What You Need to Know Before Visiting Red Rock Canyon
We love to explore Red Rock Canyon! It’s only about 20-30 mins from the airport and 15-20 from most places in Vegas!
Red Rock Canyon is a National Conservation Area just outside of Summerlin to the West. At the entrance there is a nice Visitor Center that is well worth the stop. Thereafter, there is a 13-mile scenic one-way drive with approximately 10-12 stop off parking areas. Each parking area is where you can access the various trailheads and see the sights! See the scenic drive map here.
The area is a mecca for rock climbing, so you will see many folks there for that reason. We are always fascinated by their skill and stop to watch. You will also see many road cyclists on the scenic drive and occasionally some runners.
There is something for every outdoor enthusiast in Red Rock Canyon!
You must make reservations to enter the park between October and May. The reservation fee is $2 per car. June through September there is no reservation required.
Be prepared to lose service heading into Red Rock Canyon. Have your reservation pulled up on your phone before you drive in.
Annually there is an entrance fee. The fee per car is $20 unless you have a pass. We have an America the Beautiful pass which qualifies to get you in! This pass gets you into Federal Land areas and National Parks and is $80 annually. You can check out that information here and look at more options. It is well worth it in my opinion!
We have done many trips into Red Rock Canyon hiking and exploring. We usually pack a lunch and take advantage of the picnic areas to make a day of it enjoying the outdoors and scenery.
We’ve been many times where it is not crowded, and you may only pass one or two other hiking groups. We’ve also been when it’s busy, which in my opinion is usually around holidays or weekend peak times, like when the weather is perfect, etc.
There has only been one time that I couldn’t find parking, and it was only at one stop. Most parking lots are big enough that even on busier weekends you can find a spot. The stops with the fewest spots that could be tricky on busy days are: Calico II, White Rock (but there is overflow area), and Ice Box Canyon.
It is definitely a beautiful area, and you can find solitude on almost any day and soak in your surroundings.
You may also encounter the vast wildlife and plant life in the area. We’ve encountered burros, birds, and lizards. We’ve seen interesting cacti and flowers. Those are always special hikes! Likewise, there are also many hikes that have points of interest such as petroglyphs, ruins, waterfalls, creeks, etc.
Free Red Rock Canyon Scavenger Hunt Printable
🎉First, grab your FREE Red Rock Canyon Scavenger Hunt Bingo
Exploring Red Rock Canyon with kids? Make your adventure even more fun with my free printable Red Rock Canyon Scavenger Hunt Bingo!
Kids can search for desert plants, wildlife, rock formations, petroglyphs, and other sights as you explore the scenic drive and trails.
Download your free printable below and bring it along on your next visit.
[Download the Free Printable here]
Don’t Skip the Visitor Center and Moenkopi Trail
First, stop at the Visitor Center to check out the information/exhibits, grab a map, and be sure the kids get their Junior Ranger workbook. Red Rock Canyon has a good one! The badge is nice and you get it when you get your book vs having to come back.
Next, there are so many trails in Red Rock Canyon that are great for kids! To start, the Moenkopi Trail at the visitor center is one of our favorites. It’s about a 2-mile loop that takes approximately 1.5 hours. At the trailhead there are picnic tables, so you could start or end your hike with lunch or a place to sit for a snack. It’s easy and you have some amazing views!
I highly recommend the Moenkopi Trail and as a bonus if only want to hike that trail for the day and you don’t want to do the 13-mile scenic drive out, you can just exit at the entrance that you initially entered. Sometimes we’ll hit this trail after school when we are short on time but still want to get outside.
Beyond this trail there are so many other good ones, but you have to continue the on the scenic drive! Our favorites, in order along the scenic drive, are listed below.
Best Stops for Families on the Scenic Drive
1) Calico I: I recommend doing an out and back on the Calico Hills Trail down and to the left when you enter at the parking lot. There are great views of the Red Rocks and rock climbers if it’s a good day. There aren’t too many steep drop offs on the left side. It felt mostly safe with our young kids. Plenty of parking.
2) Calico II: we’ve done an out and back on the Calico Hills Trail to the right and it’s great. It does connect back to Calico I, but we haven’t made it that far. There are some steep areas that we have steered clear of but doing small section this trail from both sides has been entertaining. Parking is limited.
3) Sandstone Quarry: we’ve done part of the Calico Tanks Trail with the kids. I recommend only doing a short out and back here as you get to some steep areas that require climbing. You can also check out the Turtlehead Peak Trail at the Sandstone Quarry stop too. We have only done an out and back hike on this trail. There is a slow climb on the way out, but nothing strenuous. It was pretty safe and manageable for us. It showcases different viewpoint than the Calico Tanks trail, which is nice.
