The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada is an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System, and protected as a National Conservation Area.
Map of Scenic Drive Overview of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) near Las Vegas in Nevada. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of White Rock - Willow Spring Trail at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) in Nevada. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of Lost Creek Children's Discovery Trail at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) in Nevada. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Map of the Spring Mountain Youth Camp SMYC Trail at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) in Nevada. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails Map of Cold Creek to Indian Springs Trails in Clark County in Nevada. Published by Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program.
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails Map of Jean and Roach Dry Lake Beds Dispersed OHV Recreation Area in Nevada. Published by Nevada Off-Highway Vehicles Program.
Map of Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in the USFS Intermountain Region 4 in Nevada. Published by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
Red Rock Canyon NCA
https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/nevada/red-rock-canyon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Rock_Canyon_National_Conservation_Area
The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada is an area managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of its National Landscape Conservation System, and protected as a National Conservation Area.
RED ROCK CANYON
KEYSTONE
VISITOR GUIDE
A NATIONAL
CONSERVATION AREA
ADMINISTERED BY
THE BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT
Proudly presented by Southern Nevada Conservancy in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management.
FIRST STOP — VISITOR CENTER
Please stop by the visitor center on the
way into the Scenic Drive. Here, you
can view exhibits, find lots of useful
information, and talk with volunteers
and staff about how to make your visit
more special. Public Wi-Fi is available
in the visitor center, and it is your only
chance to fill up on water.
www.redrockcanyonlv.org
www.blm.gov/site-page/rrcnca
GET READY TO EXPLORE ... SAFELY
The Mojave Desert is an extreme environment and can be dangerous. Let friends and/or family know exactly where you are going and
when you expect to be back. To avoid theft, never leave valuables in plain sight. Your safety is your responsibility.
BRING SUFFICIENT WATER
Bring at least two liters of water per person, plus a liter
per person per mile of hiking. You may consider bringing
electrolytes or carrying more water depending on conditions.
The visitor center is the only place to refill water.
PREPARE FOR EXTREME HEAT
Highs in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area can
average over 100° F (38° C) in the summer. Drink plenty of
water, limit your sun exposure, and arrive early when it is
cooler out.
WATCH FOR WILDLIFE
Rattlesnakes, scorpions, and spiders like to hide in crevices,
shrubs, and under rocks. Do not touch, feed, or harass any
animals, and never put your hands or feet anywhere you
cannot see.
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER
Wear a hat, dress in layers, and apply sunscreen! If you plan
to hike, wear sturdy shoes with ankle support and protection
against spiny plants. Be prepared for sudden weather
changes.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Visitor Center: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Scenic Drive, Red Rock Overlook on State Route
159 and Red Springs:
November - February: 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
March: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April - September: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
October: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Emergency
[702] 293-8932 or 911
Wildland Fire
[702] 515-5300 or 911
BEWARE OF FLASH FLOODS
Summer monsoon storms and winter rains can create flash
flood conditions. Avoid washes when rain is possible, and
never drive through flooded areas.
WHEN THUNDER ROARS, STAY INDOORS
Afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summer. Avoid
open places and seek shelter indoors whenever you hear
thunder or see lightning.
PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE
Read all trail descriptions before starting out. Always bring
extra water, check the weather before starting on a hike, and
always assume a hike will take longer than expected.
DON’T RELY ON CELL SERVICE
It may be impossible to reach 911 in case of an emergency.
Consider carrying an emergency GPS locator when hiking
and arrange all rideshare return trips before leaving the
visitor center.
DON’T CLIMB ON WET SANDSTONE
Sandstone becomes very brittle when wet. Avoid climbing
on sandstone within 72 hours after rain. Consider climbing
limestone instead if rain is in the forecast.
GUIDED HIKES & PROGRAMS
PLEASE NOTE:
Guided hikes and interpretive programs
are offered daily and can be found at www.
redrockcanyonlv.org. For more information about
other types of recreational activities, such as
horseback riding or mountain biking, please ask
at the visitor center or visit http://www.blm.gov/
site-page/rrcnca. Groups of 15 or more should
contact us at rrc_recreation@blm.gov.
Because this is a national conservation area,
many activities such as target shooting, mountain
biking, rockhounding, camping, and off-roading
are restricted to certain areas or prohibited. Other
activities, such as late exit permits, are available
on rec.gov. Any commercial use – including
commercial filming and photography – must contact
blm_nv_film_BLMSouthernNevada@blm.gov.
