CANTIL — Fall is a great time to visit Red Rock Canyon State Park, when cooler temperatures make the desert’s cliffs, canyons and wide-open sky easier to enjoy. The Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association has two events on the calendar this month, and the park’s trails and dark skies are open to explore any time.
Upcoming events
Saturday, Oct. 24 – Movies in the Park: ‘Holes’
From 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, the association and California State Parks will screen “Holes” at the Visitor Center. The film is one of many shot against the backdrop of Red Rock Canyon State Park, and viewers are invited to gather friends and family and try to spot the park’s features in the background.
Saturday, Oct. 31 – Spooky Scenic Cliffs Hike
From 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, the association will lead a moderate hike from Red Cliffs to Scenic Cliffs. Participants meet at 8:30 a.m. at the east end of the Red Cliffs parking lot, near the Red Cliffs trailhead.
The group will head to the Scenic Cliffs road, slightly south of the entrance to Nightmare Gulch. Hikers who wish to continue on their own can go on into Nightmare Gulch. Along the way, participants will learn about the plants, animals and basic geology of this wilder part of the park. Because it’s Halloween, the association says hikers might encounter strange figures in the cliffs or hear a spooky story or two.
All hikers must be able to handle uneven terrain and must carry at least two quarts of water, as no drinking water is available in the canyons. The association recommends sturdy hiking shoes, a hat and a light jacket, and suggests bringing a lunch or snacks, a hiking pole and a bandana.
Hiking in the park
With 27,000 acres of navigable land and no hiking restrictions, Red Rock Canyon offers visitors the chance to build their own adventure. The designated trails are short, but hikers can make any route as long or as short as they like.
The Desert View Nature Trail is about a quarter-mile climb to the ridgeline above the campground, with options to continue along the ridge to White House Cliffs. The Ricardo Nature Trail, also about a quarter-mile, winds through the wash below Ricardo Campground and is an easy outing for small children. Numbered stops correspond to a brochure available at the Visitor Center. Hagen Canyon, a 1-mile round trip, is the longest designated trail and shows many of the geologic formations found elsewhere in the park. It has also been the setting for many movies.
Nightmare Gulch, a slot canyon about 9 miles one way, is open to hikers and horses from July through January. It is closed to all access from February through June to protect raptor breeding areas.
Hikers should bring extra water, since dehydration is easy even in cooler months. Rattlesnakes are also active in warm weather, so keep an ear out for the rattle and give them room, especially when going off trail.
Stargazing
The night sky at Red Rock Canyon is another draw. Because the park has little light pollution, stars and other astronomical sights are strikingly visible, and amateur photographers and astronomers consider it one of the best-kept secrets for night sky viewing outside populated areas.
More information on the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association’s events is available online at redrockrrcia.org.
Source: Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association website