Las Vegas, NV - Natural Beauty?

Who knew?! There is natural beauty in Vegas! After arriving early on Sunday, we read in the RV brochure about the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. We weren't quite prepared to tackle The Strip so we drove to the western mountain range that hems in the valley. Usually we've paid no attention to these yellowish mountains because they don't look too appealing in the yellow smog that tends to hover over the Vegas valley. But we learned in Salt Lake City and in Albuquerque, that once you get into the hills, the beauty is there.

One area consisted of petrified sand dunes of red and tan. The rocks were like swirled ice cream with stripes of colors blended throughout. We also found Joshua Trees (cacti) here in the park.
The park also consisted of canyons that cut through the towering cliffs. These shaded canyons provided us with some relief from the blistering sun.

Wish we had more time (& heat endurance) to tackle some more of the many hikes here, but it's always good to save something for the next time. So, the next time you come to Vegas, don't forget your hiking boots!