BLM Southern Nevada District Office
[702] 515-5000
Red Rock Admin Office
[702] 515-5350
Friends of Red Rock Canyon
[702] 515-5360
www.friendsredrock.org
Timed Entry & Late Exit Permits
[877] 444-6777
www.recreation.gov
Information
[702] 515-5367
www.redrockcanyonlv.org
Elements Gift Shop
[702] 515-5379
• Avenza maps available in the Visitor Center and at the Trailheads
• Georeferenced maps available at https://www.blm.gov/maps/georeferenced-PDFs/nevada
or through the Avenza Maps app
SCENIC DRIVE
Map not to scale
8
La Madre
Spring
10
White Rock
Rocky
Gap
Road
(4x4)
Willow Spring
Picnic Area
Petroglyph
Wall Trail 11
Turtlehead
Peak
30 Kraft Mountain
Loop
Sandstone
Quarry
6
Calico
3 Tanks
Scenic Drive
(one way road) 13 mi (20.9 km)
16
26 Kraft Boulders
32 Ash Spring
7
Grand Circle Loop
(1, 2, 6)
9
15
Ice Box
Canyon
4
ele. 4,771ft (1,445m)
14
Lost
Creek
Calico II
2
Girl
Scout 31
17
North
Peak
Calico I
Red Rock
Wash Overlook
Pine Creek
Loop
ele. 3,720ft (1,127m)
18
Red Rock
Overlook
20
22
25 Trail Number, details on right
Moenkopi
Road
Red Rock
Campground
Scenic Drive
Exit
Middle
23 Oak Creek
South Oak
Creek
24
Oak Creek
Canyon
RESE
Red Rock Canyon
NAT U RA L WOR L D
NATIONAL conservation area
The Natural World
Red Rock Canyon’s spectacular sandstone escarpment, the desert tortoise
at the visitor center, and the thickets of Joshua trees herald the natural world
of geology, animals and plants to be experienced in the nearly 200,000-acre
national conservation area. Spend some time here and you’ll see plants that
put on spectacular flowering shows in the springtime and provide lasting
sources of water, food and shelter to the birds, reptiles and mammals that
make the southern Mojave Desert their home. This guide will also introduce
you to the cultural and historic uses of Red Rock Canyon before its special
designation as a Bureau of Land Management National Conservation Area.
Geology of Red Rock
The passage of millions of years is written on the sandstone cliffs and limestone outcrops of Red Rock
Canyon. The geological record reveals an area that was at the bottom of an ocean basin and its emergence
from the sea when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Limestone Outcrops
More than 500 million years ago, this area was underwater and for more than 250 million years limestone sediment accumulated
which contained the fossils of sea life that flourished during that time. Early- to mid-Paleozoic Era limestone is exposed on the
escarpment on the west and north sides of the national conservation area. Later Paleozoic Era Permian limestone outcrops can
be seen on the east side; especially on Blue Diamond Hill and its extension to the north, Fossil Ridge.
Photo: Red Rock Escarpment
by Mark Rekshynskyj
What’s Inside
[1] Geology of Red Rock
Aztec Sandstone Escarpment
[2] Explorers at Red Rock
About 250 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era of geological time – the Triassic Age of Reptiles and the Jurassic Age of
[3] Native People at Red Rock
Dinosaurs – Southern Nevada emerged from the sea and millions of years of continental deposition began, culminating in the
[4] Birds
formation of the Jurassic period Aztec sandstone. The great sandstone cliffs at Red Rock, thousands of feet high, are made up
[5] Plants and Insects
of Aztec sandstone. This formation, about 180 million years old, represents lithified sand dunes that formed in a vast desert
[6] Carnivores and Herbivores
that covered a large part of the southwestern United States during Jurassic time. The sand slowly changed into sandstone as
[7] Small Mammals and Wild Horses
and Burros
subsurface water percolated through the sediments and deposited cements of iron oxide and calcium carbonate in the pore
[8] Insectivores and Reptiles
spaces between the grains. These sandstone rocks were slowly uplifted thousands of feet to their present elevation, and exposed
to weathering and erosion.
Photo: Up a Hill
by Jeff Yost
a public land administered by the
Page
[2]
Colorful Sandstone
The red color of many exposures of the Aztec sandstone is from
the presence of iron oxide. Exposure to the elements caused some
of the iron minerals to oxidize or “rust,” resulting in colorful red,
orange and brown rocks. Areas where the sandstone is buff colored
may be places where the iron has been leached out by subsurface
water, or where the iron oxide was never deposited. Red spots are
iron concentrations that are more resistant to erosion than the
surrounding sandstone. They eventually erode out of the sandstone
as little balls or “desert marbles.”
Photo: Grallator track
by Brent Breithaupt
Did Dinos Roam Red Rock?
Paleontologists have confirmed fossilized tracks (footprints) made 180 to 190 million years ago in sandstone within Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area. This is the first documented dinosaur tracksite in Nevada.
Dubbed the Red Rock Tracksite, dozens of tracks from the Early Jurassic period have currently been documented.
At this point, two types of tracks and trackways are recognized from the site:
• Grallator tracks are footprints made by small theropod dinosaurs (two-legged, three-toed, meat-eating dinosaurs)
• Octopodichnus tracks are footprints made by arthropods (possibly similar to modern spiders and scorpions)
Keystone Thrust Fault
A cap of older gray Paleozoic limestone resting on top of the younger Jurassic period sandstone can be seen on the escarpment
to the west. Normally younger rock overlies older rock. The occurrence of older rock on top of younger rock is a result of the
Keystone Thrust Fault. About 65 million years ago, compressional forces in the Earth’s crust were dominant in this region. The
older rock was thrust up over the younger rock over a period of thousands, if not millions, of years. The limestone cap covering
the sandstone has protected the weaker sandstone from erosion for millions of years. The compressional thrust faulting at the
end of the Mesozoic Era can be traced all the way up into Canada. But the best exposure of the thrust faulting along the entire
thrust belt is considered to be here in Red Rock Canyon.
