Adventure & Beauty in Las Vegas’s Backyard!

Red Rock Canyon attracts more than 3 million visitors annually!  You will experience the beauty of the multicolored sandstone and steeply angled, dark limestone walls during the13-mile scenic drive that has well-marked viewing areas and parking lots.  The highest spot is the High Point Overlook at 4,771 feet.  There are 26 numbered hikes and trails that are rated from easy to moderate with distances from as little as .75 miles up to 6 miles.  Bicycles are permitted, but only on designated roads and trails.

As of October 2023, timed reservations for vehicle entry must be made ahead of time to the scenic drive between 8am and 5pm.  Visit https://redrockcanyonlv.org or call (877) 444-6777.  The daily fee to enter is $20 per vehicle plus a $2 reservation fee. 

Climbers from all over the world come to visit Red Rock Canyon as it is one of the top five climbing destinations in the U.S. with more than 2,000 climbing routes.  For permits or questions, call the climbing Rangers at 702-515-5138 or 702-515-5042.

Be sure to make your first stop at the visitor center.  The exhibits about the culture, natural and geologic history are very informative, plus there is a bookstore and gift shop.  One of the most exciting parts of the visitor center is the outdoor desert tortoise habitat.   You can wander through a well-planned pathway where you may get lucky and spot a famous, well-camouflaged reptile (MojaveMax.com).  When it’s warm or hot out, the best time to catch them outside their burrows is early morning or late afternoon.   

There are picnic areas and restroom facilities.  You may have opportunities to spot wildlife, however, please remember to NOT feed the wild animals… they can be dangerous, even the burros.

More than 100 movies have been filmed in the park, the most famous being Jurassic Park.  You can star in your own feature film in this magnificent surrounding.

Directions

Take State Route 159 West (Charleston Blvd) and follow the signs to the exit on the right side of the 2-lane road.  Coming from the strip, your trip should take approximately 25 minutes.

Travel Tips

Be prepared for the weather – bring layered clothing

Wear good walking shoes

Bring sun protection, snacks and lots of water

Make sure your camera batteries are fully charged – there’s lots of photo ops!

However, drones are NOT permitted

History

About 6.5 million years ago, two of the earth’s crustal plates collided and part of a grey limestone plate was thrust up and over the younger red sandstone resulting in a series of thrust faults.  The most significant geologic feature of Red Rock Canyon is the Keystone Thrust which extends from the Cottonwood Fault north to the vicinity of La Madre Mountain.  The remnants of ancient seas, petrified forests and prehistoric sand dunes can all be found within Red Rock Canyon.

Up until 1990, this area known as the Red Rock Recreation Lands encompassed 62,000 acres and was managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) primarily for recreational pursuits.  In 1990, Red Rock was designated by Congress as a National Conservation Area (NCA).  This designation is for areas that feature exceptional natural resources.  Red Rock Canyon was the first of 13 national conservation areas to be designated.  It has expanded to nearly 196,000 acres (195,819 acres, 20-miles long by 10 miles wide).