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The closest concentration of classic Southwestern canyon scenery
to Las Vegas lies a mere twenty miles west of the city center. The sheer
3000-foot escarpment that towers above Red Rock Canyon National Conservation
Area is clearly visible from hotel windows along the Strip, with every fiery
detail picked out each morning by the rising sun. What you can't see until you
enter the park, however, is that there's a cactus-strewn desert basin set deep
into those mighty walls, surrounded by stark red cliffs that are pierced
repeatedly by narrow canyons accessible only on foot.
Run
by the Federal Bureau of Land Management, Red Rock Canyon covers almost
200,000 acres of wilderness. Like other such Bureau of Land Management
areas, it's less groomed for tourists than a national park or monument.
Thus while it includes over thirty miles of hiking trails, they're not
as well signed or maintained as you might expect, and it's all too easy
for novice walkers to get lost
Explore Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon's Scenic Drive
Red Rock Canyon's Scenic Drive (daily 6am-dusk; $5
per vehicle, bicycles free) is a one-way loop road that meanders for
thirteen miles around the edge of the basin before rejoining the main
highway a couple of miles southwest of the visitor center. As the name
implies, it's designed for drivers not pedestrians, but it's also
popular with cyclists, who can cycle on designated trails as well as on
the road itself, and for whom its gradients are never too demanding.
Along the way, it passes a number of overlooks, many of which also serve
as trailheads for hikes of varying lengths. Rock climbers should
enquire at the visitor center for details of recommended ascents.
If
you plan to hike, buy a good map in the visitor center before you
set off; the free handouts aren't up to the job. Be warned also that the
desert is home to mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and even gila monsters,
which, should you permit one to chew on you for several hours, are
poisonous.
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