Explorers at Red Rock
A Spanish scou
BLM/NV/LV/GI/12-13+1800
Welcome!
Mt. Charleston
BLM’s Junior Explorer program helps introduce young explorers
like you to the lands and resources that the BLM manages.
This discovery book will introduce you to plants, animals, and
history of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Red
Rock Canyon is one of many public land locations you can enjoy.
the appropriate number of pages for your age
1 Complete
group. Feel free to have a Ranger or adult help you. It's
also okay to do more activities if you wish.
Ages 6 and under: 4 pages
Ages 7-9: 5 pages
Ages 10-12: 6 pages
Ages 13 and above: 8 or more pages
Rainbow Mountain
Mt. Wilson
this book to the visitor center information desk after
2 Take
you finish your pages so that a BLM Ranger or volunteer
can check your work.
someone has checked your answers, you will be sworn
3 Once
in and the certificate at the back of this book will be
filled out.
Spring Mountain
Ranch State Park
Plant Zones
How would you like to travel from Mexico to the Arctic and
not leave Red Rock Canyon? As you drive around the 13-Mile
Scenic Drive, you will change elevation (the height above sea
level). The temperature will be about three to five degrees
cooler for each 1,000 feet you climb. You may not think of
these changes as much, but it is for plants and animals. Each
type of plant and animal can only tolerate a certain amount of
coolness and dryness. This means that the higher you climb
and the cooler it gets, you, too, will get to experience the
different plant zones.
Joshua Tree
2000-6000ft
Utah Juniper
5000-7000ft
Beavertail Cactus
Sea level-4000ft
Many-Headed Barrel
Cactus 3500-4800ft
2
Ponderosa Pine
6000ft and up
Bonnie Springs
Old Nevada
Turtlehead Peak
Bridge Mountain
Calico Hills
Scenic Drive
Calico Basin
Visitor
Center
Red Spring Picnic Area
State Route 159/Charleston Boulevard
Blue Diamond Hill
Hey kids!
My name is Sandy and I’m a Junior Explorer here at Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area! That means it
is my responsibility to help keep Red Rock Canyon
clean, tell others about Red Rock, and do my part to
protect and preserve Red Rock. Now it is your turn to
become a Junior Explorer too! I will guide you through
the book to make sure you are ready to be an official
Red Rock Canyon Junior Explorer!
Let’s have fun!
State
Route
159/C
harles
ton B
oulev
ard
3
Four Major North American Deserts
OR
Mojave Desert
ID
(Hint: the smallest desert
entirely in the US)
WY
Sonoran Desert
(Hint: crosses the US and the
Mexican border)
NV
Great Basin Desert
UT
(Hint: the largest desert
entirely in the US)
CO
Chihuahuan Desert
CA
(Hint: the only desert that
has area in Texas)
AZ
NM
TX
Come and discover a part
of the Mojave Desert at
Red Rock Canyon National
Conservation Area.
Fill in the four desert areas
with the correct pattern.
What is a desert?
A desert is an area that gets less than 10 inches of rain per year. It can be very hot and sometimes quite cold (below
freezing). Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is within the Mojave Desert, which gets most of its rain
during winter storms and occasional scattered summer thunderstorms. Other places in the Mojave Desert can reach
temperatures up to 130 degrees F (about 55 degrees C). That’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk! Red Rock
Canyon National Conservation Area is also part of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System.
4
Public Lands Belong To You!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a federal government agency that takes care of more than 245 million acres
of land. Most of these lands are in the western part of the United States. These lands are America’s public lands, and
they belong to all Americans.
The BLM manages public lands for many uses. The lands supply natural resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, and
other minerals. The lands provide habitats for plants and animals. People enjoy the big open spaces on the lands. The
lands also contain evidence of our country’s past, ranging from fossils to Indian artifacts to ghost towns.
National Landscape Conservation System
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) contains some of the West’s
most spectacular landscapes. It includes over 887 federally recognized areas and approximately 27 million acres of
National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers,
National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert.
National Landscape
Conservation System
Alaska
Upper Missouri
River Breaks NM
Steese NCA
Pompeys
Pillar NM
Yaquina Head
Outstanding
Natural Area
CascadeSiskiyou NM
Steens Mountain
Cooperative
Management
and Protection
Area
Mortley Nelson
Snake River Birds
of Prey NCA
Headwaters
Forest Reserve
Craters of the
Moon NM
Maryland
Black Rock DesertHigh Rock Canyon
Emigrant Trails NCA
King Range
NCA
McInnis
Canyon NCA
California
Coastal NM
Fort Ord
NM
Piedras B
