Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the easiest escape from the Strip into real desert scenery, and it lies only about 15 miles west of the city. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, it covers almost 200,000 acres of desert, canyon and mountain. The land was first set aside as a recreation area in 1967 and became a National Conservation Area in 1990.

The landscape is defined by contrast. Along the escarpment, the Keystone Thrust fault pushed older grey rock over younger red rock around 66 million years ago, and the boundary is visible for miles. The main way to see it is the 13-mile one-way Scenic Drive, which starts at the visitor centre and has pull-offs and car parks for viewpoints and trailheads. Popular walks include the Calico Hills and Calico Tanks, the shaded Ice Box Canyon, the Moenkopi Loop near the visitor centre and the climb up Turtlehead Mountain for experienced hikers.

Timed entry reservations are required for the Scenic Drive between 1 October and 31 May for entry between 8am and 5pm, and they can be booked on Recreation.gov or by phone. An entry fee also applies. The drive opens at 6am all year and closes at 5pm from November to February, 7pm in March and October and 8pm from April to September. The visitor centre is open daily from 8am to 4.30pm, with early closing on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Red Rock suits almost everyone: families can stick to the drive and short walks, while hikers and rock climbers can spend a full day here. In summer the heat is severe, so go early, carry far more water than you think you need and avoid strenuous hikes in the middle of the day. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Allow at least half a day; a loop of the drive with a couple of short stops takes two to three hours.

Most visitors drive or join an organised tour from the Strip. If you drive, book your timed entry slot before setting off in season, and plan to start the Scenic Drive early, when the light on the red rock is softer and the trailhead car parks are less full. The highest point in the area, La Madre Mountain, reaches 8,154 feet, a reminder of how much higher the mountains rise above the valley floor.