Red Rock Canyon Loop
 

Hello,

I plan on being in Las Vegas the week going into the July 4th weekend. I will be there for 9 days and I'm thinking of taking my bike. It will be a little of an inconvenience being I have to leave my bike in the car. I only know Las Vegas for its casinos and know very little about riding a bike there. I see that the Red Rock Canyon Loop is popular and that will be one of my required places to ride.

How hard of ride is the Red Rock Canyon Loop? I see short grades of 12 percent. I have done 6 percent grades and it was work for me. I noticed that the loop is only one way. Is there a way of turning around if I found the ride is too hard for me or do I have to finish the loop? Also, are there are any parking outside of the park that is close?

Are there any other suggested places to ride?

Thanks!

Really nice ride. Its been a few years since I did it. We left from a family member's house further from the strip. It was very dry and windy until the gates of the loop. A little bit of a climb from the gate. The rest of the loop was sheltered by the canyon and was worth the effort to get there. It's a 2 lane , one way loop. I would call the local bicycle shop for any tips
Road Cycling Day Tours - Las Vegas Cyclery, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135

No, you can not legally go the opposite direction once you start the loop. It is definitely a challenge for many riders but a fun ride. Remember it is hot in Las Vegas in July so you need to ride as early in the morning as possible. I don't remember any water being available at the turn offs where people park to see the sights.

Thanks to everyone for the information. The Red Rock Canyon Loop was a difficult ride for me. The extreme heat didn't help. I was there on Sunday morning (might have been the hottest day of the week) at 6 AM when they opened. I was sucking in huge volumes of air from the hills and sucking in hot air made it even worse.

Here is some park information. If you are riding a bike in the fee is 3 dollars. If you drive in with a car it is 7 dollars. You can purchase an annual fee for 80 dollars for this park only. If you are over 62 (which I am) you can purchase a LIFETIME national park pass for 10 dollars. You can enter other parks with the national park pass besides this one. Purchase this pass at the park instead of online. It is 20 dollars online.

I went back several times more but this time I rode outside of the park on the highway leading to the park. The shoulders are wide to ride safely and the hills aren't as bad as the loop. I just parked at the visitor center and rode out of the park to the highway. Remember to take your park pass so you can reenter.

Definitely going back again. Hopefully, the next time it won't be so hot and I could ride the loop with more comfort.

There is a ride in Vegas called the Suffer Fest. You ride two loops of Red Rocks Canyon, then you climb Potosi (worse than Red Rocks) then come back for two more Red Rock Loops. It all has to be done in 100+ heat.


But the party, if you qualify, about 15 do each year, is a huge Vegas explosion. A local IBM grunt who invented something, sold it to IBM for $500Mil sponsors the event. Bands, Jugglers, fire breathing people, food, the whole thing. The guy who puts it on is a marathon and bike nutt. He now travels the world riding.

The other trail (paved) is River Mountains Trail. That's another worthy ride. Go to a local bike shop and get that map. Its a bike map so not all streets are listed.

https://rivermountainsbikeshop.com/r...ns-loop-trail/

Glad you managed to get some miles in the heat! Right now I am stuck on the trainer or riding quite late at night, it's too much for me.

One small clarification: The $80 pass is not just for Red Rock Canyon. That is the America the Beautiful/National Parks annual pass. It covers all the national parks, most recreational areas like Red Rock, and Forest Service areas. Only thing it doesn't cover is the state parks. I get it every year and it saves us hundreds in fees.

Hope you make it back here sometime in better weather! The summer is bad, but riding in summer kit in late October is pretty nice.

just rode the 13 mile red rock scenic loop. entrance fee is
now $5 for bikes. parked about two miles down the way at a largish turnout north of the scenic loop entrance. allowed for a little warmup. wide shoulder on the way there and back but recommend on the early side for less traffic/heat. pavement is fantastic and brand new. nearly all the climbing is in the first six miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6068999790

Rented a mtb from Las Vegas Cyclery and rode from the shop around the Red Rocknloop and back. It was a beautiful ride. Hot af.