This is a look at one of my favorite places, the beautiful Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It's located west of Las Vegas. 30 years ago I would have said it's 10 -15 miles west of Las Vegas, but with the growth of the metro area, it's now about 4 miles west of the edge of town. In fact, they're about to build a new housing development right at the foot of one of the tallest peaks which appears in the background of a few shots.

Red Rock has a few dozen beautiful hiking trails. There are trails for all skill and effort levels. The trails run from short, level trails suitable for families with small children, to long, steep trails with significant elevation gains and even some difficult and challenging scrambles.

I'm well into my 70s now, with osteoarthritis, so my videos won't include hikes up challenging trails. I highly recommend a channel called "Adventuring Outdoors With Eric". He does great videos where he presents the places he visits with a lot of helpful detail. I have a whole list of places I want to visit this year thanks to his channel. You can find it here:

   / @adventuringoutdoorswitheric  

If some of the Red Rock scenery seems vaguely familiar, it may be because some scenes in the movie "Rain Man" were filmed in the area a few years before the Conservation Area was formally established back in the 1980s. The later part of the 13 mile Scenic Loop incorporates the original road, Rocky Gap Road. One scene in the movie, in which the Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman characters are supposedly driving across New Mexico, was filmed on this stretch of road. Another scene, supposedly taking place in Tucumcari, New Mexico, was filmed near what is now the Pine Creek Canyon trailhead.

Rocky Gap Road still exists today and goes up a mountain pass in the Spring Mountains, toward the town of Mountain Springs. The road comes out in the beautiful Lovell Canyon area. That said, don't try it unless you have a serious trail-rated 4 wheel drive vehicle with a lot of clearance. The road is not maintained and you will encounter some very difficult patches. Don't go alone. Have a person who can act as a spotter when you need one.

There are more beautiful hiking trails outside the formal fee area. The entire Red Rock conservation area covers a wide area, of which the fee area is only a small part. It's well worth many visits, to explore and find new trails that you will love.