Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area


Red Rock's dramatic vistas are revered by Las Vegas locals and adored by visitors from around the world. Formed by extreme tectonic forces, it's thought the canyon, whose 3000ft red rock escarpment rises sharply from the valley floor, was formed around 65 million years ago. A 13-mile, one-way scenic loop drive offers mesmerizing vistas of the canyon's most striking features. Hiking trails and rock-climbing routes radiate from roadside parking areas.

The canyon is about 13 miles from the central Strip and just three miles from Summerlin.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

5.31 MILES

The Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, originally a ranch established in the 1860s and once owned by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, offers nature…

2. Rampart Casino

9.6 MILES

Popular with a well-to-do older crowd, this high-end local's casino is only a short drive from the Strip, but feels worlds away.

3. Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway

11.21 MILES

Just west of Las Vegas, the limestone cliffs and alpine forested peaks of the lofty Spring Mountains rise unmistakably above the Mojave Desert. This…

4. Orleans

14.74 MILES

This New Orleans–themed casino hotel does a so-so job of re-creating the Big Easy. On the casino floor stand more than 3000 slot and video poker machines…

5. Palms

14.96 MILES

The ultramodern Palms casino hotel burns brightly with a mix of entertainment designed to seduce gen-Xers and -Yers. Infamous for its starring role on MTV…

6. Boomtown 1905

15.09 MILES

A permanent outdoor exhibit at the expansive Springs Preserve, Boomtown 1905 re-creates the architecture of Las Vegas in the year the city was founded,…

7. Gold Coast

15.1 MILES

The neighborhood west of the Strip has several old-school casino hotels, such as Gold Coast – now as well known for its authentic Chinese cuisine as its…

8. Nevada State Museum

15.15 MILES

If you've got a hankering to see a stuffed Columbian mammoth or the Nevada state fossil (spoiler: it’s an ichthyosaur), you've come to the right place…