Disclaimer, my kids have both ripped their pants climbing on the boulders at the Sandstone Quarry stop, so you may want to have a backup pair in the car! Plenty of parking at this stop.
4)White Rock: drive up the gravel road to the White Rock parking lot. It’s only about .25 miles, not too far on a gravel road. Parking can be a limited. There is an overflow small lot at the start of the gravel road. Here, I recommend the Keystone Thrust Trail at upper White Rock. Great views of the area. No steep drop offs, until maybe at the very end. The trail up to that point was appropriate for kids.
5)Willow Spring: I recommend doing the Petroglyph Trail and the Willow Spring Loop Trail. The Petroglyph Trail is pretty short, but well worth seeing. On the Willow Spring Trail there are a couple of steep sections, but still appropriate for kids with caution. There is a waterfall to see too! It can be accessed through the Willow Spring Loop when it connects to Lost Creek. Access the waterfall off Lost Creek.
The Willow Spring parking area is decent size and has lots of picnic tables near the Petroglyph trailhead. As a bonus, we’ve seen some wildlife there on a couple occasions.
6) Ice Box Canyon: this trail is known for being cooler, thus the name. We enjoyed this as a family, but there are A LOT of rocks and boulders. Be aware. I liked the risk that my kids could take, but we were cautious.
It’s challenging with the rocky topography. My kids say it’s one of their favorite hikes.
Parking is limited at this stop.
7)Pine Creek Canyon: this stop is one of our favorites. Pine Creek Canyon Trail is easy and interesting as you will pass homestead ruins and a creek. It’s about 3 miles round trip.
Also, Fire Ecology Trail is an off-shooting loop that I recommend taking. It’s interesting and there is a picnic table almost midway. Lastly, Dale’s Trail is easy and fun to explore. We’ve done and out and back hike there to pick up some additional miles.
There is plenty of parking at this stop.
8) North Oak Creek: This stop is the last pull off on the scenic drive. Oak Creek Trailhead can be accessed by driving down a dirt road, about .25 miles. There is moderate parking at the trailhead.
The last time we hiked this trail was in early Spring after a recent snowfall in the mountains. It was picturesque to see some remaining snow on the ground and on the mountain tops. We did an out and back hike, perhaps 2 miles round trip. It is an easy trail. This is perfect for kids. It is pretty flat and doesn’t have too much climbing.
Is Red Rock Canyon Worth Visiting with Kids?
The short answer is absolutely, yes! As mentioned, starting at Visitor Center is great to see with kids, and they can get their Junior Ranger book to look at and fill out for the day. The hiking trails and just making stops along the scenic drive are both very suitable for kids. Many hikes are easy and all of the scenic drive stops have something to view and observe. The surprise will be what you will actually come across! We’ve seen different things in every trip. Sometimes we see wildlife, unique flowers, waterfalls, experience certain weather rolling in, see snow in the distance, aerial airplanes above, rock climbers, unique rock formations, etc. There is something for everyone and you will not leave disappointed.
What about for young Toddlers?
Yes! Since there is parking at the trailheads, there are many easy hikes you can explore with a young toddler. As mentioned, the go to would be the Moenkopi Loop at the Visitor Center. It is easy, and you can just turn around and go back to your car or the bathroom if needed. Zero stress, and I don’t often see many people on this trail. It is underrated if you ask me! The second choices would be Sandstone Quarry stop, Willow Spring stop (Petroglyph Trail specifically), or North Oak Creek. These are all pretty flat at the start and easy to get back to the parking lot if needed.
How much time will you need in Red Rock?
If you start at the Visitor Center and hit one or two hikes somewhere along the scenic drive, I’d say you’d need about 3 hours. Just driving the scenic drive alone is 30 minutes at best. Besides the actual hiking time, you may want to just stop off and view the landscape at a few stops. This could easily be a half day outing or a full day outing.
If you’re from out of town and want an itinerary suggestion for seeing a glimpse of most Red Rock Canyon in a day, check out that recommendation here. If you’re local, I’d suggest seeing portions at a time across different outings. 2-3 hours at a time. I’d select 1 or 2 hikes at a time, from my listing above, and then do the same for your next trip. It’s nice to spread it out so that you can keep going back to see something new. We’ve been visiting Red Rock Canyon consistently for 2-3 years and have only now hiked something or a couple of trails at every stop. There are hundreds of miles of trails. Lots of opportunities to get the kids out in nature and explore!
Before you go, see these additional articles on Red Rock Canyon.
Have more Questions about Red Rock Canyon with Kids?
Check out Red Rock Canyon FAQs →
What to Pack for Red Rock Canyon→ A Complete Hiking Gear Checklist
Happy Trails!