Overview

The SMYC Trail is a 1.1-mile segment of the Escarpment Route that runs through spectacular open desert along the base of the Wilson Cliffs. The SMYC Trail runs between Lost Creek Canyon and Icebox Canyon. This is a pleasant trail with relatively little elevation change that generally runs at gentle grades. There are two short, steep sections, but both are associated with nice viewpoints.

The SMYC Trail connects two trails, so it can be walked in either direction. Here, I describe it running from the Lost Creek Canyon Trail to the Icebox Canyon Trail, which is the downhill direction. The total distance between the two trailheads is about 1.2 miles. My trail distances are based on GPS data and differ from official Red Rock Canyon maps.

SMYC stands for "Spring Mountains Youth Camp," which is a long-term correctional facility for young men convicted of felonies. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, these guys have done nice trail work on Mt. Charleston for more than 30 years; they did a nice job on this trail too.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a safe hike, although parts of the trail are rocky and might be difficult for people with walking difficulties. Water sometimes runs in Red Rock Wash, and care should be taken on wet or icy rocks.

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 is a short hike, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along the Scenic Loop Road in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 1 hour west of Las Vegas. Drive out to Red Rocks, pay the fee, and then drive about half-way around the Scenic Loop Road to Willow Spring Road. Turn right and drive north 0.2 miles to the Lost Creek Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Alternatively, continue on the the Scenic Loop to the Icebox Canyon Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

Two trails run west from the paved parking lot. The Lost Creek Trail starts near the middle of the parking lot and runs straight (southwest) across Red Rock Wash towards a big willow thicket, a pine tree, and the mouth of a little side-canyon. The Children's Discovery Trail starts at the northwest corner of the parking lot (by the big sign) and angles upstream and across the wash (more due west).

From the Lost Creek trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), walk southwest on the Lost Creek Trail. About 80 yards out (1 minute), the trail reaches the junction with the SMYC trail (Wpt. 2), which is shortly before the wash crossing. A sign at the junction states that it is 1.0 miles to the Icebox Canyon Trail.

Walk downstream (left) on the SMYC Trail and out across the wash. The wash crossing, less than 0.2 miles out, is marked by sandstone stepping stones that must have been set by a very energetic trail crew. In the wash, the vegetation consists largely of desert willow and other tall shrubs. This contrasts greatly with the hillside beyond the wash where the vegetation is dominated by pinyon pine, juniper, and blackbrush. The differences in vegetation largely are due to differences in soil moisture and flooding tolerance.

Across the wash (Wpt. 3), the trail runs up onto the red-dirt hillside and heads downstream on a fairly level, but slight downgrade running parallel to the wash. After about 0.25 miles, the trail runs over the crest of a low ridge and starts to drop off west side (away from the main wash).

If you are walking fast or focusing on the little promontory (Wpt. 4) at the end of the ridge (which has a nice view and nice flat rocks to sit on for lunch), you will miss a switchback in the trail.

As the trail drifts onto west side of the little ridge, it runs slightly downhill to a low-point (Wpt. 5), and then starts to go back up towards the promontory at the end of the ridge. At the low-point, the trail switchbacks sharply down and right towards the bottom of the ravine. It looks like this is where people cut the switchbacks to get down, but this is the actual trail. The trail out onto the promontory is just a spur-trail to the viewpoint. As you head down the switchbacks, notice the nice rock work.

From the low-point, the trail drops off the ridge and into ravine, then heads along the west side of promontory and out across the flats to another little wash coming down from the cliffs. The trail crosses the little canyon, and then switchbacks up the hillside before heading south towards another promontory (Wpt. 6).

From the second promontory (another nice lunch spot), the trail winds down the southwest side of the ridge and across the top of another little side canyon. It then continues south into the Icebox Canyon drainage (almost directly opposite Icebox parking area) and starts to angle away from the cliffs.

The trail drops onto the flats at the edge of Icebox Canyon at an unmarked trail junction (Wpt. 7). The trail to the right goes west into Icebox Canyon while the SMYC Trail goes left (east). Up until about this point, the trail is fairly clean and nice to walk on, but as the trail crosses Icebox Canyon, it gets rocky (more like the Escarpment Route south of here).

At the mouth of Icebox Canyon, it is interesting to notice that a fire burned through here long ago. The shrubs have since recovered, but there are almost no living juniper trees here, just a bunch of old skeletons.

A couple of minutes past the unmarked trail junction, the trail intersects the Icebox Canyon Trail (Wpt. 8). The SMYC Trail ends here.

From this point, either continue south on the Dale's Trail, turn west and hike up the Icebox Canyon Trail, turn east and hike out to the Icebox Canyon trailhead (Wpt. 9), or retrace your footprints back to the Lost Creek Trailhead (Wpt. 1).