Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association » Red Rock Canyon

Camping At Red Rock Canyon

sitesmart — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:43:49 +0000

Campground Location

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area has one developed campground. Opened in 1998 to replace the Old Oak Creek Campground, and formerly known as the 13-Mile Campground, the Red Rock Canyon Campground is located two miles east of the visitor center on W. Charleston Blvd (State Route 159). The campground is located one mile south on Moenkopi Road from the junction with W. Charleston Blvd.

Season, Hours of Operation, and Weather

Access to the campground is open 24 hours a day. There is no check-in, however, payment of fees must be made within 30 minutes of arrival at a self-registration station. This campground is a mixed use campground. Campers with tents, and recreational vehicles are intermixed in the area. Generators are permitted between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The campground is a dry facility.
There are no electrical, water and sewer hook-ups.
There is no dump station for recreational vehicles.
There are no showers.
Shade structures are available throughout the group sites and many of the individual sites.
Restrooms are vault toilets.
Water faucets for drinking water are located throughout the campground.
Firewood is for sale by the campground hosts when fire restrictions are not in effect.

Camping Fees / Limits

The campground has individual campsites (including 14 walk-in sites) and 7 group sites. To make the campsite availability fair to all, there is a 14-day limit in effect.

Individual Campsites

Limit nine people per campsite;
$15 per night per site;
Two vehicles per site;
A sand tent pad is provided for approximately two to three tents.

Group Campsites

10 to 20 people per site;
$40 per night per site;
Up to eight vehicles per site.
America the Beautiful annual, senior and Access Pass card holders receive a 50 percent discount on camping fees, except for the group campground. The Golden Eagle Pass, Red Rock Canyon Annual Pass, and National Parks Pass are not accepted.

Campground Rules

You are responsible for knowing campground rules and regulations.
Pets must be leashed at all times;
Pet waste must cleaned up by pet owner;
Pets may not be left unattended;
Maximum 14-day limit in 28-day period;
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. (the use of generators, radios and music players are prohibited during this time)

Campground Reservations

Reservations for the individual campsites are not allowed. It is not suggested to arrive in the middle of the night in the hopes of locating an empty campsite, especially during the fall and spring. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods are also very busy. The campground closes each summer, typically closing just after Memorial Day and opening in time for Labor Day. This past season the campground closed on May 31, 2012 and reopened on August 30, 2012.

Reservations for the group campsites are required and can be made by calling (702) 515-5371 or RRC_Reservations@blm.gov.

On-Site Campground Host

Campground hosts live on-site and volunteer for the Bureau of Land Management. They are there to assist you in making your visit as enjoyable as possible.

Plants & Wildlife

sitesmart — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:11:47 +0000

There are thousands of different types of plants and animals here in Red Rock Canyon, but some seem to stand out a bit more than others. Here’s our list of those characters that seem to make Red Rock Canyon such a special place.

Plants & Trees

Mojave Yucca
Banana Yucca
Joshua Tree
Black Brush
Desert Almond
Apache Plume
Desert Willow
Screw Bean Mesquite
Western Red Bud
Cottonwood
Single Leaf Ash
Scrub Oak

Mammals

Cotton Tail
Antelope Ground Squirrel
Bighorn Sheep
Wild Horse
Wild Burro
Fox
Bobcat
Mountain Lion
Mule Deer
Big Brown Bat
Ringtail Cat

Reptiles

Western Fence Lizard
Chuckawalla
Desert Iguana
Side-Blotched Lizard
Western Banded Gecko
California King Snake
Collard Lizard
Chorus Frog
Red Racer Snake
Red-Spotted Toad
Desert Horned Lizard
Western Whiptail

Birds

Gambel’s Quail
Roadrunner
Cactus Wren
Chukar
Phainopepla
Kestrel
Western Scrub-Jay
Raven
Red-Tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle
Mourning Dove

Recreation

sitesmart — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:13:53 +0000

Hikes & Trails
There are 19 different hikes and trails that take you from the deep canyons to the highest points of Red Rock canyon.

