Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

The 50 Most Beautiful Places in the U.S.

"Only about 30 minutes from the LED skyline of Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon, named for its giant cliffs and craggy jumbles of yellow and red sandstone. The hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and scenic driving on offer here are a pretty amazing contrast to the gaming, buffet feasts, and pool parties that define a typical Sin City getaway." - Anne Olivia Bauso Anne Olivia Bauso Anne Olivia Bauso is a travel writer and hotel expert based in New York City. She has written hundreds of hotel reviews, from 5-star Ritz-Carlton properties to treehouse eco-resorts in the

Where to Eat, Sleep, and Explore in Las Vegas

"Paradoxically, Las Vegas has become more and more of a draw for nature lovers, bikers, and rock climbers (even Alex Honnold, the first to free solo a route in Yosemite’s El Capitan, lives here for the rock climbing). The most famous area for this is the nearly 200,000-acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, where the non-hiking-inclined can drive the easy 12-mile loop, and hikers can pick one of the many marked trails of every level to see spectacular views and pictographs from Indigenous communities dating back thousands of years. The drive there is an easy 20-mile shot west from the Strip, making it a perfect day trip." - Staff Writer

"Winter in Redrock I have the pleasure of hiking in the beautiful Redrock Canyon area north of Las Vegas at least twice a year, but I have always been limited to the summer months for these treks. However, last winter, I had the chance to see the Mojave in winter. The cold blustery breeze, dancing off the snow topped Mt. Charleston , offered a chance to appreciate the early morning summer hikes, that much more. With the windchill, the temperature in this high desert ran between 18-23 degrees celsius. This is rarely experienced by the locals, as the winters are spend inside casinos and homes in the Las Vegas valley. By Chuck Lacy"