Exerpts & Samples
Comprehensive
Every page of the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Guide is filled with useful and stimulating information tailored to help you get the most out of your time at Red Rock Canyon. The guide covers a wide range of topics including a colorful history, extensive field guide to local plants and animals, and descriptions of popular activities such as sightseeing, auto touring, and the best hikes. The 208-page guide is designed to be user friendly and fit in a back pocket. Additionally, it has a rip-proof cover and sewn binding durable enough to withstand years of use.
History
Many find the history section within the guide to be an indepth resource that brings the desert landscape to life. After a comprehensive discussion of how the stunning geologic formations came to be, the guide explores the different phases of Native American use at Red Rock Canyon.
The Euro-American history at Red Rock Canyon is studded with wild stories of horse theifs, rogue bootleggers, pioneer ranchers, hopeful miners, and even big-budget movie productions. Indeed, southern Nevada's scenic treasure has been the set of numerous films including some big name actors, such as Robert Redford, Johnny Depp, Clint Eastwood, Gregory Peck, Tom Cruise, Roy Rogers, and Natilie Portman.
Field Guide
An invaluable resource while exploring Red Rock, the guide describes hundreds of the most common and conspicuous plants, animals, and fossils to be found within the conservation area. The descriptions focus on where to find certain species and how to identify them as well as presenting some remarkable features of Red Rock Canyon's desert creatures.
From wild lizards and majestic mammals to Joshua trees, agave, and profuse spring blooms, the life at Red Rock is a diverse mix from the Great Basin and Mojave Desert. Some of the best known and dramatic creatures are bighorn sheep, ringtails, Gila monsters, chuckwallas, desert tortoises, roadrunners, peregrine falcons, tarantulas, and scorpions.
Climate
Red Rock Canyon is located within the Spring Mountains west of Las Vegas, Nevada. The region is in the southern tip of the Great Basin and within the northeastern region of the Mojave Desert, one of the driest places in North America.
The little precipitation that does occur is in the form of late summer thundershowers and winter storms. Mountainous regions, such as Red Rock, receive considerably more precipitation than lower valley regions.
The mountains are also cooler; the canyons of Red Rock are typically 10°F cooler than the Las Vegas Valley. Temperatures range from oppressively hot in the summer to bitterly cold in the winter. Due to low humidity, the air does not hold heat well. Between night and day, temperatures can vary drastically. Similarly, temperatures vary between shade and sun, especially noticeable on cold winter days.