A relatively small and narrow valley that is situated around 15 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. Click on the link for more info and driving directions. First time I saw and heard of a Joshua Tree. We were told that the Joshua Tree was given its name by Mormon settlers traveling through the Mojave Desert, because the plant reminded them of a bible story about Joshua and his habit of reaching toward the sky while praying. Just thought I share the info...

We got the idea to visit Red Rock Canyon off Tripadvisor and I’m so glad we went. It reminded us of Utah, the red rocks are best seen on a sunny day. The main canyon area has a one way scenic drive but the best part is the first section so don’t rush through it. There is also Red Spring which you pass on the way out of Las Vegas. This has a short interpretive walk which you can do, the area has a wooden boardwalk so it is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

I can see why people love the desert. Red Rock is a 13-mile drive with plenty of stops to see the amazing rocks, canyons and desert. It's a perfect retreat from nearby Las Vegas and an easy drive to it.

Red Rock was beautiful! When you get the map there are all kinds of places you can go. I went with a bunch of friends and we had so much fun hiking around. It is really worth it to spend a day of your trip out here. We were climbing on the rocks all over the place! They made the trails easier to follow now by adding "stairs" up some of the hard to climb places. Make sure you have steady shoes and a camera! We saw people rock climbing and stuff with all their equipment but we just did some hiking. The drive out was beautiful as well. If you need to get out of there in a timely manner, leave early because the loop takes a good half an hour to drive through.