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Red Rock Canyon Overlook Trail, Nevada
Length 0.2 mi. on way Type of trail Out and back Trail width 6.5 ft. Surface Asphalt Elevation gain 38 ft. Maximum grade 11.4% near the upper end view point Typical grade 4.2% Maximum cross slope 8% Typical cross slope 3% Obstacles Paved trailhead is barricaded Accessible Features Sheltered picnic tables at the trailhead, smelly vault toilet. Benches at trail’s end overlook The Red Rock Overlook Trail offers panoramic views of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is the western backdrop of the Las Vegas valley. The trail is located on Nevada Route 159 within the Conservation Area managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The trail is rarely used because it offers almost the same views as from the overlook parking lot, but it allows one to get away from the crowds there with an uphill climb. This trail is not on the Scenic Loop Drive so reservations are not required during peak visitation season, winter. The old asphalt trail is generally intact but broken locally with one gap up to 15 inches. Typical grade is moderate but one 36-foot-long section has a slope of 11.4. This section would be “marginal” under U.S. Access Board guidelines. Cross slopes typically exceed 3% and up to 8% were measured. The entrance to the trail and a picnic area has been blocked to the disabled for years by a gate, adjacent boulders, vegetation, and parking spaces, but can be accessed through loose gravel. The trail is not a closed area but the entrance has been blocked to prevent parking on a helipad at the trailhead. Trail assessment of this and other trails in southern Nevada was funded by the Federal Highway Administration through a Recreational Trails Program grant to Get Outdoors Nevada and Trail Access Project, administered by Nevada Division of State Parks. The Fine Print |