Travels and Adventures: Red Rock Canyon, NV and Valley of Fire State Park

Monday, May 01, 2006

Red Rock Canyon, NV and Valley of Fire State Park

Over the weekend, I went to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and to Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Both of these places are near Las Vegas. To get to Red Rock Canyon, you can take the Blue Diamond exit off of the I-15. There was construction going on, so the drive to the canyon was slow. But the drive in the canyon itself was nice and smooth and easy-going. Just at the fork in the road where you turn right to go to the canyon, we spotted 2 wild burros walking along the fence line. The scenic loop drive is a nice drive of about 11 miles which takes you along several stopping points of interest and trailheads for hiking. It is a fee area, but it only costs $5 per vehicle. The Children's Discovery/Lost Creek trail is a nice, scenic trail and a fairly easy one at that, which is suitable for children, although in some spots some rock scrambling is necessary. Bring hiking shoes and a hat, because a lot of the trail is exposed. There are areas of shade here and there, too. A nice little creek runs though the trail and sometimes, a waterfall is flowing. This time of year, the waterfall was more like a shower than an actual fall, but a waterfall is not something you really expect to see in a desert anyway. There are wildflowers in the spring and a lot of lizards running here and there, as well as many birds and small mammals, such as rabbits and chipmunks.

We also went up to Kyle Canyon, which takes you near Mt Charleston, the highest peak in Nevada. The landscape is quite different up there, as there was still some snow on top of the mountains. The road takes you up over 8000 feet in elevation, so it is quite cooler up there than below in Red Rock Canyon. Also accessible in Kyle Canyon, is a side road which takes you to Lee Canyon. On the way back down to highway 95 from Lee Canyon, there was quite a display of desert wildflowers on the side of the roadway, including beavertail cactus, desert marigold, desert globemallow and mojave aster. The Joshua Tree, creosote bush and yucca are also common plant life here.

The next day, it was off to Valley of Fire State Park. This park is the oldest state park in Nevada. It is also a fee area, but is only $6 per vehicle to enter, and SO worth it. The views are awesome. There are times when you feel like you are on another planet. The grounds are covered with spectacular red sandstone formations, carved into fascinating shapes by the wind and rain. The area was covered with wildflowers and other desert plant life, such as barrel cactus, yucca, indigo bush, and desert sunflowers. Wildlife in the park is abundant, but a lot of the species are noctural, such as bats and scorpions (if you had to live in the desert, you'd be noctural, too. It is HOT in the daytime). The chuckwalla, a large lizard often found basking in the sun, is diurnal, meaning active day and night. We did spot some desert bighorn sheep on the way into the park. They typically like the rocky cliffs, but these guys were basking in the shade on a slope of a hill. There are several points of interest and numerous picnic areas and trails to hike on, as well as a Visitor Center. Be sure to bring sunscreen, plenty of water, hiking shoes and a brimmed hat, because many trails, such as Mouses Tank, are very exposed with little or no shade. The weather is mild in the winter and fall, but is very hot in the summer, with temperatures reaching 100-120 degrees f. It was the end of April when we went and the temps were already in the 90's. There are no food services in the park, but there are a few coves on Lake Mead about 10-30 miles away that have small cafes or stores, as well as gas pumps (but you will pay out of the nose for gas there, so gas up before you go in). There are also 2 campgrounds, Arch Rock Camground and Atlatl Rock campground, within the park if you plan to stay overnight. Atlatl Rock campground has flush toilets, water spigots, hook ups for RV's and showers.

We also stopped at Hoover Dam before we left for home, since it wasn't very far away from the park. It was typically busy, since it is a popular tourist attraction and there was construction going on. Be prepared for traffic delays until 2008 when the construction is going on. Also, there is a security checkpoint, which all vehicles are subject to (they just waved us thru though). No semi trucks or commercial buses with luggage are allowed on the dam. Parking in the parking lot is $7. There are some tours you can go on, but you have to purchase tickets for these.

The trip was fun, but I was very, very tired and VERY hot when I left. The drive home took forever, as there were a few accidents which caused major delays. The normal drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas is about 4 1/2 hours. I think it took nearly 6 hours to get home. By then, I was beat! I posted lots of pictures below, so enjoy!