Red Rock Canyon Campground, Las Vegas, Nevada
I arried at the Red Rock Canyon Campground at about 4PM and the temperature was about 70F. By the time that I had checked in and set up my tent, the sun had dropped behind the mountain and the temperature had dropped to about 50F. Stayed warm enough overnight though that I was able to sleep comfortably with just the insect mesh covering the doorway. This also alloed me to look outside and see the stars that were visible. This is definitely not a dark sky zone with the 24/7 glitter of Las Vegas not far away.
This campground is definitely a tent friendly location. Each of the sites has a raised bed of fine gravel which provides a flat, quick draining surface which is relatively peg friendly. Although rainy days don’t come often in this desert environment when the rain does come, it can be torrential in nature even if short lived. A more frequent occurrence is the high desert winds which can whip up the dust and dislodge tents that are not firmly held in place. At the Red Rock Canyon campsite the planners included eye bolts around the periphery of the tent pad so it is possible to lash one’s tent firmly in place if adverse weather threatens
THe Red Rock Canyon campground is close to the western outskirts of Las Vegas and can be reached by taking a left hand turn at the fire station road about one mile from the large rock sign that announces that you are entering the RR Canyon refuge. There is a campground sign for those heading east on Hwy 159 but not for those heading west on this same highway. THere might have been one but I didn’t see one.
The campground’s location is within cycling distance of Calico Basin as well as the easy to reach main loop. I had visited the main loop on previous visits to the area so decided today to visit Calico Basin before heading to the airport to greet the paddlers whose kayaks I had been transporting.
