Red Rock Canyon

January 12, 2026

Nevada is first up in the quest to cycle our last ten states in the union. Our plan was to ride the River Mountains Loop along Lake Mead in Boulder City. Red Rock Canyon wasn't on my radar until Larry Mitchell suggested it in a comment.

Situated west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, the canyon is on the way to Boulder City. A scenic 17 mile loop road offers views of dramatic sandstone cliffs. We figured there should be enough time to do the 280 mile drive from Burbank, ride the loop and drive on to B.C.

I didn't do much research beyond mapping the ride so we found out at the entry station that you need a timed reservation to get in. Luckily there were plenty of spots open for the afternoon and we were able to log in to Recreation.gov and get a ticket right away for the 1:00-2:00 entry block. We got in with Barry's National Parks pass plus a $2 reservation fee.

At the visitor center we spent some time checking out exhibits on the geological history of the area and the bighorn sheep, tortoises, white-tailed antelope squirrels and other wildlife around the canyon. By the time we started riding it was going on 3:00.

From the visitor center, we started up the 4.5 mile climb beside the vibrant red cliffs of the Calico Basin. The hill gets up to an eight percent grade, making a good workout that's not too hard. The sun warmed us up fast and we soon peeled off our jackets. We took advantage of several pullouts to admire the scene.

Hiking trails get deeper into the Calico Basin than we can go today, worth exploring on a return visit.

The red sandstone cliffs were formed from massive sand dunes during the Jurassic Period, some 180 million years ago.

The rocks were getting firey in the afternoon sun

Like much of the southwest, this area has seen more rain than usual in the last couple of months. The plant life looks healthy.

At the High Point Overlook, the top of the climb, we enjoyed expansive views of the canyon. Shadows were climbing up the sides of the Basin as the daylight began to fade.

From the high point we coasted downhill in the shade as the temperature dropped. We zipped up our jackets, but neither of us had proper gloves for the cold. Freezing hands are my limiter on cold weather rides. It was extra motivation to get moving and finish the ride.

From the overlook with the Calico Cliffs in the distance

Two miles from the high point we turned off the main loop on Rocky Gap Road to venture up a side canyon. A trail there leads to a seasonal waterfall. The road ascended and gave way to a rocky track that was enough work to warm us up again.

The gravel section was slow going and we had no extra time to burn, so after a short while we headed back to the main park road. From there the road drops five more miles to the park exit, and we circled back on Red Rock Canyon Road to the visitor center.

I'm so glad we found out about this beautiful ride. Thank you Larry!

Coasting down from High Point into the shadows

With a little more time the gravel bikes could handle the terrain on Rocky Gap Road

Back on the scenic park road approaching the exit, the sun is just firing the cliff edges

Riding east towards Las Vegas on Red Rock Canyon Road

As we loaded up the bikes in the nearly empty parking lot, a young woman walked up, clearly upset. We introduced ourselves and met Leah. She had Ubered out from Las Vegas to hike in the canyon, but her return ride didn’t show, probably because they couldn’t get past the entry gate. Now her phone battery was dead, she had no idea how she could get back to the hotel and it was getting cold.

No problem, Las Vegas is on the way to Boulder City. We shoved our luggage over to one side of the truck, Leah hopped in and we enjoyed getting to know her on the half hour trip to her hotel. A graphic designer, she is nine months into her first job out of college, working for a marketing company in Fort Wayne Indiana. She was in town for a promotional items trade show - stuff we call tchotchkes. Her co-workers had all gone shopping on their free afternoon. “I can go shopping at home,” she said. “I wanted to see something.” We bonded over our shared Midwestern roots and love of the outdoors and the Adobe Creative Suite. She added a delightful conversation to our day.

From her hotel we drove on to Boulder City, checked into the Boulder Dam Hotel and had fish & chips at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company - all great suggestions from Team Anderson's "Looking back with 2020 Vision" journal. We're excited to check out their recommendation for the River Mountains Loop ride tomorrow.

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Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 36 miles (58 km)

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Karen PoretHow nice of you to help out Leah! She was really fortunate to meet you both in her time of need, plus gaining a great conversation, I am sure! 👏
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1 week ago

Scott AndersonIt's a spectacular spot alright. We stopped in for this loop on our way east from Death Valley years ago. Another place you might check out is Valley of Fire, north of Boulder City. It's not really a biking destination but sure makes for an unforgettable hike. https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/winterlude2020/valley-of-fire-state-park/.
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1 week ago

Larry MitchellGood seeing the canyon again … we really enjoyed that ride. I will echo Scott’s comments on Valley of Fire State Park. It is another must do ride if you are close. No need to drive into the park, just pull over in to one of many roadside parking spots and cycle in. Rivers Mountain Loop is another excellent ride and do take the side trail to the backside of the dam.
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1 week ago

Janice BranhamTo Karen PoretLeah was delightful. I loved that when she wanted to "see something," it wasn't in Vegas. We've been helped out of plenty of jams of our own by kind folks. It was nice to be on the other end of it.
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6 days ago

Janice BranhamTo Scott AndersonWow, that place is a stunner. We didn't have time to get there on this trip so it's at the top of the list for the next time we're out this way.
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6 days ago

Janice BranhamTo Larry MitchellThe Valley of Fire sounds amazing Larry. I wish we could have fit it in this trip. Something to look forward to on a future one.
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6 days ago