Red Rock Canyon

Beth wanted to see a Cactus plant in its natural habitat, & as Las Vegas is located in the Mojave Desert we were in the ideal location for her to be able to see naturally growing cacti. The hotel concierge suggested driving to Red Rock Canyon which is a 195,819 acre 'Protected Natural Conservation Area' approximately 15 miles west from 'Vegas. One of the most striking aspects of the journey to the canyon was that one minute you would be in a heavily populated area (i.e. residential & commercial) & then all of a sudden just desert & wilderness. Unlike St Louis, there was no gradual transition whatsoever! We didn't get to the canyon until about 6:30 pm & so weren't able to drive the scenic loop as it was beginning to get dark, but we were able to see some of the area features (including the 'Keystone Thrust' mountains) & Beth got to see some cacti!