the excitement of the showing wears off.
How private is the backyard?
What can eventually be built around the property?
What direction does the house face?
What does afternoon sun do to the primary living spaces?
Is the Strip view protected?
How does the lot compare with others in the same enclave?
Has the home been meaningfully updated, or simply cosmetically refreshed?
What are the current HOA and sub-association obligations?
And if golf is important, what exactly does the changing club situation mean for this particular property?
Luxury buyers aren’t simply buying more house. They’re buying fewer compromises.
That’s the standard I think a property at this level should be evaluated against.
The Ridges tends to appeal to buyers looking for a particular combination:
Privacy without isolation.
Modern architecture without giving up an established community.
Access to Summerlin without living in the middle of its busiest areas.
Mountain surroundings without sacrificing views of Las Vegas.
And homes that can feel distinctly different from one another.
For some buyers, that makes The Ridges exactly what they came to Las Vegas hoping to find.
For others, a community such as The Summit, Red Rock Country Club, Ascaya, MacDonald Highlands or another guard-gated enclave may fit their lifestyle better.
That’s why I don’t believe in simply telling someone what the “best” luxury neighborhood in Las Vegas is.
The better question is which one works for the way you actually live.
The Ridges has been part of Las Vegas luxury real estate for more than two decades, but it isn’t standing still.
The homes continue to evolve. The surrounding Summerlin community continues to mature. And the transformation of the former Bear’s Best course introduces an entirely new chapter.
If you’re considering buying or selling a home in The Ridges, understanding those details matters.
Not simply what homes are listed for.
But what buyers are actually responding to, how individual enclaves perform, how lots and views affect value, and where a particular property sits within the larger luxury market.
Because at this level, the details aren’t details.
They’re the value.
Kristen Riffle
Las Vegas Luxury Real Estate
Riffle & Schilling | Summit Collective at Simply Vegas
702-497-0730
KristenRiffle.com
5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 2 half bath
This stunning home in The Ridges is the perfect combination of luxury and peace. The modern architecture features clean lines and lots of windows, filling the interior with natural light. The open floor plan creates a perfect space for hosting gatherings. The chef's kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances, sleek counters, and ample storage. The bedrooms are en suite and provide lots of natural light. The primary bedroom is a true oasis with a large bedroom, spa-like bath, and walk-in closet. The backyard is an oasis with a sparkling pool, hot tub, and plenty of space to lounge. The patio is perfect for al fresco dining while the outdoor kitchen makes it easy to prepare meals for guests. The home is close to some of the city's finest dining, shopping, and entertainment, and is a short drive to the Vegas Strip.
4 bedrooms | 4 1/2 bathrooms
This newly renovated home has high-end finishes and features everything you need to entertain. The kitchen has a European style, Scavolini cabinets, a Dekton Quartz island, a Subzero refrigerator, Bosch appliances, and a built-in coffee system. The bar has been extended to include four wine refrigerators, a dishwasher, and more storage. The home has four bedrooms with full en-suite bathrooms and custom California closets. A full bedroom and bathroom is located on the first floor. The powder room has a secret door that opens to a storage room under the stairs. Three bedrooms and the laundry room are located upstairs. The primary bedroom has a built-in dry bar, two custom closets, and a covered balcony. The backyard has mature landscaping, a pool and spa, a built-in fire table, and a covered barbecue.
