Red Rock Canyon

About a 30 minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip you will find Red Rock Canyon.

It is a totally different setting from the glitzy, chaotic frenzy of the casinos.

The entrance fee is only five dollars. There is a 13 mile scenic loop drive with 19 different hiking trails you may turn off along the way. Each of these hikes is rated strenuous to easy.

Red Rock Canyon is a relatively small and narrow valley that is situated around 15 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. Red Rock Canyon NCA (National Conservation Area), is one of the most scenic spots to visit in Southern Nevada. 'Red Rock' as it is known to the locals, gets its name from the red colored sandstone formation embedded in the mountains that form the western and northern margins of this small valley. The distinct red colored layers of sandstone streak horizontally across mountains known as the Wilson Cliffs and can be seen from almost anywhere in Las Vegas valley.

The red sandstone that makes Red Rock so unique, is part of the same geologic formation, the Navaho Formation, that is found in the Valley of Fire, Zion National Park and throughout many parts of the southwestern United States and southern Nevada. The contrast of red sandstone layered through gray limestone is impressive against the tall sheer cliff faces of - as high as - 600 meters or about 1,800 feet.