Recreation
Red Rock Canyon |
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Red Rock Canyon Details
- Hours of operation: Open daily at 6 a.m. Closing time varies by season. The visitors center is open daily, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Cost: $7 per car, $5 for commercial vehicles (tour buses and limousines, for example), $3 for motorcyclists and tour bus riders, free for bicyclist and hikers who park at the loop entrance; an annual pass is available for $30.
- Payment options: Cash or check (out of state checks are accepted).
- Location / Distance from Las Vegas: 20 miles west of Las Vegas.
- Travel options: Private vehicle, cab.
- On the way: Red Rock Canyon is located just outside Las Vegas.
- Amenities: Restrooms are available at the Visitors Center.
- What you'll need: Water, sunscreen, a hat, sturdy shoes. Be sure to have a full tank of gas before travelling to Red Rock Canyon.
- Annual visitors/busy season: Red Rock Canyon is popular year-round.
Red Rock Canyon Review
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Additional Red Rock Canyon information
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Red Rock Canyon, located 20 miles west of Las Vegas off State Highway 159, allows visitors to hike, picnic and view plant and animal life under 3,000-foot-high red rock formations.
The strata exposed reveal more than 500 million years of geological history. The canyon is a bed of an ancient deep sea, where, over time, sediments washed in and the water evaporated.
The boulders and pinnacles range in color from deep sandstone red to white. The red color is the result of weathered iron composites.
Visitors can explore the park on a 13-mile-loop road that winds through the canyon and reveals rock formations that cannot be seen from outside the park. Picnic areas and hiking trails also can be accessed by the loop.
The massive visitors center at the park's entrance displays trail maps, plant and wildlife information and a history of the area.
A few miles south of Red Rock Canyon is Bonnie Springs -- Old Nevada, an 1880s western mining town reproduction and Spring Mountain Ranch State Park.
