Are you thinking of visiting Red Rock Canyon with kids? Being a short drive from Las Vegas, at around 20km and 40 minutes from the Strip, it is a great Las Vegas day trip with kids especially for those visiting Las Vegas with a toddler. But is Red Rock Canyon with kids worth visiting? Keep reading to find out more.
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Is Red Rock Canyon Worth Visiting With Kids?
In order to understand whether or not Red Rock Canyon is worth visiting with Kids, we will first examine the pros and cons
So first the Pros.
Pros of Visiting Red Rock Canyon
Visiting Red Rock Canyon with Kids
Easy day trip from Vegas
Red Rock Canyon National Preserve is a short drive from Vegas at only 20 km and around 40 minutes from the Strip.
And once you are there it is really easy to navigate. Red Rock Canyon is actually made up a 13 mile scenic drive that has plenty of pull overs and facilities such as toilets at many of the stops.
Hikes of varying ability
Red Rock Canyon has over 26 hikes on the scenic drive loop. And the great thing about these hikes is that there are hikes for all abilities and that would suit people traveling with toddlers or teenagers to red rock canyon.
cons
Can be Busy
The only problem with visiting Red Rick Canyon however is that it can get very busy. As it is so close to Vegas it can get really crowded.
You need to pre-book
If you are visiting between October to May which is Red Rock Canyon peak season, then you are need a pre-booked ticket for a specific time slot.
Timed Reservations are available online here. You are also required to get a pre-booked even on fee-free days.
These reservations while great for monitoring crowds at the very busy preserve but this also means that you can’t really do a spur of the moment visit.
It can be very hot
If you are visiting Red rock Canyon in summer it can be very hot, and difficult to cope with for those traveling with with toddlers.
However even with all of these things I still think Red Rock Canyon is still very worthwhile to visit with kids.
Top Tips for Visiting Red Rock Canyon with Kids
So now you know why you should visit Red Rock Canyon with kids, here are our top tips for visiting Red Rock Canyon.
Prebook your tickets
If you are visiting Red Rock Canyon during the peak months of October to May then you absolutely will need to pre book your tickets for a timed slot.
Timed Reservations are available online here.
For more information on how to put this into your Las Vegas family itinerary check out this post.
Pack Correctly
If you are heading into Red Rock Canyon with kids it is really important to pack your day pack correctly for heading into the park.
Some of the things that you really need to take into the park especially if you are traveling with children should include:
- Plenty of water as it is very hot and open in the preserve.
- Take snacks and perhaps a picnic depending on when you are visiting. A great spot for a picnic is at Red Rock Overlook
- Remember to take sun safe precautions and pack things such as sunscreen and wide brimmed hearts.
- Remember to wear proper hiking shoes with good grip
We also packed our toddler back pack reins with us for use on certain trails as a safety precaution. And if you are visiting in Winter months or very early in the morning be sure to pack plenty of layers as it can be chilly.
Is Red Rock Canyon Stroller Friendly?
If you are visiting Red Rock Canyon with toddlers or babies you may be wondering is Red Rock Canyon stroller friendly?
And I am afraid that I found the answer to be no Red Rock CaNyon is not stroller friendly. There are no boardwalk trails at Red Rock Canyon as there are at Yellowstone or Muir Woods.
Although there are a couple of trails that are relatively flat that an all terrain stroller may be able to cope with I think you are better to leave this at home and instead opt for a carrier or hiking backpack carrier instead as this is more versatile for all of the trails.
Things to do in red rock canyon with kids
Red Rock Canyon with Kids / Red Rock Canyon with toddlers
So now you have read our top tips for traveling with kids at Red Rock Canyon, we will turn our attention to the best things to do in Red Rock Canyon with kids.
Kid friendly hikes Red Rock Canyon
One of the things that we loved about the Preserve is that there are plenty of kid friendly hikes at Red Rock Canyon.
Some of our favorite hikes with kids at Red Rock CANyon are:
- Lost Creek – Children’s Discovery Trail
- Petroglyph Wall Travel and the
- Fire Ecology trail
These are really easy Red Rock hikes to do with kids and all should take less than an hour to complete.
Our little ones particularly loved going to view the ancient Petroglyphs.
However if you are traveling to Red Rock Canyon with teenagers then there are plenty of longer hikes of varying levels of difficulty depending on how competent you are as a family as hikers.
Become a Junior Ranger
Whenever we visit National Parks with kids or toddlers, or even national preserves and monuments for that matter, my kids love to become junior rangers.
To become a junior ranger, you can collect a Junior Ranger booklet at the Visitor Center once you have entered the preserve. If you complete the activities your little one will get a badge and be sworn in as a Ranger.
Extreme Activities
For those that are traveling to Red Rock Canyon with teenagers and older children there are lots of more extreme activities to do. For instance, Red Rock Canyon is famed for its rock climbing.
You can also do 4 x 4 adventures and horse riding in the park.
You can find out about more extreme activities here.
Visiting Red Rock Canyon with Kids Information FAQs
How much is the Entrance Fee to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area?
For a normal car to enter Red Rock Canyon the cost is 15USD.
Depending on the time of year, and capabilities of your children you could spend the whole day there however we were there for a few hours and felt it was well worth the money.
Just be sure to prebook your prettied slot.
What are the facilities at the Red Rock canyon National Conservation Area?
At the start of the Scenic Drive there is a discovery centre with facilities and information
Have you visited Red Rock Canyon with Kids – What are your tips?
we knew that we wouldn’t want to spend the whole time on the Strip and wanted to make it a starting point of a road trip! Discovering how close the Red Rock National Conservation Area was from the strip we knew we had to visit!
