Red Rock NCA

As part of my brother's birthday weekend in Vegas we also visited the Red Rocks National Conservation Area. This trip was turning out to be great for two engineers and a geologist! Red Rocks NCA is about 17 miles west of the Strip and supremely tucked away in the hills. You wouldn't even know it's there if it weren't for the Red Rocks Casino (where we usually stay) who boasts trips to the park via either bike, hiking, backpacking, or horseback riding.

The park has a 13 mile scenic loop with nine or ten parking areas that serve as the trailheads for many of the trails. The park is absolutely beautiful, although I doubt I would say that if it had been 110 vs. 65 degrees like it was the day we visited. We walked and took photos of various sights. The visitor's center has the geological history of the area, where it was quite fascinating to learn that the entire area used to be under a shallow sea. At the time, Nevada was the western coast of what is now North America. The park offers one of the best examples of the Mojave Desert plant and wildlife all in one convenient location. So, if you've been pondering about the lizard known as Chuckwalla or what a Joshua Tree looks like, but were too lazy to seek them out yourself, this is the place for you.

I intially went on a little trail jog (I can't say run, because it was actually more of a trot), but stopped when I encountered many signs that depicted people falling off cliffs in unnatural positions. I suppose they were trying to point out that you really should be an experienced climber or Spiderman before attempting to proceed.