Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock canyon is a popular national conservation area just to the west of Las Vegas. There is a loop road that you can drive along to see the sights, or you can get out and climb the hills. If you are going to be in Vegas for more than a day or two and want a change of pace from the strip, this is a good side trip.

Unlike the better known National Parks and National Monuments, Conservation Areas are administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

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Copyright 2003, G. Edward Johnson

Red rocks in the distance.
This is the view from the visitors center, looking at the hills.

Red rocks and hills.
The red hills rise from the grey plains.

People on the rocks.
The rocks are so massive you loose a sense of scale. If you look closely, you can see a couple of people standing on the lower left edge of the light red rocks.

Vertical fissures.
Large fissures run up the rock in places.

Rocky top.
Not all the rocks are red. If you go off the main road and up the side canyons, you will be treated to rugged hills like this.

Scrub valley.
This valley is filled with scrub brush.