Keystonevisitor Guide
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Red Rock Canyon KEYSTONE VISITOR GUIDE NATIONAL cONservation AreA Red Rock by Car IT’s NOT cALLed The sceNIc drIve fOr NOThINg... Welcome to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area! Whether PleASe ReMeMbeR: you are hiking, rock climbing or just enjoying the scenery along the • Maximum speed limit is 35 mph – Please regard all posted signs. Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon has some of the best sights and • Share the road – Help keep you and your fellow motorists, bicy- experiences the Mojave Desert has to offer. The 13-mile Scenic clists, runners and wildlife safe. Drive offers several overlooks, parking areas and picnic areas to • Only park in designated lots – If a lot is full, please do not park off enjoy. Plan your route carefully, as the scenic drive is a one-way only the road or atop vegetation as many plants can take decades to roadway. If you miss your intended stop, don’t worry – your amenity regrow if they come back at all. fee is good for the full day and you are welcome to re-enter at the fee booth. • Have fun, be safe and enjoy your drive! Photo: Red Rock Canyon NCA by Bureau of Land Management If you are looking for more information, please stop by the visitor center to view exhibits, pick up more handouts and talk with staff about how you can make your visit more special. Once you get home, take a peek at our website – www.blm.gov/site-page/rrcnca. Desert Safety Tips seArch ANd rescue INcIdeNTs Are AN uNfOrTunate buT regular Occur- reNce IN red Rock cANyON National cONservation AreA. The MOjAve deserT Is AN exTreMe eNvIrONMeNT subjecT TO INTeNse heat IN The suMMer, ANd very cOLd TeMPeratures IN The wINTer esPecIALLy durINg wINdy cONdITIONs Or at hIgher altitudes. Your sAfeTy Is yOur resPONsIbILITy. PLeAse reAd The IMPOrtant sAfeTy TIPs below: let friends or family members know where you are going and headache, immediately get out of the sun and drink plenty of what time you expect to be back. Don’t rely on cell phones water. Dampen your clothing to lower your body temperature. during your visit as coverage in the area can be unreliable or PrOTecTIve geAr non-existent, especially within canyons. Leave your valuables at For hiking, select shoes that will provide a comfortable fit, ankle home. If you leave your car, take your purse or backpack with stability and protection against cactus spines. Wear clothes that you and lock your doors. Never leave valuables in plain sight provide protection against the sun (i.e. hats, loose, lightweight where they may tempt someone to break into your vehicle. long sleeves and pants, etc.) and apply sunscreen. deserT dweLLers Flash Floods Watch where you put your hands and feet. Rattlesnakes, Flash flooding is a greater risk at Red Rock Canyon due to the scorpions or venomous spiders may be sheltered behind boulders smooth porous sandstone – even a relatively small amount of or under rocks and shrubs. Do not touch, collect, feed or harass rain can result in a flash flood. If it begins to rain heavily, steer these animals. clear of canyons and ravines and seek safety on higher ground to What’s Inside Water wait out the rain. Do not drive or cross over flooded roadways. Drink at least one gallon (four liters) per day if you are hiking, LIghTNINg [2] Non-profit Partners, Rock Climbing, the day is hot or the trail is exposed to direct sunlight. Carry Passes lightning storms frequently occur in the afternoon during the at least one gallon of extra water per person in your vehicle. summer months. To prevent lightning from striking you, avoid bottled water is available for purchase at the visitor center. high places and seek cover in buildings or in vehicles with the [3] Hike Trail Descriptions, This is the only location where drinking water is available at Hike Ratings windows rolled up. If caught outdoors, crouch down on both feet Red Rock Canyon. with your arms wrapped around your knees and wait out the [4] Hiking Map, Additional Information, heat storm. Hours Temperatures in Red Rock Canyon can average more than sTeeP cLIffs 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. The best Falls from cliffs have resulted in death. Loose sand or pebbles protection against heat is drinking plenty of water and limiting Photo: Indigobush (Psorothamnus fremontii) on stone are slippery. Never throw rocks; there may be hikers by Kate Sorom exposure to the sun. If you feel dizzy, nauseous or get a below you. a public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management Non-profit Partners Page [2] chAritabLe LIceNse Plate shOP fOr red Rock If you’re a Nevada resident, you can show While you are visiting, be sure to stop in to you support the programs and services the gift shop located within the visitor center. offered at the National Conservation Your purchase supports a wide variety of Area by purchasing the Red Rock Canyon programs at Red Rock Canyon. 