Weird Day Trips
A scenic sandstone loop
Red Rock Canyon is about 20 to 25 minutes west of Las Vegas on paved NV-159. That is a planning number for a dry day, not live traffic. What you actually see is a scenic sandstone loop of about 13 miles, with short trails. There is an entry fee. Services inside the loop are limited.
A scenic loop of sandstone, about 20 to 25 minutes west of central Las Vegas on NV-159, Blue Diamond Road. The loop is about 13 miles, one way, with short trails and a visitor center. There is an entry fee. This page does not quote the price. It is a natural first stop if the day is heading toward Blue Diamond or farther west. It is not the Laughlin day.
- From Las Vegas
- About 20 to 25 minutes
- Distance
- On NV-159
- Road
- Paved scenic loop
- Time to allow
- A couple of hours
Short history
This is a day-use area: the scenic loop, short trails, and a visitor center. There is an entry fee. The price changes, and it is not copied here.
Visit
Worth a look if you want the rocks and you have a couple of hours for the loop and a short walk.
Camp
This page is the day-use loop, not a campground pitch.
Skip
You might leave it off if the day is already Pahrump and you do not want the loop.
The call is yours.
Practical visitor info
Hours and fees change. Check the site, the park, or the business before you go. This page does not quote a current price or a current opening time.
The numbers match the drive times and distances page. Read desert day-trip tips before a hot day, and see sample itineraries if you want to combine stops. The town list is Ghost Towns Near Las Vegas. Tonopah and the Extraterrestrial Highway are indexed under Weird Day Trips.
How long is the drive to Red Rock Canyon?
Plan on about 20 to 25 minutes from central Las Vegas on NV-159, Blue Diamond Road. That is a rounded planning number for a dry day, not live traffic.
The scenic loop is about 13 miles, one way. Blue Diamond is the small town just past the canyon, about 25 to 30 minutes from Las Vegas. Goodsprings and Pahrump are the longer run west if you continue.
Is the drive to Red Rock Canyon paved?
NV-159 and the scenic loop are paved. A normal rental car is the usual vehicle for the day-use loop. This page does not report construction.
What you can see
Sandstone, the scenic loop, and short trails if you want to walk. The visitor center is part of the day-use area.
Services inside the loop are limited. Gas and food are back toward town or in Blue Diamond.
Heat and safety
Summer afternoons commonly sit above 100°F (38°C), and shade on the sandstone is scarce. Bring water for the loop. Read the desert tips before a hot day.
On the ground
What you can see
You can drive the scenic loop, about 13 miles one way, and walk short trails among the sandstone. The visitor center is part of the day-use area.
Private or off limits
Services inside the loop are limited. Gas and food are back toward town or in Blue Diamond. There is an entry fee. This page does not quote the price. This page is the day-use loop, not a campground pitch.
Summer and the season
Summer afternoons commonly sit above 100°F (38°C), and shade on the sandstone is scarce. Bring water for the loop.
The sandstone and the loop, as a scenic drive, not as a cleared ruin.
Get directions
Get directions from Las Vegas. The link opens a map. It is not a live traffic report.
Combine this
Times below are planning figures. Conditions change. A north stop and a south stop do not belong in the same day. The return drive eats it.
Southwest, before Goodsprings and optional Pahrump. Red Rock Canyon is about 20 to 25 minutes. Blue Diamond is the short break just past it, about 25 to 30 minutes. Red Rock and Blue Diamond are a short half day. Adding Goodsprings and Pahrump makes a fuller day or an overnight. This is not the Laughlin day and not the drive down I-15 to Baker.