Red Rock Canyon Scenic Loop...

Saturday...May 7...As dark clouds threatened the skies, we headed out for another scenic drive through Red Rock Canyon.  Red Rock Canyon located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip is a marked contrast to a town geared to gaming and entertainment.  Here we drove the 13-mile scenic loop with spectacular views.  Red Rock offers desert beauty, towering red cliffs, and wildlife. Our America The Beautiful Senior Pass got us in FREE.  :)

The massive wall of rock called the Wilson Cliffs, or Keystone Thrust, can be seen along SR159.

                                                                        Saturday ride...

Red Rock Canyon itself is a side-canyon accessable only by a four-wheel-drive road off the scenic loop.  Thus, another time, we may have to do the "Pink Jeep".  LOL
The first humans were attracted to this area for water, plant and animal life not easily found in the desert with one being the Southern Paiute Native Americans.

In the early 1900's, a small sandstone quarry was operated near the northern area of the scenic loop. Proven to be uneconomical...it was shut down.

Behind this quarry is Turtlehead Peak in Calico Hills. When the light shines perfectly on the top of this mountain ridge....it gives the resemblance of the head of a turtle with an eye.

Some plant species seen include the Joshua tree, Mojave yucca, creosote, blackbrush, Utah juniper, and scrub oak.  Agave is unique in the red rock nitches with its thick low leaves and flowering stem that reaches twice the height of man.

Wild burro trails were seen.  Desert bighorn sheep are hard to spot.

Tortoise signs were here and there as they could be on the road.

Rock colors:  Oxidation of iron minerals in sediments resulted in the red colors of some of the rocks. Years ago the desert had vast shifting sand dunes up to a half mile thick.  These sand dunes became lithified, cemented with calcium carbonate and iron oxides giving us the now light colored Aztec Sandstone.

See the burro trail here at the bottom?????

During a mountain building period the Keystone Thrust Fault developed.  This movement forced older grey rock over the younger red rocks forming the variegated landscape seen today.



La Madre Mountain (below) at 8,154 feet is the highest point.

This area is habitat to the Desert Tortoise with 8 tortoises in a viewing habitat at the Visitor's Center.




Desert blossoms...
 

.......Cacti........

Petroglyph pics.

Last, but not least, another patch.  :)








We had a light sprinkle here and there along our drive. Got back to Vegas and they had received a downpour with the sides of the streets flooded.  This dry ditch (at right) now holding water.  WOW!  Out here 12 drops of rain can be a flood.  LOL

Back at our fifth-wheel home, leftover digs for a late lunch/early dinner.  Then after a few it was hot tub time.  Enjoyed the company of a young family from Holland, Netherlands and another couple from Southern California who were here for a motorcross bike race.

Until next time...take care...be safe.  See you by the campfire.