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All the United States Nevada Las Vegas Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
AO Edited

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Dyed by iron oxide over centuries, these sandstone rocks rise thousands of feet into the sky.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Added By
Jo
Email
Been Here
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Added to list
Weird red landscape in the canyon   zzinnia / Atlas Obscura User
Weird red landscape in the canyon   zzinnia / Atlas Obscura User
Holes eroded in the cliff almost seem drilled   zzinnia / Atlas Obscura User
Meditating in this area, the silence hums   zzinnia / Atlas Obscura User
Alien landscape   zzinnia / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Denise Westerfield/CC BY-SA 3.0
  DeciduousTree / Atlas Obscura User
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area scenery at the Calico Hills Area.   Scottthezombie/CC BY-SA 3.0
Outcrop of Aztec Sandstone near the site of the old sandstone quarry.   Superfish/Public Domain
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  surfintrekie / Atlas Obscura User
  jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
  Sorrel / Atlas Obscura User
  Sorrel / Atlas Obscura User
View north from the old road through White Rock Gap up to Red Rock Summit.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
  slags68 / Atlas Obscura User
  DeciduousTree / Atlas Obscura User
Willow Sorings Loop   shannonwitt / Atlas Obscura User
A bit of history…   Fairy Princess Lolly / Atlas Obscura User
Long and Lonesome Road   Fairy Princess Lolly / Atlas Obscura User
Layers of Red, Yellow & Green   Fairy Princess Lolly / Atlas Obscura User
stormy!!!   optimus72 / Atlas Obscura User
  Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
From above   Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
  Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
  Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
Calico Tank trail   Avoiding Regret
Wild burros   Avoiding Regret
Calico Tank trail   Avoiding Regret
Tortoise Crossing   Avoiding Regret
Pine Creek Canyon   Avoiding Regret
Pine Creek Canyon   Avoiding Regret
Lost Creek trail   Avoiding Regret
Lost Creek trail   Avoiding Regret
Calico Tank trail   Avoiding Regret
  jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Babs81 / Atlas Obscura User
  Sorrel / Atlas Obscura User
  jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
View from the Visitor Center   jlord7 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Maintained by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a chunk of land just 15 miles west of Las Vegas that is visited by more than one million people every year.

Visible from the Las Vegas Strip, Red Rock Canyon showcases the large red rock formations from which it gets its name. The rocks, made of sandstone that reach more than 3,000 feet into the sky and formed by a number of geological forces including fractured faults and fossilized sand dunes, are a popular destination for hiking and rock climbing enthusiasts. The highest point in the area is more than 8,000 feet. The rocks get their color from iron oxide that has built up over centuries.

A one-way road loops through the Conservation Area and provides access to many of the main features of the site, including hiking trails, parking areas, and a visitor's center. Many people driving outside of Las Vegas will take the slow detour through the area just to enjoy the stark change in scenery.

Today, the area is a gold mine for archeologists studying Native American culture. The site is littered with pottery fragments and petroglyphs that were left by various tribes that lived among the red rocks for millennia because of the region's abundant plant and animal life.

Related Tags

Animals Natural Wonders Geological Oddities Geology Nature

Know Before You Go

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located about 15 miles (24 km) west of Las Vegas, and easily seen from the Las Vegas Strip. Be warned that feeding wild horses and burros is not only potentially dangerous (they will bite if given the opportunity), but highly illegal. The entrance fee is $7 for cars and $3 for motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. America the Beautiful pass-holders pay no entrance fee.

Community Contributors

Added By

canuck

Edited By

Ysabet, NVRick, cirena, dlc31723...

  • Ysabet
  • NVRick
  • cirena
  • dlc31723
  • Felth
  • nbj914
  • zzinnia
  • Louchebonvivant
  • Collector of Experiences
  • breaingram
  • Fairy Princess Lolly
  • optimus72
  • surfintrekie
  • Babs81
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • slgwv
  • DeciduousTree
  • slags68
  • Sorrel
  • jlord7
  • causeiwander
  • KodisDad
  • shannonwitt

Published

August 31, 2010

Edit this listing

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Sources
  • Wikipedia: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Canyon_National_Conservation_Area
  • Red Rock Writer (Personal Blog): http://red-rock-writer.blogspot.com/Rock
  • https://www.blm.gov/site-page/RRCNCA
  • http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
1000 Scenic Loop Dr.
Las Vegas, Nevada, 89161
United States
36.135718, -115.42789
Visit Website
Get Directions

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