Overview

This is a nice little loop hike on the northwest side of Blue Diamond Hill. The Fossil Canyon route runs up Fossil Canyon to the head of the canyon. The walls of the canyon and other rocks are full of interesting fossils such as gastropods and corals. At the head of the canyon, take one of several routes back down, or hike farther up on one of the Blue Diamond Hill Bike Trails.

Link to map

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe hike, but be careful if you climb around on the boulders or cliffs looking at fossils. There is one, little but interesting, scramble-up at a pour-over.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 30 minutes from town, but not on the Scenic Loop Road. Drive out West Charleston Blvd to the Cowboy Trail Rides Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), the route runs southeast on the dirt road or on the trail towards the large deep canyon on the northern flank of Blue Diamond Hill. The first set of cowboy corrals are located about 200 yards down the road, and the second set is located at the end of the dirt road, just inside the canyon (Wpt. 2). At the end of the road, pass the corrals to the east (left), but don't disturb the cowboys or their horses, at least not too much. Just past the end of the road and corrals, a wide trail drops into the wash and crosses to the other side.

The route runs up the trail for a few hundred yards to where the canyon splits (Wpt. 3). The wide trail curves left and goes east and up into Cave Canyon. There are some interesting limestone caves and fossils up the main canyon that are worth investigating. A smaller tail forks off to the right and runs south into Fossil Canyon.

Starting up Fossil Canyon, the route follows a faint use-trail heading south. There is no sign, but the trail junction is fairly obvious. The use-trail cuts across the Cave Canyon Wash and across Fossil Canyon Wash, then runs along the hillside on the west edge of the canyon. The use-trail drops into the wash from time to time, crosses to the east side, scrambles up little cliffs and pour-overs, and otherwise heads up the canyon. Watch for fossils in the limestone rocks along the wash.

Near the top of the canyon (Wpt. 4), pick a safe place, and climb the low ridge to the west to get out of the canyon (Wpt. 5). The Fossil Trail runs right on the lip of the canyon through here. The farther up the canyon you go, the easier is the scramble-up, and you could even continue up the canyon until the Fossil Trail crosses the wash.

Atop the ridge, hike back down the Fossil Trail, still watching for fossils, to a trail junction (Wpt. 6). The Fossil Trail bends to the west and heads down the hillside, while the Rock Garden Trail continues down the ridgeline. The ridgeline is scenic, but the horseback riders use it, and it is pretty trashed. Following the ridgeline, when just above the corrals, the trail forks again. Either follow the horse trail down to the corrals and walk back on the road, or continue straight off the end of the ridge (Wpt. 7) towards the parking lot on a lesser-used trail.

There was a fire between the Fossil Trail and the Rock Garden Trail in 2005 that burned several hundred acres. The firefighters used the trails as firelines, so for a few hundred yards the hillside between the trail is burned, while outside the trail is unburned. It is interesting to see the plants that survived, and it will be interesting to watch the vegetation recover over the years.

Fossil Ridge is an amazing place for cactus, and almost all of the common species found in southern Nevada can be see along the trail. There are lots of California barrel cactus and buckhorn cholla, and there are nice examples of silver cholla, cottontop cactus, beavertail pricklypear, and pincushion lower on the trail. Higher on the trail, there are nice examples of old man pricklypear.