Red Rock Canyon is a recommended destination when visiting Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a quick drive, just a few miles west of Las Vegas. According to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area website, the canyon encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. We had purchased a America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass: Annual Pass for $80, which gave us access to most National Parks in the US. There are other options as well including a $15 day-pass per vehicle/truck.
For this trip, my fiance’s parents had joined us. It was their first time in Las Vegas and during the hottest weekend of the summer. Of course, during this time, the air conditioner in my SUV stopped working and we ended up renting a vehicle to get around. There is much to explore at Red Rock Canyon. We had spent the whole day (morning and afternoon) there and prepared by packing plenty of water and a picnic lunch.
We had stopped at each overlook and had a nice picnic lunch at Willow Spring Picnic Area. We did the Petroglyph wall trail, and hiked the Pike Creek Canyon Trail for several hours. We are all not in the greatest shape so the Pike Creek Canyon Trail was a good challenge for us. The heat was also getting to us, so we limited our hike to around 2 hours.
What I found amazing about Red Rock Canyon is the complex geological history. Being a mining and geotechnical engineer, I found studying geology quite fascinating. The rock in the Red Rock Canyon is Aztec Sandstone, which is fossilized core of sand formed during the early Jurassic Period. This sand slowly changed to sandstone and the subsurface water deposited iron oxide and calcium carbonate in the sandstone. The oxidation of the iron minerals in the sediments is seen in the red colors of some of the rocks. There are also formation of petrified wood in the area.
I would highly recommend spending a day here. Maybe not on the hottest weekend of the year, but it was worth it for us. It is important to pack and dress accordingly to the the weather. Below are some photos from our visit.
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