Red-Rock Wonders Near Vegas Glitz

Grand desert sandscapes, a geological wonderland of red, maroon and buff boulders, plus springs, streams and seasonal waterfalls--these are some of the attractions of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Red Rock is only 20 miles west of the glitz and glitter of Las Vegas, but it might as well be in another state. Here, visitors will find star rocks instead of rock stars and fence lizards instead of lounge lizards. At Red Rock, heading to “the sands” takes on a whole new meaning, as does “the strip”--a 13-mile escarpment incised into the deep canyons that form the heart of Red Rock.

This corner of the Mojave Desert preserves a diversity of desert habitats, enabling coyotes, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions to thrive. Desert bighorn sheep are fairly abundant throughout Red Rock because of far-flung permanent water sources. Numerous non-native wild burros, descendants of pioneer pack animals, also roam the desert.

Prehistoric people lived in the Red Rock area about 9,000 years ago, anthropologists believe. They left behind petroglyphs and giant roasting pits--circular holes lined with limestone rocks that served as ovens for cooking plants and animals.

Red Rock Canyon and environs have been federal land for a long time. Red Rock was first designated as the Timber Mountain Mining District for its deposits of galena, a lead ore. Soon after Las Vegas was founded in 1905 there was a sandstone-quarrying industry here: Both red and white sandstone dug from Red Rock Canyon was used to construct buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In 1967, the area was renamed Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands and placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. In November, 1990, Congress expanded the area to 83,100 acres and upgraded its protection as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. BLM, an agency usually associated with overseeing more utilitarian land uses, is assigned park-like management duties at Red Rock.

First stop for hikers should be the Visitor Center, where exhibits tell about Red Rock’s complex geologic and natural history. From the Visitor Center, the 13-mile, one-way Scenic Loop Drive offers numerous vista points and provides access to most of the area’s trail heads.

While Red Rock has lots of hiking, it has a limited number of maintained trails. Supplementing the trails are routes--some obvious, some not--that lead to scenic attractions. Sometimes, but not always, these routes are marked with signs and cairns (rock piles). If you lack confidence in your sense of direction, it makes sense to stick to established trails. Inquire about Red Rock’s routes and trails at the Visitor Center.

Directions to trail head: From Interstate 15 in Las Vegas, exit on West Charleston Boulevard and head west. The boulevard (Nevada 159) leads nearly 20 miles to the turnoff for the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Visitor Center and the beginning of the Scenic Loop Drive.

Calico Hills Trail (2 1/2 miles round trip; 400-foot elevation gain): First observe the Calico Hills from either of two vista points. A walking route leads along the base of the hills, where you can get up-close looks at the cross-bedded Aztec sandstone.

An even better ramble begins just up the road at the Sandstone Quarry parking area, 2 3/4 miles from the Visitor Center. You can observe large cut boulders, reminders of the quarry operation that took place early in this century. Numerous pathways dip in and out of the slickrock basins and ridges of the Calico Hills.

You might notice potholes or tenajas --rock depressions that hold water and thus greatly aid desert wildlife. To reach the largest tenaja (Spanish for “tank”), head northward along the western edge of the buff-colored sandstone. You’ll dip in and out of a wash, then climb to a saddle on the rocky ridge. Following a good rain, Calico Tank can reach a depth of several feet.

Turtlehead Peak (5 miles round trip; 1,700-foot elevation gain): The strenuous route to Turtlehead, the dark gray peak towering above the Calico Hills, also begins at the Sandstone Quarry trail head.

From the parking area, walk northwest along the main wash. Leaving the way you’ll climb steeply toward the top of a ridge. Your route turns to the right (south) for the final approach to the “back” side of Turtlehead. Reward for the rigorous climb is a terrific view of Red Rock country, Las Vegas and Lake Mead.

Lost Creek Loop Trail (3 1/4 miles round trip) begins at the Willow Spring turnoff from Scenic Loop Drive, 7 1/2 miles from the Visitor Center. The signed trail can be hiked from either direction, but it’s best, particularly if you have little hikers in tow, to join the “Children’s Discovery Trail.” A booklet interpreting this trail is available at the Visitor Center.

Kids--adults, too--learn about local flora and how the Indians survived in this harsh land on this pleasant walk to a grotto at the base of a seasonal waterfall.

Pine Creek Canyon Trail (2 to 5 miles round trip) begins 11 miles from the Visitor Center just off Scenic Loop Drive. Creek and canyon were named for the surprising presence of ponderosa pine, a tree rarely found below 6,000 feet in elevation or in a desert environment. The pines thrive because of the canyon’s relatively moist and cool microclimate.

The trail dips into a broad wash. A mile’s walk brings you to the foundation remains of a 1922 homestead. As the trail ends, the canyon divides; take the left fork and begin a trail-less route along the creek bed. Above you towers pyramid-shaped Mescalito Peak. A dogged mile of creek-side scrambling will bring you to some boulder-lined pools where, hopefully, there’ll be water enough to cool your heels.

Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas / Calico Hills, Lost Creek, Pine Creek Canyon Trails Where: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 20 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. Distance: 3 /4 to 5 miles round trip. Terrain: Sandstone hills, desert washes. Highlights: A geological wonderland of red, maroon and buff boulders, seasonal waterfalls, desert wildlife. Degree of difficulty: Easy to strenuous. Precautions: During winter, temperatures drop sharply in late afternoon. For more information: Contact Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 26569, Las Vegas, Nev. 89126.