Overview

A number of nice use-trails have become established in the Red Rock Canyon Campground Area. The Campground Flats Loop (1.73 miles round trip) runs east from the public trailhead towards Gun Range Hill, then makes a short loop back to the trailhead. Except for crossing one gully, this loop is flat and easy with broad expansive views. After hiking this loop, consider hiking one of the other short or long loops in the campground area.

This hike is nice because it is close to town and not on the Scenic Loop Drive. This makes it free, a quick little get away from town, and it minimizes time driving to and from the trailhead.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is about as safe as hiking in the desert can be, but watch out for dog poop near the trailhead.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is short and close to civilization, 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. For non-campers, drive out West Charleston Blvd to the General Access Campground Trailhead, which is located along the Campground Road. Park here; this is the trailhead.

For campers, continue into the campground, park at your campsite, then walk out into the desert and pick up the trails.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Wpt. 17), the trail passes through a gate in the roadway fence and heads east across the desert. Initially the trail runs through an old burn area with little shrubby vegetation.

In the burn area, the vegetation is sparse, but it is coming back. Common species here include big galleta grass, common Mediterranean grass (a weed), tumbleweed (another weed), and five-needle prickly leaf (Thymophylla pentachaeta), a native species with little yellow flowers that I have growing in my yard. Unfortunately, inconsiderate dog owners let their dogs poop on the trail along here, so watch your step.

Past the burn area, the trail approaches the first Joshua trees. Adjacent to the second Joshua tree, the trail forks (Wpt. 18) and begins the loop. Being a loop, the trail can be walked in either direction, but for today, let's take the right fork.

From the main fork, the trail bends to the southeast and runs out to a second fork (Wpt. 19). The more heavily used shortcut trail takes a hard left turn here, but it is hard to see the turn in the trail, and many people continue heading more to the south until intersecting an old road (Wpt. 20).

In the unburned area, the vegetation is diverse, but typical Mojave Desert Scrub habitat type with lots of creosote bush and white bursage, plus Nevada ephedra, spiny menodora, desert globemallow, littleleaf ratany, and galleta grass. Also watch for beavertail cactus, matted cholla, pencil cholla, and silver cholla.

At the old road, the loop turns left and runs northeast, passes a junction where the shortcut trail comes out (Wpt. 21), and continues to a fork in the road (Wpt. 22) where the loop turns left again.

All along here, the old road has been running along the edge of a low caliche cliff. Atop the edge, the soil is generally shallow, and the vegetation is somewhat different. Growing along here are lots of indigo bushes, a few pincushion cactus, and lots of cryptobiotic crust.

Turning to the left and heading northwest, the trail follows a dirt road across the flats. The trail runs across a gully, the only hill climb on the route (if you can call it that), and up onto another flats area. Continuing northwest, the old road eventually comes to the edge of Red Rock Wash, at which point you can look down on Charleston Blvd.

The trail turns to the left here, staying atop the flat area (not dropping down the hillside), and running along the edge of the drop-off into the wash. The trail is faint here, but it gets better farther out. Heading southwest, the trail eventually closes the loop by the Joshua trees (Wpt. 18), and continues west to the trailhead (Wpt. 17).