Climbing
Great boulders and sheer rock faces bring climbers from around the world.

Biking
The 13 mile drive creates a breathtaking view while catching your breath.

Camping
For camp site availability & information, please call (702) 515-5371.

Fun & Games at Red Rock Canyon

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area [RRCNCA] is located just a few miles west of Las Vegas and encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. Red Rock is an area of worldwide geologic interest and beauty.

Hiking

Red Rock Canyon is a maze of canyons and peaks, ledges and chimneys, chutes and gullies leading to surprises around every wall. It is a playground for both kids and adults. Click here for a complete list of hikes.

Climbing

Climbing is becoming increasingly popular in Red Rock Canyon. There are routes of interest to both the beginning and advanced climbers. For more information please go to the BLM Red Rock Canyon Climbing Link. Another source of information is SuperTopo.

Camping is available at the BLM camp site on Highway 159 between fall and spring. Camping is available at the Red Rock Canyon Campground on Highway 159 between Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends. Group and individual sites are available. Please call (702) 515-5350 for more information.

Biking

Bicycling in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area can be an enjoyable way to see the local flora and fauna. The structural details of the massive sandstone cliffs, the area’s most notable feature, are certainly more impressive when seen from a bicycle.

One-way regulation on the scenic drive applies to cyclists as well as those driving motorized vehicles. Because of heavy visitation in the area, particularly on weekends, please keep an eye on traffic. Remember, slower traffic must keep to the right. The one-way loop [14.7 miles round trip, including highway portion] offers an excellent workout for the experienced rider. There are very steep undulating grades for the first five miles with switchbacks at the top of the ride. The 1,000-foot drop back to the Visitor Center can be exhilarating in places (speed limit of 35 mph).

The one-way road is two lanes wide, allowing ample passing room. The road is in good condition. Beware of rocks falling off the cutbacks around switchbacks, debris where the road crosses washes and loose gravel on the road surface. No water is available along the loop.

No air or other repair facilities are available in the Red Rock Canyon Area. You should bring the equipment and know how to fix flats and make minor adjustments during your ride. Please wear a helmet to protect you in case you fall. During the summer the higher elevation of the area draws many Las Vegas bicyclists. It will be about 10 degrees cooler — that’s still hot and dry, so take plenty of water. As always apply plenty of sunscreen.

Camping

If you want to camp please read up on all of the information you will need to know about camping at Red Rock Canyon.

Mojave Max

sitesmart — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 02:20:28 +0000

Who is Mojave Max?

Mojave Max (Gopherus agassizzii) is a desert tortoise that lives at Red Rock Canyon NCA. Max is a desert “spokestortoise” for all the wild tortoises that live in the Mojave Desert and serves as a major symbol of the desert.

Mojave Max is a desert tortoise who was born (hatched) in 1989. This reptile weighs 12 and a half lbs. and is about 13 inches long. He resides next to eight females and one other large male tortoise named Hugo. The desert tortoise can live to be 60-80 years old in the wild and spends 95% of its life in a burrow. Since the desert tortoise is Nevada’s state reptile, Max serves as an important reminder to respect, protect and enjoy all the animals and plants of the Mojave Desert!

Watch A Video: Max Cam

See more videos: Max’s YouTube Channel

A Message From Max

Mojave Max wants you to enjoy our wonderful desert environment. Remember to Respect, Protect, and Enjoy our desert!

Mojave Max teaches that when you’re in the desert:

Stay on established roads and trails.
If you pack it in, pack it out.
Leave soil, rocks, plants and animals alone.
Respect, Protect & Enjoy our Desert!

Links & Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions about our friend Mojave Max. If you have even more interest, please come on out and see us, we are happy to answer all of your questions.

What is the Emergence Contest?

