Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

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Red Rock Canyon is about a 30 min drive outside of Las Vegas. Great place for hiking and getting away from the lights and glitz of Las Vegas.

Beatuiful rock formations, easy hiking trails and a wonderful sense of being in nature when you're a short drive away from the excitement of LV.

Red Rock Canyon is about a 30 min drive outside of Las Vegas. Great place for hiking and getting away from the lights and glitz of Las Vegas.

Beatuiful rock formations, easy hiking trails and a wonderful sense of being in nature when you're a short drive away from the excitement of LV.

This is the polar opposite of the strip. The beauty here is quiet and overwhelming. The best perspective of the red rocks is from the overlook area off of 159. Unfortunately there was a wildfire there recently and the area right around the overlook has burned, but the view is still breathtaking.

Take 215 north to Charleston (Hwy 159). Turn left on Charleston and follow approx 17 miles to the entrance.

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The first time I went around the Red Rock Loop was well before it became such as destination for those outside the locals knowledge. Even with having to time your trip for crowd reduction its well worth "shooting the loop"

Quite frankly, a trip to Vegas is not complete if I do not make it out here, but then again I'm not really one of the casino only crowd. I much prefer being in the outdoors...

It's best to hit this area during the weekdays during peak travel periods

Red Rock Canyon is just 15-20 minutes west of Las Vegas. It is a beautiful little natural preserve with a 13 mile scenic drive. The easiest way to get there is to take Charleston Boulevard and head west; you'll follow the signs and turn right into the park. Keep an eye out for burros along the road! I think that the entrance fee is nominal, like $5 per car or something like that. There is a senior citizens discount also. Oh yeah-- rent a car to get out here, instead of taking a tour. That way you can stop where you want for as long as you want- because you will want to explore far more than what a tour will allow for!

Sunsets are particularly spectacular over the White Mountains, and there is a special car park along the highway further west of the park entrance that give a clear view.

Stop in at the visitor center to see the wildlife exhibit, and to pick up a map of the trails. Each trail is marked with the length and difficutly. Remember that the sun sets quickly in the canyons, and the temperature drops quickly, so be prepared.

There are many good areas to rock climb, but as always, do so safely and under the guidance of a professional or with the proper gear.

***TAKE PLENTY OF WATER*** This is, after all, the desert.

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We rented a convertivle.....Of course the only way to enjoy the outdoors. Drove through the Canyon and up into the mountains. During April and March there is still some snow up there in the mountains in Nevada.

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The most significant geologic feature
of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone
Thrust Fault. A thrust fault is a fracture
in the earth's crust where one rock plate
is thrust horizontally over another.
13-Mile Loop Drive offers sightseeing,
vistas and overlooks. A popular hiking
trail is into Pine Creek Canyon.
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4 more images

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most significant geologic feature
of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone
Thrust Fault. A thrust fault is a fracture
in the earth's crust where one rock plate
is thrust horizontally over another.
13-Mile Loop Drive offers sightseeing,
vistas and overlooks. A popular hiking
trail is into Pine Creek Canyon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 more images

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most significant geologic feature
of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone
Thrust Fault. A thrust fault is a fracture
in the earth's crust where one rock plate
is thrust horizontally over another.
13-Mile Loop Drive offers sightseeing,
vistas and overlooks. A popular hiking
trail is into Pine Creek Canyon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

4 more images

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most significant geologic feature
of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone
Thrust Fault. A thrust fault is a fracture
in the earth's crust where one rock plate
is thrust horizontally over another.
13-Mile Loop Drive offers sightseeing,
vistas and overlooks. A popular hiking
trail is into Pine Creek Canyon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A two-mile round trip hike leads to the ruins of a
historic homestead near a running creek, surrounded
by large ponderosa pine trees and other water-loving
vegetation growth.