Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center

If luck is less like a lady and more like a repo man while you're in Las Vegas, take a casino break and visit the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center in Henderson for a rewarding experience.

Located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, Red Rock Canyon sprawls over 195,819 acres of Mojave Desert and is home to 600 species of native plants and wild animals. 

Historically, the Paleo-Indians (11,000 BCE) and Southern Paiute (900 CE) inhabited the area, the latter leaving behind petroglyphs (primitive etchings on canyon walls) and agave roasting pits. 

Today, over two million people visit yearly to camp, rock climb, ride horses, mountain bike, or hike one of the area's 26 trails.

These hikes range in difficulty depending on age and skill level. But family-friendly options like the Lost Creek Children's Discovery Trail and Red Spring Boardwalk Trail exist.

The main attraction is the 13-mile Scenic Drive, a self-led tour that loops through the entire conservation area and takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. 

Although this drive is open year-round, the hours it's open to the public vary, so check the website for specifics.

Fun Facts & Cool Features

Red Rock Canyon has outdoor attractions in spades, but at its heart is its Visitor Center, located conveniently right past the entry fee station. 

The information center is staffed by employees and volunteers eager to answer your questions about indoor and outdoor exhibits.

The Visitor Center has touchscreen exhibits, classroom activities for kids, and a gift shop. 

Outside, the exhibits are split into four elemental categories: earth, air, fire, and water.

Earth showcases the area's geology and animal life. Air highlights dust devils (small whirlwinds in the region) and lets you create your own. 

The agave roasting pits left behind by the indigenous farmers are the focus of the fire exhibit. The water exhibit rounds out the set, expounding on how precious resource water is to the Mojave Desert.

One of the coolest features of the Center's outdoor offerings is the Desert Tortoise Habitat. Established in 1995 to preserve Nevada's state reptile, the tortoise, the habitat houses eight female and two male desert tortoises.

Here's a fun fact: One of the males is Mojave Max, the Clark County Desert Conservation program's mascot. 

Tortoises' brumation (or hibernation) period lasts from the fall to the spring. Much like Punxsutawney Phil—the beloved weather-determining mascot from Pennsylvania—Mojave Max's emergence notes the start of spring-like weather in southern Nevada.

Whether you're looking to sightsee or learn more about the Henderson area, the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center has something for everyone, regardless of age!

Getting There

Here are driving directions to Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center from Las Vegas:

• Get onto the I-15 North
• Take exit 42A to merge onto US-95 North towards Reno.
• Exit onto Summerlin Parkway West (exit 81A).
• Take the exit towards Charleston Blvd/Clark County 215.
• Keep left at the fork and follow signs for NV-159/Charleston Blvd.
• Merge onto W Charleston Blvd.
• Continue onto NV-159 W/Blue Diamond Rd.
• Turn right onto Scenic Loop Dr. 
• Address: 1000 Scenic Loop Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89161

Cost

You'll need a day pass ($20/vehicle) or an annual national park pass ($80). Passes may be purchased online or at the fee station.