Red Rock Canyon
Morning or afternoon everyone….
Today was another full day of adventures. We took a journey to the Red Rock Canyon National Park. It was a spectacular sight to see. Instead of me trying to describe what the Red Rock Canyon is, I’m going to give you a part from Wikipedia.
The conservation area showcases a set of large red rock formations: a set of sandstone peaks and walls that were formed by thrust faults including the Keystone Thrust. The walls are up to 3,000 feet (910 m) high, making them a popular hiking and rock climbing destination. The highest point is La Madre Mountain, at 8,154 feet (2,485 m).
A one-way, loop road, 13 miles (21 km) long, provides vehicle access to many of the features in the area. Several side roads and parking areas allow access to many of the area trails. A visitor center is at the start of the loop road. The loop road is also popular for bicycle touring; it begins with a moderate climb, then is mostly downhill or flat.
The Rocky Gap Road in Red Rock Canyon NCA is a side canyon accessible only by an unmaintained primitive road from the scenic loop which mostly only off-road or high-clearance vehicles can access. State Route 159 cuts through the Cottonwood Valley, also a side trail of the Old Spanish Trail. The Wilson Cliffs, a massive escarpment, can be seen to the west from SR 159.
Toward the southern end of the National Conservation Area are Spring Mountain Ranch State Park; the town of Blue Diamond; and Bonnie Springs Ranch, which includes a replica of a western ghost town, but which in 2019 was sold and closed to the public.
There is no way into the canyon now without paying to get in. The price is very nominal. It was $20 for our vehicle of five people. There is a visitors center with a gift shop, restrooms and a few on the turtles/tortoises that are native to the area that can be spotted. While we did see them there, we did not see any in the wild. There are also supposedly wild horses and mules that run the area. Unfortunately we didn’t see any of them either. That would have been cool.
But we did stop at several areas where you can walk right up to the rocks and climb up a little for some great photos.
It is quite an amazing thing to see. The loop through the canyon is a one way ride roughly thirteen miles long. With all the stops we made the journey took us roughly four hours. It was a very hot 108 degrees, which luckily most of our journey was in the vehicle. As I stated we stopped at several spots and walked up a few rock formations. That was enough in the heat.
We are also going to see David Copperfield at the MGM Grand tonight. I am writing this post now because I know that it’s going to be a late night.
More tomorrow ….