Only 20 minutes from your favorite casino on Las Vegas Boulevard, Red Rock Canyon can’t be missed especially when you need a breather. The natural scenery and wide open spaces are spectacular and if Instagram is your photo album, there are lots of photo ops here to impress your followers.
The one way, 13-mile scenic drive is a paved road with lots of overlooks to get up close to the rock formations formed millions of years ago. The Park has 26 numbered trails if you like to hike. You can also go horseback riding or mountain biking as well as rock climbing. The Visitor Center has a lot of information about the evolution of Red Rock Canyon and the flora and wildlife that inhabit its terrain. Pick up your scenic map and trail guide there before you start your scenic drive. Don’t forget to look for desert tortoises in the canyon.
Turtlehead Peak in the background
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| There’s a trail here that goes to Turtlehead Peak and Calico Tanks |
Calico Hills
Calico Hills Overlook
The reddish color of these rocks indicates the presence of iron oxide or hematite in them. Iron minerals were oxidized due to exposure to the elements and colored the rocks in red, orange and brown. For more information about the geology of Red Rock Canyon, visit this link: https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/geology-highlights/
Calico Hills
View of the valley from High Point Overlook
Driving to the Canyon on Highway 159
Link to my video about Red Rock Canyon
How to get there from Las Vegas Blvd.
1000 Scenic Loop Drive
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/nevada/red-rock-canyon
Entrance fees and reservations:
https://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/fees/
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Images by TravelswithCharie