Just outside of Las Vegas, you’ll find Red Rock Canyon National Monument. This area is a beautiful preserve that provides a scenic drive and hiking opportunities, as well as plenty of rock climbing. Whether you’re looking for a day trip from Las Vegas or just a little something extra to add to a larger road trip, you should consider adding Red Rock Canyon to your itinerary.
This guide has everything you need to know about planning your visit to Red Rock Canyon National Monument.
Things to Do at Red Rock Canyon
Now, let’s get into all of the best things to do at Red Rock Canyon.
Scenic Drive
The scenic drive is a 13 mile loop through the canyon and it’s one of the best things to do at Red Rock Canyon. Yes the hikes are good, but over the course of 13 miles, I found there to be a great deal of variety on the scenic drive. This is pretty awesome and was the highlight of Red Rock Canyon for me.
As a note, the scenic drive is one way, so if you miss your turn for a parking lot or view point, you’ll need to circle the entire loop and try again. Additionally, take it slow. The speed limit is posted and is low. There is no need to try to speed past other vehicles on this scenic loop. Yes, I’m referring to the person following me who just couldn’t wait and sped past me as if the scenic loop was a race.
The best stop on this loop are the Calico Hills. Lot #1 has plenty of parking but lot #2 is extremely small, so plan accordingly. But you can also stop at Sandstone Quarry (meh), High Point Overlook (better), Red Rock Wash Overlook (ok).
Hiking
You’ll have numerous hiking options which make for another of the top things to do at Red Rock Canyon. Officially, there are 26 hiking trails, but as trails intersect each other, you can technically make up your own routes. And you’d think with only 26 trails it’d be straightforward to pick a trail. But I didn’t really find that to be the case, especially if you’re looking for a shorter, less difficult trail.
While you’ll find hiking trails across the preserve, I’d recommend focusing in the Calico Hills area. Here’s where you see the most dramatic scenery and the iconic red rocks. Of course there may be better trails elsewhere, but as this was my favorite scenery, here’s where I have to recommend.
The official trails that go through the Calico Hills area have a decent amount of elevation change (1500 feet or more) and there really aren’t too many other options. So, if that’s too much for you, I’d recommend making your own route (while still staying on official trails).
On my visit, my mom and I did a nearly 3 mile loop that took us through the open field and to the Calico Hills parking area. We started on the Moenkopi Trail, which departs from the Visitor Center. This trail is pretty easy, but is completely exposed, so be careful if you’re doing this the heat of the day.
However, I don’t recommend doing the full Moenkopi Loop because quite honestly, it’s boring. We hit a junction in the trail and turned right to join up with the Calico Loop Trail. The highlight was walking along the Calico Hills, which could have been easily accessed from the parking lot. If I were to do this again, I’d just park in Calico Hills Lot #1 and walk along the main trail until I was ready to turn around.
Rock Climbing
Admittedly this is one activity we did not do, but it’s another of the best things to do at Red Rock Canyon.
So why did I skip it?
First, because we didn’t have equipment, and second, because we’re not rock climbers. But, there were plenty of climbers out here, even at 1:00 in the afternoon on a Monday. With the beautiful views, I’m sure this would be a fun place to climb.
How Long Do You Need
How long you need depends on how much hiking you want to do. There are plenty of hiking trails and you could spend an entire day at Red Rock Canyon
But for less avid hikers, a half day is plenty. My mom and I spent just under three hours here and it gave us time to walk around, drive the scenic loop, and take plenty of photos. We covered what I consider the best things to do at Red Rock Canyon and left satisfied.
Getting to Red Rock Canyon
While it’s simple to get to Red Rock Canyon, it’s best to have a car. Yes, you could take an Uber from Las Vegas, but then you miss out on the scenic drive and some of the dramatic views on your visit.
If you have a rental car, just navigate straight to Red Rock Canyon (I recommend navigating to the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center at 1000 Scenic Loop Dr). It’s just over 17 miles (or 30 minutes) from the Las Vegas Strip.
Reservations and Entry Fees
Entry to Red Rock Canyon is $20 per vehicle. However, if you have an National Park Service annual pass, such as the America the Beautiful pass, your entry is included with the pass.
Depending on the time of year you visit Red Rock Canyon, you may need to make a reservation and book a timed entry. This just helps to cut down on overcrowding. While annoying, it’s not hard to get.
Reservations cost $2 and are required for visitors between October 31 and May 1 (basically, if you aren’t here during the summer months, you’ll need a reservation). Reservations can be purchased online from recreation.gov. I’ve made several purchases on recreation.gov, but found Red Rock Canyon to be the least straightforward.
You’ll want to make a reservation for “Scenic Drive 1-Day Personal Vehicle Entry”. Select the date and time of your visit, as well as the number of tickets. Click Request Tickets and Log In (or create an account). You’ll notice that your total is now $22. If you don’t have an annual pass (and have no desire to purchase one), continue your checkout. If you do have a pass, scroll down to “Apply a Pass” to indicate that you will be presenting your annual pass at the gates. This will drop your price from $22 to $2. From here, check out as normal.
As far as to whether or not the timed reservations are truly necessary, I’m not sure if it truly makes a difference. I visited in mid November and had no issue getting the time I wanted. I made my reservation the morning of my visit and there were still nearly 100 reservations available for each time slot. Compare that to timed entries for Rocky Mountain National Park, where it feels like a sport trying to get an entry. However, if you know for certain when you’ll be visiting Red Rock Canyon, go ahead and book it early, just so it’s done.
What to Bring
Sunscreen is a must because most of the areas you’ll be visiting are completely exposed and have very little shade. Along those same lines, make sure to bring plenty of water. There are places to fill up your water bottles at the Visitor Center, but there is no water at any of the other stops on the scenic drive.
When to Visit
Summer can be extremely hot and dangerous, so try to look into other times of the year. Winters will be the coolest. I visited in mid November and had a great visit.
About My Visit
I visited Red Rock Canyon as part of a larger road trip. It was the last day of our trip and my mom and I had just finished visiting Joshua Tree National Park. We needed to drive from Twentynine Palms, CA back to Las Vegas before our flight home the next day. Our original plan was to stop in the Mojave Desert National Preserve, but hurricane damage caused us to skip Mojave and visit Red Rock Canyon instead. I don’t regret that decision.
Our visit was fairly quick. We’d spent a lot of time over the past few days hiking and weren’t looking for anything strenuous, which is how we ended up on the Moenkopi Trail. It was just ok and I think we would have been better doing more at Calico Hills.
Final Thoughts
Red Rock Canyon is a great addition to a larger road trip, or just as a day trip from Las Vegas. The dramatic scenery is beautiful and if you’re a hiker (or rock climber), you’re sure to have a good time and find plenty of fun things to do at Red Rock Canyon National Monument.
Continue Your Adventure
Valley of Fire State Park: Located just outside of Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park has stunning rock formations, fun hikes, amazing views, and so much more.
Death Valley National Park: Learn all about the best things to do at Death Valley National Park. Plus, check out my Death Valley itinerary for one and two day itineraries.
Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua Tree National Park is full of fun things to do. I’ve also put together a one and two day itinerary for Joshua Tree.
California Itinerary: In this one week itinerary, start in Las Vegas before visiting Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Red Rock Canyon.