Overview

This well-maintained, 6.3-mile loop trail runs around White Rock Mountain and the rest of the White Rock Hills (banner photo) and passes through a variety of vegetation zones with grand views across Red Rock Valley, particularly interesting geology, and several archaeological sites.

Link to map or elevation profile.

West of the Hills, the trail follows Red Rock Wash past Willow Springs and "lush" riparian vegetation. South and east of the Hills, the trail traverses a dry bajada with vegetation typical of the Mojave Desert. North of the Hills, the trail follows Red Rock Wash between the White Rock Hills and the La Madre Mountains, and the vegetation is typical of higher-elevation pinyon-juniper forests. Overall, this is an interesting hike through some beautiful country.

With some planning and two vehicles, this hike can be done from the Willow Springs picnic area to the White Rock Spring parking area, or visa versa, hiking the northern or southern half of the loop. I've described the hike as starting at Willow Springs, running north around the White Rock Hills to the White Rock parking area, then looping back along the south side of the White Rock Hills to the trailhead.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe hike. Spring water is available at White Rock Spring and at Willow Springs, so you might want to bring a water filter rather than carry enough water for the entire loop. The entire loop might be a bit long for kids, but otherwise this is a good trail for them.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a fairly long hike, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials. The trail runs up into the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area, so please pay particular attention to respecting the land.

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 the White Rock Trailhead or the Willow Spring Trailhead. Park here or there; these are the trailheads.

The Hike

From the Willow Springs Picnic Area Trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 01), the trail follows the unpaved Rocky Gap Road northward along Red Rock Wash for about 0.5 miles where the road crosses Red Rock Wash (Wpt. 02). About 100 yards past the wash, the trail leaves Rocky Gap Road and turns right onto the La Madre Spring-White Rock Loop Trail (Wpt. 03). A sign announces entry into the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area. The trail then follows a smaller old road up along the west side of Red Rock Wash and bends to the east.

Red Rock Wash (and the trail) runs through a geologically interesting valley. White Rock Hill (south side of the valley) is a geologically young red-and-white banded sandstone mountain, and the La Madre Range (north side) is a geologically old gray limestone mountain. Both sides are faulted, tilted, twisted, and have high cliffs. After the sandstone formed, geologic forces uplifted the older limestone mountains and pushed them up and over the younger sandstone, resulting in an unusual situation where older rocks lie on top of younger rocks. Over time, Red Rock Wash eroded much of the limestone and some of the sandstone, leaving the canyon that the trail runs through.

The area is also interesting because it is heavily forested (at least for a desert) with singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper trees, which is unusual for this desert area. This vegetation is typical of the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, but the low-elevation forest here is particularly dense.

The trail loops around to the northwest and drops into Red Rock Wash, touching down near the Lost Creek Parking Area at a trail junction with the Willow Springs Loop Trail (Wpt. 38). Continue north, hiking up the canyon. The trail passes an archaeological site with an agave roasting pit (Wpt. 39) and some rock art (painted hands), which are described in the Willow Spring Loop Trail, at the south end of the Willow Springs Picnic Area (Wpt. 40).

Wandering up through the picnic area, one passes the restrooms and returns to the trailhead (Wpt. 01).

Archaeological Site at Willow Springs (view northeast)