Every year, desert tortoises go into brumation in the fall and emerge in the spring. One special tortoise, named Mojave Max, is a west coast weather predictor. When he comes out of his burrow each year, it is an indicator of spring-like weather. School-aged children can guess when the live Mojave Max will officially emerge (come out) each year. The student who guesses closest will win prizes for themselves and their entire class.

When will he emerge?

That is the question all of our contestants need to answer. The person who guesses as closely as possible to the correct month, day, hour, and minute when Max emerges from his burrow wins! Anyone in the whole world can enter, but only one lucky winner from Clark County, Nevada (or other sponsored areas) can win all kinds of great prizes!

When has Max emerged in the past?

To see past emergence times as well as view past winners, click here! http://www.mojavemax.com/PD%20Files/HistoricalInfo2011.pdf

Where does the real Mojave Max live?

Mojave Max lives at the Visitor Center in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Do desert tortoises hibernate?

Nope! They go through a similar process, called brumation.

What are three factors that cause the desert tortoise to emerge in the spring?

Warmer temperatures, longer days, and internal clock (instinct)

What are three threats to Max's home?

Habitat loss, collection and vandalism, and increased predation by ravens.

How long can a desert tortoise live?

60-80 Years, believe it or not!

Geology Highlights

sitesmart — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:58:30 +0000

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located just a few miles west of Las Vegas and encompasses 195,819 acres within the Mojave Desert. Red Rock Canyon is an area of world wide geologic interest.

Many experienced and amateur geologists alike who visit Red Rock are amazed by the rock formations, natural beauty, and the vivid colors of the rocks. The forces of nature that have formed such a visual display have taken years to create the masterpiece that is now known as Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. We invite you to explore and view the geological features that make this area unique.

Keystone Thrust

The Keystone Thrust Fault is like the famous San Andreas Fault (a break between two major rock bodies along which the break is vertical) the Keystone is horizontal. It began as gray limestone layers were pushed east during the end of the age of dinosaurs and ultimately “ramped” up through Jurassic Aztec Sandstone. Estimates of total eastward movement along this fault are as high as 40 miles. This fault shows the Cambrian Bonanza King formation (gray) folded over Aztec sandstone (red).

Eroded Rocks

Erosion is nature’s master sculpture. Wind, rain, ice, growing crystals, gravity, and weak natural acids all take their turn, wearing away seemingly immutable rock. Like artists, each force has its own distinctive signature, creating the diversity of scenic wonder we see today.

Petrified Wood

Fossils such as petrified (or permineralized) wood are some of the key clues used to reconstruct past environments. Most of the fossil logs found in Red Rock Canyon belong to an extinct genus.

Cross Bedding

As wind-blown sand piles up into dunes, the windward sides of the dunes have a gentler slope than the steep leeward sides. The resulting pattern of curving, angled lines called cross beds, leaves a record of the direction of the prevailing winds at the time.

Spring Mountains

The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located on the east side of the Spring Mountains, the highest mountain range in southern Nevada. This landscape of biological and geological diversity as we currently know it is only a snapshot taken from a continuum of constant change that spans millenia.

Conglomerate

Conglomerate is rock made up of smaller rocks and pebbles cememted together. Shinarump Conglomerate, which is widespread throughout the Western U.S., contains quartz, sandstone, basalt and fragments of petrified wood.

Aztec Sandstone

As the wind shifted the sands back and forth, angled lines developed in the sand known as “cross beds”.

Flash Floods

This wash was cut in thirty minutes in 2004 by a flash flood.

Weather Conditions

sitesmart — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:15:54 +0000

Your Five Day Forecast
Today	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
Chance of Rain 61°/30°	Partly Cloudy 48°/28°	Partly Cloudy 48°/23°	Clear 45°/28°	Clear 48°/27°

Depending on the season the weather can be quite diverse at Red Rock Canyon. If you have the opportunity, we suggest purchasing the Annual Pass and visiting the canyon throughout the year. Click on the time of year below to view more information about the weather you can expect during your visit to Red Rock Canyon.