Petroglyph Wall and Lost Creek Trail

When all of your plans change and you find yourself in Las Vegas with nothing on the schedule and temperatures in the mid-seventies, what do you do? Ok, I know most people go for the food and gambling and night life. And we certainly made sure to partake of all those things. But first, we took advantage of the amazing weather and headed out to Red Rock Canyon to commune with nature and earn our time relaxing by the pool.

I had been to Red Rock Canyon back in January, but I wasn't prepared for a hike, so I just enjoyed the drive around the 13-mile loop. This time I came prepared and I'm so glad I did.

According to the Visitor's Guide, there are 32 trails in the area. They range from easy to difficult and many are outside of the fee area; so, there is something for every budget and hiking ability. Since this was our first time hiking in the area, we decided to tackle two of the easier trails.

One of my favorite things to see when I'm out hiking are petroglyphs, so this trail was at the top of our list. The paths are pretty well marked, but you know that didn't stop me from getting turned around and going the wrong way once I came to an open space with multiple options. But we found our way and managed to arrive at the petroglyphs. There weren't many paintings, and honestly, I was so entranced by the beauty of the mountain that I couldn't really focus. Looking up we saw horizontal lines of red and tan sandstone layered with grey limestone, all of which was dotted with dark, almost black, areas where water and minerals had left their mark. There were crevices and caves and cracks all over the place. I wondered aloud how it was that the rocks defied gravity, remaining in place above our heads.

Another one of my favorite things to see while hiking is water; lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, waterfalls, I'm down for it all. If there is an easy hike out to a waterfall then we are not going to miss it, even if the volunteer at the Visitor Center said there had not been enough rain for water to be present. So, we headed out to Lost Creek trail not really expecting to find anything other than another dry creek bed with some really spectacular mountain views.

To say this path exceeded our expectations is an understatement. We started out on the usual rocky path that looks like a dry riverbed. But then we passed a couple of oddly-placed fences and came to steps up to a deck. And then we heard it...the trickling of water. It was hidden under dense bushes, but there was definitely a stream flowing right by us. And then we got the best surprise ever - there were DRAGONFLIES flying around us!! Dragonflies are my favorite. They remind me of swimming in the lakes of Northern Michigan as a child, they are a symbol of spiritual growth and the ability to embrace new possibilities, and they are magical. What a gift it was to have the little beauties flying around us in the middle of the desert.

Continuing on the path, we realized why this is called "Children's Discovery". After the deck, the trail becomes a playground. You have to traverse over and under rocks and through tunnels made by the trees and bushes. There are so many ways to go that I can't even say I took a wrong turn. I did, however, hear another couple of hikers say "This may not have been the way to go.", as they pushed through a narrow path getting their backpacks stuck on the branches above. It feels good to know I'm not the only one who goes the wrong way at times.

Just when we thought the trail couldn't get any better, we found a waterfall. It was small, just a trickle really, but it was there, dripping from the opening at the top of the cave into a tiny pool of water below. Behind the sprinkles of water was a shady cavern with lots of little caves to explore, and surrounding that cavern were beautiful green bushes and trees full of colorful spring blooms, and giant boulders just waiting for someone to climb on and around them. A beautiful hidden oasis in the middle of these colorful mountains.

It was hard to leave, but our stomachs were grumbling. So we finished the loop, headed out to the main road, and made one last stop. I don't think you can come here without pausing to take in the panoramic view.