Red Rock Canyon, Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon - 5/2/08

I went back to Nevada on Friday, May 2, 2008, not only to go back to Red Rock Canyon, but to also go for a drive up in Kyle Canyon and Lee Canyon, which are not far from Las Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon was still full of flowers, and the winds had died down a lot from last time. I was able to do a whole lot of walking around that day, as there wasn't a whole lot of traffic in the canyon. There are plenty of areas to park in so you can walk around, and a lot of nice trails to walk on too. Just bring your sunscreen....and a hat. I got a bit of a sunburn, despite using sunscreen. But that is me. I am a sunburn magnet! lol

Red Rock Canyon is located off of Blue Diamond Road near Las Vegas, NV.

My next stop was Kyle Canyon, in the Toiyabe National Forest. It can be reached by taking the I-15 to the 95 North, then exiting left at the Mount Charleston exit (State Route 157). There weren't nearly as many wildflowers in this canyon as there were in Red Rock Canyon or Lee Canyon, but the canyon is still beautiful. There was quite a lot of Desert Globemallow along the roadsides, along with Blue Sage, Utah Penstemon and a few Fringe Flowered Foxtail Cacti. There was still some snow on the mountain, and the weather was just perfect. The drive gives you some really nice views of Mt Charleston.

Lee Canyon can be reached on State Route 157. There is a turnoff to Lee Canyon not too far from the Kyle Canyon campground. In the higher elevations, there was a lot of Desert Paintbrush, some blue Flax, Pinyon Forget-Me-Nots and some purple flowers I have not yet identified. As you make your descent back to the 95, lots of Fremont Pincushion, Hedgehog Cactus, Banana Yucca, Desert Marigolds, Desert Globemallow and some Palmer's Penstemon can be found. A few Silver Cholla Cacti were blooming, while others had buds ready to open. Other plants include Joshua Trees and Pencil Cholla. I also had the special surprise of seeing a wild burro here.

The trip was long, and the traffic was pretty bad in the Vegas area, but I had a fantastic time!

Links to Check Out:

Toiyabe National Forest Campgrounds
Spring Mountain National Recreation Area Campgrounds
Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association
Red Rock Canyon, NV