Red Rock Canyon, Nevada

Hiking nine miles through Aztec Sandstone in February 2025.

Mar 22, 2025

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When I initially found out about the conference in Las Vegas and realized that I could stay a couple of extra days, I knew I wanted to spend a whole day hiking at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. I’d never been, which is kind of surprising. Right after college, we lived for three years in Kingman, Arizona, and the park was only two hours away. At the time, I was in a photography lull and did not enjoy hiking.

I guess at this point in my life, I’ve gotten used to the van because I was ready for an adventure off the strip. I rented a rideshare on Turo, and because my dumb ass wanted to be in the park for sunrise, I met a random stranger at 5:30 am in the Excalibur parking lot to pick up the car. I will also note that I got some curious looks as I walked through the casino in my hiking clothes from the 5 am gamblers.

Worth it though…

Looking south. The tallest peak (in the very back) is Potosi Mountain (8,497 feet).

I was in the park from 6 am - 2 pm and ended up hiking nine miles by myself. Bear with me - this is probably the longest post I’ve written to date.

My least favorite hike was the White Rock Mountain Loop. I did not plan on hiking all six miles, but thought I would shoot for 3-4. However, after about ¾ of a mile in, I said “fuck this.” Did I mention that I went to a hockey game the night before? I only slept for five hours, so as I gained 200 feet of elevation in less than a mile, and the trail was a rocky, uneven wash in the full blast Nevada sun, I decided to bail. I made it to a high point to capture some views, then promptly turned around and headed back to the car. Trail distance: 1.44 miles.

As I hiked along the trail, I kept hearing voices. There was a picnic area in the vicinity, so I thought there was a family or friend gathering. Then I realized people were climbing. Can you spot the TEN climbers in this image?

These two shots are basically the same. I couldn’t decide which I liked more.

This was my stopping point. I had been hiking around the White Rock Hills for the ¾ of a mile and wanted to see what the back of it looked like.

In “third place,” we have the Pine Creek Canyon Trail. This was the last trail that I hiked in the park that day. I saved this one for last because it was considered the easiest of the four trails that I hiked.

The scenic drive is a one-way “U” through the park. Since I started on the east side, and the Pine Creek Canyon Trail was on the west side, it went towards some of the mountains I hadn’t really had a chance to photograph yet. It was nice to see these mountains up close and photograph the details. There were a number of families on the trail because it was easier and it was later in the day. I didn’t love dodging the kids, but I couldn’t help but smile at their absolute excitement at being out in nature. Trail distance: 2.01 miles.

The sky was awesome on this day. The cirrus clouds were so beautiful and wispy, but as the day went on, they eventually filled out the sky

I love these cacti - they add texture to an already textured photo.

The light washed out these rocks, but it felt like an oasis in the middle of the desert. These pines were along a wash that turns into a spring when it rains. The far two peaks on the left are Mount Wilson and Rainbow Mountain (6,808 feet).

When in doubt, edit in black and white. Mescalito on the right (5.440 feet).

When the sun hit any of these rocks just right… that’s why the park is called Red Rock Canyon! Bridge Mountain (6,457 feet).

Along the scenic drive, there are very few overlooks with numerous signs posted all along the drive that say, “No stopping or standing at any time.” Or… because I was driving so early with no one else around, I did stop once on the road.

I loved this view, especially because you can see the road as it cuts through the park.

If you are ever in the area, and you only have a chance to drive along the scenic route, it’s worth it. While these peaks are not snow-covered 14ers, they are absolutely gorgeous.

In “2nd place” was Ice Box Canyon trail. As I pulled up to the trailhead, it was evident that I was going to end up in a canyon (duh). I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting myself into, especially since the comments on AllTrails mentioned that it was challenging to find the trail. I did panic at one point because I thought I lost the trail. I had a downloaded map up, but I couldn’t stay on the right path. I ran into a couple and said, “Are you having problems staying on the trail?” They said, “This IS the trail. You just hike along the river bed.” Once I had that “permission” to go where I wanted, it was much more enjoyable. The river bed was crazy as large rocks filled the bed from flooding over the years, so a lot of the trail was skipping from rock to rock. Sadly, there was no payoff at the end. However, the temperatures (and shade) were much cooler in the canyon. And because I was so focused on rock hopping, I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment. I only saw three other groups of people on the trail which was quite surprising. It felt like a “locals only” trail. Trail distance: 3.25 miles.

I was so warm at this point that the shade ahead was calling my name.

Because Vegas is such a travel hub, there were helicopters and airplanes flying overhead all day.

Once again, I heard voices. This time I knew it was climbers! If you zoom in, there are only two in this shot.

Turtlehead Peak (6,332 ft) and Calico Hills (4,937 feet).

The very first (and what I consider to be the best) trail that I hiked was Calico Tanks Trail. I honestly think this trail is unlike any other trail that I’ve hiked before, except maybe Delicate Arch (though I’m not sure because we hiked most of it in the dark). It was a lot of fun to climb along the red rocks, looking for the sign posts showing you where to go. The light kept changing as the sun rose, so it was quite beautiful. When I made it to the tank at the end, I said out loud, “They’re goddamned lying - there’s no view of Vegas.” Then I ran into another hiker who told me to be careful if I hiked past the tank. I stood and looked around, realizing I could still hike a little more. Then, low and behold, there was a sweet view of the strip. Trail distance: 2.45 miles.

Turtlehead Peak from the Calico Tanks trailhead.

Mount Wilson and Rainbow Mountain from the trailhead.

These pictures never do the views justice. The color of the rocks was gorgeous and they towered over me. I spent a lot of my time on the trail looking around in awe.

Didn't like the look of the whole strip in one shot, so I edited the southern end of the strip in black and white.

Calico Tanks (a hidden water pocket). It was hard to edit this shot because of the deep contrast between sunlight and shade. Hopefully you can see the water at the bottom with the reflection of the surrounding rocks.

An example of the trail marker ahead. I was living in the moment on this hike because I didn’t want to a) get lost and b) hurt myself. I don't always hike by myself, but when I do, there's no cell service…

By the end of the day, I was absolutely exhausted. I spent every last ounce of energy that I had and I was STARVING. I knew from map scouring that there was an In n Out in the vicinity, so I drove there for a “natural style” double-double and even ordered a cherry Coke (and I never order soda). It was SO good even if I was hungry again an hour later.

Cheers.