At first, this road trip idea originated as a trip to Hawaii, Kauai in particular. With spring break air fare spikes, we shifted our attention to Utah, land of beautiful natural formations.
And so the story begins...
in Las Vegas!
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Red Rock Canyon is a 20-minute drive west of Las Vegas and has a beautiful 13-mile scenic drive, loads of hiking trails, and opportunities to admire all the native beauty of the desert.
Calico Tanks is a nice hike that includes scrambling over rocks, some with built in steps, and just by trailblazing. There are so many trails up to the tanks, that any one is feasible, though of course the main one is the easier of them all. A tank is actually a reservoir of water, usually from melted snow or rain. Head past the tanks up the rocks to reach an outcrop with views of Vegas in the distance.
Next up is Keystone Thrust! (I chose these hikes based on what the guide mentioned at the Visitor Center as the highly recommended and based on time.) I missed the route to Keystone Thrust, so sadly I only have landscape pictures to compensate, and not the thrust. The trail to Keystone crosses the dry river bed. I didn't know, so I went upstream, and found a 'trail,' which turned out to be the Willow Springs trail. I certainly had no time to hike 6 miles, so after several miles I turned back. I knew something was awry when I was hiking for awhile, and the Keystone wasn't supposed to take more than an hour to get there, and I was headed west, not northeast. Anyways... I met up with some girls, and they were lost like I was. They ended up seeing some big horn sheep. Wish I saw those!
All the trails in Red Rock Canyon are accessible via a one-way 13 mile drive. Definitely a wonderful one :)
Always remember to stay hydrated, slather on some sunscreen and bring a snack of course.
Cat
