Red Rock Canyon was beautiful! It was well worth the $5 it cost to get in. The 13 mile loop has plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view, along with plenty of hiking trails. Went there for the first time and before I left decided to go back a few days later. If you are in Las Vegas/southern Nevada, be sure to take a day and drive this byway, you won't be disappointed!

My husband and I rented a motorcyle and drove out to the Red Rock Canyon. We stopped at the visitor center, which I must admit, we drove by at first. It's tiny and doesn't look like much from the road, but the plans inside for the NEW center look awesome! The 13 mile scenic drive is great - we stopped many times and took several small hikes. On the Lost Creek hike, we saw a small but tall waterfall and then 7 Big Horn Sheep walking above us! They were young, yet still impressive! We also saw an unfortunate rattle snake in the road who was the victim of a stupid driver. Do these people even drive with their eyes OPEN? We got very sunburned that day, but it was so worth it. Take LOTS and LOTS of water with you - you don't realize how quickly it goes and how much you need it. By all means, visit this area. It's so surreal - like looking at Mars! Highlight of my trip!!

I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon at Red Rock Canyon. My biggest regret was that we went too late in the day, and didn't have more time to linger. Beautiful rock formations. Great spot for photographers. The afternoon shadows were beginning to appear, and it made for some great color and black and white shots. Not crowded. Not noisey. No freaky, weird people. We stopped next door at Spring Ranch and saw wild burrows roaming around (although I doubt that they were really that wild.) Definitely make this a stop if you are on a family trip. I enjoyed this FAR more than Hoover Dam.

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...