The Long Way
Clark County
A scenic landscape view of mountains, desert terrain, and a cloudy blue sky.
Plate I. Calico Hills, Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
A landscape photograph showing rugged mountains and red rock formations.
Plate II. Calico Hills and mountains, Red Rock Canyon. From blm.gov
A desert landscape with mountains in the background under a blue sky.
Plate III. Red rock formations, Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway. Photograph by Wilson44691, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
A swollen muddy river flows through a landscape with bare trees and low brush under a cloudy sky.
Plate IV. Flash flooding, Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
A dirt trail winds through desert scrub towards rugged mountains.
Plate V. Desert landscape, Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
A wide angle landscape of a desert and mountains with clouds.
Plate VI. Red Rock Canyon Escarpment. From blm.gov
A scenic view of red mountains under a clear sky.
Plate VII. Red rock peaks, Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway. From blm.gov

Red Rock Canyon Back Country Byway

Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. 13 mile-one-way paved road (Scenic Drive).

Details

Map. Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. Larger map
Where
1000 Scenic Loop Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89161. Directions
When
Allow 1 hour to enjoy the 13-mile byway.
Getting there
Located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159; GPS: Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center, 1000 Scenic Loop Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89161.
Fees
Private Vehicle $20, Motorcycle $10, Bicycle $8, Pedestrian $5.
Hours
October 6 am to 7 pm PST; November - February 6 am to 5 pm PST; March 6 am to 7 pm PST; April - September 6 am to 8 pm PST.
Access
1 reservation per private vehicle or motorcycle per day for only 1 time slot; the reservation holder must be in the vehicle at time of entry.
Walk-in or reserve
Reservations are required October 1 to May 31, 8 am- 5 pm; a vehicle through the fee station at 8 am gets in without one.
Phone
702-515-5350
Website
blm.gov
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management.
Established
1990, Nevada's first National Conservation Area.

A 13-mile one-way paved road through the heart of the Conservation Area, with 12 parking areas and trailheads and the visitor center at the beginning of the drive.

Notable Events

  1. 1900sSandstone was quarried in what is now Sandstone Quarry. blm.gov
  2. 1905Lifespan of the Sandstone Quarry operations. special.library.unlv.edu
  3. 1930sThe Civilian Conservation Corps was active building wildlife guzzlers in Red Rock. blm.gov
  4. 1936Red Rock area becomes part of the Desert Game Range (now Desert National Wildlife Refuge); before this it had been part of the public domain. special.library.unlv.edu
  5. 1964BLM withdraws 10,000 acres of Red Rock Canyon for protection. special.library.unlv.edu
  6. 1967Senator Alan Bible dedicates Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands. special.library.unlv.edu
  7. 1982Visitor Center opens to the public. special.library.unlv.edu
  8. 1990President George H.W. Bush signs Public Law 101-621, officially designating Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. special.library.unlv.edu
  9. 1994President Bill Clinton signs Public Law 103-450, which more than doubles the size of the conservation area to 196,000 acres. special.library.unlv.edu

People

  • James Bilbray, Nevada Representative who introduced a bill to make Red Rock a national conservation area (April 1990).
  • Senator Alan Bible, Dedicated Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands (October 29, 1967).
  • Senator Harry Reid, Introduced a bill to make Red Rock a national conservation area (April 1990).

Sources

  1. blm.gov/visit/red-rock-canyon-national-conservation-area
  2. blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/nevada/red-rock-canyon