100% of the license plate. proceeds from your tax-free purchase help Friends of Red Rock Canyon, a volunteer 501 (c)(3) organization, support activities like free guided hikes, receives $25 the first year when you purchase your plate and $20 school field trips, maintenance of exhibits when you renew. This tax-deductible donation helps fund graffiti and signage, community outreach and much more. We appreciate removal, trails maintenance, educational field trips and more. your visit! The process is easy: go to the nearest Nevada Department of The gift shop at Red Rock Canyon is operated by Southern Nevada Motor Vehicles with your registration, photo ID and your old license Conservancy, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit partner of Red Rock Canyon. plate. The charge to switch to the new plate is $61 with a one-time processing fee of $5. Your normal renewal date will stay the same with plate renewals costing $30. Rock Climbing at Red Rock wITh MOre ThAN 2,000 cLIMbINg rOuTes, red Rock cANyON National cONservation AreA Is ONe Of The TOP fIve cLIMbINg destinations IN The uNITed States. There are two wilderness areas in the conservation area: Rainbow rAIN, rAIN gO AwAy Mountain Wilderness and la Madre Mountain Wilderness. All Sandstone becomes extremely brittle when wet and climbing of the major canyons in Red Rock Canyon are in the Rainbow wet sandstone poses an increased risk to climbers from Mountain Wilderness and all of the climbing routes located on dangerous breakoffs and injury resulting from rockfalls. It is White Rock Mountain and many crags near Kraft Mountain are best practice to wait 24-48 hours after rain before climbing, so within the la Madre Mountain Wilderness. New, bolted, fixed that the sandstone can thoroughly dry. If rain is forecasted for anchors and/or protection bolts cannot be installed anywhere your trip, consider the limestone sport crags that are located in within the National Conservation Area. Red Rock or other climbing sites around las Vegas. Climbing Permits � late Exit permits (le) provide an additional two hours � Overnight permits (ON) are only available for routes on of climbing time after the normal closure of the scenic the following walls: Mt. Wilson (1-2 nights), Levitation drive. These permits are for multi-pitch routes and are Wall (1 night), Rainbow Wall (1-2 nights), buffalo only available for the following areas: Angel Food Wall, Wall (1-3 nights), Hidden Wall (1-3 nights) and Bridge Ice box Canyon, Juniper Canyon, Pine Creek Canyon and Mountain (1 night). Camping is not permitted at the Oak Creek Canyon. base of any route. TO ObTAIN A late exIT OR OVeRNIgHT PeRMIT, CAll NameaNdtelephoNeNumber [702] 515-5050. You may call up to seven days in advance or typeofpermit,leoroN,aNdclimbiNgdate(s) as late as the day of your climb. If your message is not clear, you VehicleplateNumberaNdstate will not receive a permit and you may receive a citation. Same- VehicledescriptioN day permits are not issued after 4:30 p.m. For your safety and to climbiNgroute/wallaNdwhereyouwillpark receive a permit, the following information must be included in your message: emergeNcycoNtactNameaNdphoNeNumber PLeAse NOTe: certaintypesofactivitiesareprohibited,suchastargetshooting. manyactivitiesrequireapermit.theseactivitiesinclude,butarenotlimitedto:overnightorlatenightexits;providingcommercial services,sponsoringcommercialandnoncommercialguidedtours,andcommercialfilming.call[702]515-5350formoreinfo. Passes � Daily pass: $7 Daily passes for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area are valid for the entire day, to include re-admittance to the Scenic loop Drive. � red Rock ANNuAL PAss: $30 Yearly pass for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Does not include overnight stays in the developed campground. � AMerIcA The beAuTIfuL ANNuAL PAss: $80 The America the beautiful pass is an interagency pass that will be honored by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bureau of land Management and bureau of Reclamation. Does not include stays in the developed campground � AMerIcA The beAuTIfuL seNIOr PAss: Price of Senior Pass going to $80, buy it now for $10 lifetime pass for U.S. citizens who are 62 and older to national parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges, U.S. Forest Service, bureau of Reclamation and bureau of land Management sites. Pass provides 50 percent discount on campground fees. � AMerIcA The beAuTIfuL Access PAss: free lifetime pass for U.S. citizens with a permanent disability to national parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges, U.S. Forest Service, bureau of Reclamation and bureau of land Management sites. Pass provides 50 percent discount on campground fees. � AMerIcA The beAuTIfuL Military ANNuAL PAss: free Yearly pass available for active duty military and their dependents that will be honored by the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S.