![]() ![]() Sacred datura and milkweed were in bloom, attracting insect pollinators. In the driving loop’s final stretch, I spotted a red-tailed hawk hunting for breakfast and a horned lizard crossing the road, looking nearly the same shape as a small tortoise but moving far more quickly. Nothing strenuous is advised during summer’s supreme heat. Ice Box Canyon is the next potential stop on the driving loop, and that offers another option for a shorter walk covering a fraction of the trail. Native American rock art and agave roasting pits can also be seen along the short Willow Springs trail. ![]() Look for bighorn sheep high above on the cliffs, and always watch your step as the presence of rattlesnakes is a possibility. Take breaks in that shade, and stay hydrated. A female hummingbird fed from the delicate flowers of a desert willow.Ī 1.5-mile trail at Willow Springs picnic area can be enjoyed on early summer mornings because it includes some shade from trees and cliffs. Among the species viewed there recently: white-throated swift, crissal thrasher, rock wren, phainopepla, juniper titmouse, spotted towhee, cactus wren, house finch and Woodhouse scrub-jay. Willow Springs is a reliable water source for wildlife, so it’s one of Red Rock’s best spots to see and hear birds, especially in summer. They were foraging before the day’s heat turned animals into shade seekers. Three desert cottontails and a couple of ground squirrels crossed the road during a recent visit. The normally trafficky loop was quiet en route to Willow Springs picnic area, where I’ve seen coyote pups play in the past. Cactus fruit was ripening recently, and dried-up flowering plants were shedding seeds. A couple of miles later, parking at normally bustling Sandstone Quarry is available because temperatures are too torturous to safely consider scrambling across beige and red sandstone hills that lead to some of the conservation area’s prettiest panoramic views.Īlong the road, summer has zapped much of the green from plants, but lizards still zip across the pavement and birds fly above Mojave yuccas and creosote bushes in the early morning. Summer visitors are advised to carry excess water, wear sun protection and limit their time in the heat.įrom the comfort of an air-conditioned car at the beginning of the scenic loop, motorists can get their Red Rock fix by watching the Calico Hills flow and fold in their geologically handsome ways. I showed my America the Beautiful annual pass twice to avoid the $20 entrance fees (the visitor center is accessible only after passing through the entrance gate).Īt the fee station, a large yellow warning sign decorated with a skeleton alerts visitors of extreme heat at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. ![]() While fees are still collected or visitor passes checked at the gates, online reservations are not required from June 1 to Sept. Stopping at the visitor center first would make more sense in fall, winter and spring, but not in summer, when favorable, early-morning weather needs to be reserved for outdoor time. to enjoy the exceptionally informative educational exhibits at the visitor center, where shade and air-conditioning provide a respite from the heat. to drive the loop, lower my windows to take photographs from inside the car at points of interest and make a couple of quick stops for exploration.Īfter completing the 13-mile loop and exiting back onto state Route 159, I re-entered the conservation area about 9 a.m. My recent early-bird strategy meant arriving at 6:30 a.m. for the visitor center, which is located off to the left shortly after motorists make their way past entrance gates. for Red Rock’s 13-mile one-way scenic loop, and doors open at 8 a.m. July and August are not the months to plan a potentially lethal and lengthy desert trek at high noon, but safer, common-sense alternatives exist for enjoying Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on sizzling summer days, just not when excessive heat warnings have been issued.Įntrance gates open daily at 6 a.m. (Natalie Burt/Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal)įor anyone needing a Red Rock fix in July or August, a successful approach would include early-bird behavior, heat tolerance, educational ambition and plenty of drinking water. A golden eagle on a visit to Red Rock during a previous summer. ![]()
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