Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the most unique geologic features of Red Rock is the Keystone Thrust
Fault. It formed about 65 million years ago, when two of the Earth's plates col-
lided, shoving gray limestone through red sandstone. You can't miss the striped
contrast as you drive past the park on State Route 159 or through the park on a
scenic 13-mile loop. The paved road leads vehicles through the 197,000-acre
expanse and is also popular with bikers, thanks to the numerous hills and valleys
and changing scenery. Though the park seems like a well-kept secret, it has for
years beckoned to rock climbers with its tantalizing rock formations and more
than 2,000 climbing routes, making it one of the top five rock-climbing destina-
tions in the country.
Listen to the trickle of water and look for the wildlife it draws at the White
Rock-Willow Springs area (one of the most popular stops for hikes and picnics).
Take a hike on the Pine Creek Canyon trail (3 miles round trip), past an old
homestead and into the canyon. You can then branch off along a short, figure-
eight-style trail where a controlled burn of Ponderosa Pine took place and learn
about fire ecology.
Throughout the park, look for kit fox, bighorn sheep, coyote, burros, lizards,
snakes, and petroglyphs and pictographs left by the American Indians, who once
lived here. And be sure to take plenty of water (1 gallon per person is recom-
mended). The desert just seems to wick that water right out of you. And be sure
to pick up a trail map at the Visitor Center, because the signs on the trails them-
selves can be misleading.
How to get there:
Head west on Charleston, which becomes SR 159. Red
Rock is about 19 miles from Las Vegas.
SPRING MOUNTAIN RANCH
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
(
%
702/875-4141; www.parks.nv.gov/smr.
htm;
$
5 per car; daily 8am-dusk; tours daily noon, 1pm, 2pm, Sat-Sun additional
tour at 3pm; ranch house 10am-4pm)
is an idyllic setting rich in history as a work-
ing ranch and luxury retreat. Nestled within Red Rock National Conservation
Area, the ranch sits at the base of Wilson Cliffs. Volunteer docents show guests
around the property, while families picnic in the green grass, all enjoying the cool
breezes that come with a higher elevation (the park is consistently 10-15° cooler
than Vegas). With six springs, the ranch has a constant water supply, which helped
make it an oasis for the Paiute Indians, the Mormons, and for travelers using a
nearby Cottonwood Valley route as alternative to the Spanish Trail. It later became
a cattle ranch and passed through the hands of the famous and the furriers—as
in, chinchilla, thanks to a man named Willard George, who was a prominent fig-
ure in the fur-coat-wearing community of Hollywood. Other residents included
Chet Lauck (Lum of the
Lum and Abner
radio show); German actress Vera Krupp,
who owned the famous Krupp diamond (now owned by Elizabeth Taylor); and
later, the odd but venerable movie producer, aviator, and casino owner Howard
Hughes, before it was sold to the Nevada Division of State Parks.
In the summer, the park remains open at night for the delightful (but quaint)
Super Summer Theater
(
%
702/584-PLAY; www.supersummertheater.com;
$
10 at
the door,
$
8 in advance; plays begin at dusk).
It's perfect for a picnic and a glass
of wine on the lawn, while enjoying theater under the stars, surrounded by moun-
tains and fresh air.
