The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is located just outside of Las Vegas, and is a nice day trip if you are tired of the crowds on the Strip. The park includes a large wilderness area, along with a nice visitor center.

When we were at the visitor center, there was a man there standing by an exhibit about the history of the nearby town Blue Diamond. He had grown up there, and the exhibit was something that was put together by his family to remember the town. It was well done, and the stories he had about growing up in a rural western town in the desert were very interesting.

Also at the visitor center, outside, was a pen for a few burros - of course, we had to check it out. Little did we know that one of the animals was a celebrity - Jackson, the Red Rock Canyon Burro. He has his own website - http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/programs/jackson-the-burro/

We spent a bit of time with Jackson, but then went to explore the natural areas. The park has a one-way service road. So, make sure you know where your turn off is, or you will have to go around the 13 mile loop to get to it again. No U-turns. The day was incredibly cold. We stopped and enjoyed several of the lookouts, but did not hike too much, as we just were not prepared for the cold and wind that we found that day. There were a lot of rock climbers out, and this is a great spot if you are into that activity.

If you would like more information about the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, you can find it at the Bureau of Land Management website at: http://www.recreation.gov/recreationalAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&recAreaId=1826

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