Cliff Shadows Open Desert Park
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Cliff Shadows Open Desert Park is a hidden gem offering diverse desert hiking trails, from easy to challenging, with excellent panoramic views of the city and the Strip, including connections to the Red Rock conservation area. It's a multi-use park suitable for hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, offroading, and is dog/horse-friendly. The area provides natural shade in the late afternoon, making it uniquely suitable for sunny summer evenings, though generally best enjoyed outside peak summer heat.
Key Highlights
- ✓Lots of different trails, offering both easy and challenging options.
- ✓Generally not crowded, described as a 'hidden gem' with only a few people (bikers, dog walkers).
- ✓Provides excellent panoramic views of the city and the Strip from the trails.
- ✓Trails extend up, around, and next to surrounding mountains.
- ✓Dog-friendly, horse-friendly, and bike-friendly trails.
- ✓Connects to the Red Rock conservation area via a wash.
- ✓Entire area becomes shaded by the mountain in the late afternoon, ideal for sunny summer days.
- ✓A challenging perimeter loop covers 5.8 miles and takes approximately 2 hours to walk.
Standout Features
- ⭐Panoramic views from multiple trails.
- ⭐Extensive and diverse trail system (seemingly 'endless').
- ⭐Offers varied trail difficulties, catering to different fitness levels.
- ⭐Multi-use nature allows for hiking, picnicking, mountain biking, and offroading.
- ⭐Natural shade from mountains in the late afternoon.
- ⭐Direct connection to the Red Rock conservation area.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Bring sturdy hiking boots due to loose rocks on trails.
- →Avoid hiking alone; go with a companion.
- →Bring plenty of water and food for your visit.
- →Visit outside of the summer months for more comfortable temperatures, or stick to late afternoons in summer for shade.
- →Exercise extreme caution during and after rain due to active flood channels.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Loose rocks on trails necessitate hiking boots.
- ⚠Reported encounter with a small homeless encampment below a mountain trail.
- ⚠Recommendation NOT to hike alone due to isolation (only saw one other person).
- ⚠Summertime temperatures can be 'a little rough temperature wise'.
- ⚠Presence of flood channels requires caution during rain.
Price & Value
No specific pricing mentioned, suggesting it is a free public park or has minimal fees. The value is high given the extensive trails, views, and multi-use options without a reported cost.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accommodations mentioned. The presence of 'loose rocks' and 'trails up, around, and next to mountains' suggests limited accessibility for wheelchairs or strollers.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food and picnicking are allowed and encouraged ('Bring water and food', 'picnic').
🚗Parking Info
- •Not explicitly detailed, but the park being 'not crowded at all' and a 'hidden gem' implies easy or ample parking is available, typical of open desert parks.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Very low: 'not crowded at all', 'only a few people on bikes and a couple walking their dogs', 'only saw one other person hiking'.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Natural hazards include loose rocks on trails and flood channels during rain.
- •A reported 'small homeless encampment' below a mountain trail may be a concern.
- •Lack of visible staff or crowds contributes to a recommendation against hiking alone for safety.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Hiking alone, particularly in more secluded areas.
- • Midday during summer months due to potentially rough temperatures.
- • Visiting during or immediately after rain due to flood channels.
- • If you are uncomfortable with isolated areas or the presence of homeless encampments.
Photos
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
D Scott
4 months agoNice hiking trails. I took the hounds and they had fun. Lots of different trails, not crowded at all.
Ashley Rollins
a year agoThis is a fantastic hidden gem. Only a few people on bikes and a couple walking their dogs. Trails up, around and next to all the surrounding mountains. Crossed the wash into Red Rock conservation area and climbed up the hill a bit, got an excellent view of the city and strip. Dog/horse/bike friendly trails. Late afternoon, entire area is shaded by the mountain. Very nice for a sunny summer day.
Regina H
2 years agoHiked October 1st, 2022 around 1pm with my husband. We did not finish the hike around the huge mountain though it was great exercise. Hiking boots are a must with the loose rocks. I highly recommend NOT hiking there alone. Only saw one other person hiking it and came across a small homeless encampment below the mountain trail.
John Nelson
6 years agoAwesome place to hike, picnic, mountain bike and offroad even. Really good views from the trails. Summer time might be a little rough temperature wise but any other time of the year is perfect. The trails seem to be endless and worth exploring all of them. Bring water and food. Watch out when it's raining too they have flood channels here.
Diana Gonzalez
4 years agoBest place to hike!! Easy trails and challenging trails!! Perimeter only takes 2 hours to walk around - 5.8 miles (if you challenge yourself with higher hiking paths!!) Have fun!!
Contact Information
10769 Hunter Mountain Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89129, USA
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