Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV – Volunteer Vacation 2024

Become immersed in the red and cream colored sandstone of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area while repairing trail erosion and increasing safety for hikers! Located 17 miles west of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, explore Nevada’s first National Conservation Area and warm up early in the year with warm desert sun.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area encountered significant trail erosion due to Hurricane Hilary in September 2023. The Grand Circle Loop is an 11.4 mile scenic trail that involves hiking over rugged surfaces, hilly areas, washed out and rocky terrain which experienced varying erosion. Repairing the trail will involve lifting, pulling, repositioning and placing naturally existing materials along the trail route to ensure trail stability and safety for visitors. Volunteer trail crew members will utilize tools including shovels, pick axes, Mcleods, rock bars, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows. Training will be provided for proper use of each tool. Sign installation may also be part of this project to assist users with wayfinding. 

While there are multiple access points to the Grand Circle Loop trail, the first access point to the project area will begin from the Red Rock Canyon visitor center trailhead. Volunteers will be driven from the campsite to the visitor center and hike 3 – 4 miles to the scenic drive near Willow Spring for the first portion of the trail work. The second portion of the trail work will take place near the Lower White Rock parking lot. The volunteer trail crew will park at the Lower White Rock parking lot and hike into the Grand Circle Loop to access eroded trail work areas.

During this trip, Red Rock Canyon’s average high temperature is 71°, and average low temperature is 47°.

There is no experience needed to join a Volunteer Vacation! Your expert hosts will provide detailed instruction, tool demonstrations, and project oversight throughout the week. All you need is a willing attitude and to be in good physical condition to participate in moderate physical activity for approximately 6-8 hours a day with plenty of breaks, at your own pace. Find out more about what it’s like to join a Volunteer Vacation and other frequently asked questions here.

AHS acknowledges with gratitude that this project takes place on the traditional lands of the Nüwüwü, Nuwuvi, and Newe Sogobia peoples past and present. We honor the land itself, the Indigenous communities who have stewarded this land for generations, their deep and sacred connection to these lands, and those who continue to steward these lands today. We offer this land acknowledgement as the first of many steps to stand as an ally and amplify Indigenous voices. We invite the American Hiking Society community to join us through continued efforts to support Indigenous communities and learn more about the history of the lands on which we live, work and recreate.

Click here for a PDF of trip details.