Amanda works for the show Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago, and was able to get a good deal on room rates there because the show is also playing there. However, there was an additional $90/day charge to allow our dog, Sadie, in the room. Wow! Not many hotels in Vegas allow pets and if they do they charge very high rates. At Caesar's Palace it is $375/day for a pet room! Harrah's has a "pet floor" in the Mardi Gras Tower and you walk your dog right through the casino to the elevators. It was a little bit crazy. But, I digress. Back to the Red Rock Canyon visit.
Again, we picked what we thought were the highlights for a three-hour visit to Red Rock (not including drive time to/from the conservation area. Our first stop was the Visitor Center. Be sure to check out the outdoor exhibits there...very impressive. Also, there are great views of the Aztec Sandstone from the observation area at the Visitor Center.
We drove the 13-mile Scenic Drive through Red Rock. It is a one-way road that starts at the Visitor Center.
Our first stop was Calico Hills. We spent the most time here doing some exploring and rock scrambling in the area. Amanda and Justine were fearless rock climbers. After my fall last week, I was much less adventuresome, but tagged along with their help where it was a little treacherous.
John and Sadie. Can you find them in this photo?
Check out rock climber in lower left quadrant of photo. (Hint: He's wearing a blue shirt.) Yikes!
Amanda, queen of the canyon.
Love these rock formations in this part of Red Rock.
Sandstone Quarry was our next stop. This photo does not show it very well...but Amanda climbed at least 40' from the ground (which made me very nervous!)
The three of us (Justine, me, Amanda) standing on sandstone blocks that remained from the mining enterprise in this area.
At the end of the Scenic Loop Drive, we took a left on Rte 149 to reach the Red Rock Overlook.
#25
Continuing east on Rte 159, our final stop for the day at Red Rock was Red Spring. It is the location of the Calico Basin and, of course, the spring.
There is a boardwalk around the area.
I thought this one looked like a heart.
Red Spring. The last time John and I visited here it was dry as a bone...no evidence of a spring. I was so excited to see this!!
It is a lovely location for a picnic lunch. We have visited this location on multiple occasions.
The fee into Red Rock and the Scenic Drive are $7/vehicle. John's senior pass gets us in for free. Both the Red Rock Overlook and Red Spring areas are along Rte 159 and there is no fee to visit them.
The visitor guide provided at the entry booth to the Red Rock provides hiking information (available trails, trailhead location, levels of difficulty, and approximate round trip time and distance). There are posts on this blog that describe the trails we have hiked. Each one was an amazing opportunity to enjoy this beautiful conservation area.
Red Rock is only about 20 miles west of Las Vegas. I highly recommend a visit as it is a wonderful contrast to the scene on the Strip!
Website: www.blm.gov/redrockcanyon
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