TO THE TOP : RED ROCK'S TURTLE HEAD
This was the very first hike recommended to me when I moved here but it took months for me to get around to it. Hindsight, I’m super glad I waited because I would have never made it to the top if I’d hiked it right after moving here. This is the kind of hike you have got to build endurance for.
It is STRAIGHT UP.
I’ve actually done it twice now, and I’m thinking IF I do it a third time, it will totally be the last. Not because I hate it…it’s just a lot of work!
The first time I hiked it, I was recovering from a week of being sick… but the next time wasn’t any easier.
If you chose to do this hike and you have any type of flexibility in your schedule, I recommend doing it early in the morning…on a week day. It’s at the beginning of Red Rock’s Scenic Drive, so it’s pretty heavily trafficked. If you get there early you can beat some of the heat and some of the crowd…which you’ll be thankful for when you reach the summit and have VIP seating over the canyon floor.
If you have a pup, you can bring him! BUT bring him lots of water. I brought 4 bottles for mine and ended up sharing some of my own with her later. She’s super active and she’s made it to the top both times but this hike definitely takes it all out of her. Just choose wisely…it’s a rough one.
As far as the trail itself goes, it is relatively easy to follow as it’s marked the whole way. In the beginning it’s marked by posts and rock-filled baskets. As the incline picks up those markers disappear and you must look for spray paint on the rocks. There are various routes you may take but all of them are generally the same… just go towards the top.
I really love this hike for the view and I think what I love most about the view is its ability to “zoom out.”
Pro tip? Okay, explore as much of Las Vegas and Red Rock Canyon as you can before this hike. There’s something really cool about the scope of it all when you already know what all of the tiny things in the distance look like up close and personally. Try it this way and you’ll see what I mean.
*Bonus Pro Tip….what would make this hike really awesome is packing a nice lunch to enjoy at the summit. By the time you make it up there, you’re going to need it!
Because I normally share my adventure story…
My hike to the top consisted of my hubs, my pup, my Nikon, my Merrells and about 100 breaks for air. I always get some eye rolls for stopping too frequently for photos so on this particular hike I chose to keep my camera in my bag until the top. I kept saying I would take photos on the way down.
We reached the summit at about 1:30 and, absolutely exhausted, I whipped out my phone to snap a little pic. I have to admit, I spent the last 30 minutes of the hike just complaining about how hard the hike was, but I was planning on turning the experience around with some beautiful photos.
When I pulled my phone out, my lock screen had a notification for an email…about a job interview…in exactly one hour…and here I was ON THE TOP OF A LITERAL MOUNTAIN!!
So the descent was just a photo-less as the ascent. We ran the whole way down. And when I say we ran, I mean we literally ran. Skidding and sliding all the way to the truck in a mad-dash. I think it took something like an hour and we still had the whole scenic drive to navigate, and beyond!
As it stood, the hike was a whole lot of effort with a whole little reward. Thus hike #2. For which I forgot my camera. Thus a pending hike #3.
Have you ever done this hike? Am I exaggerating or did you have to work for it?
What were you most excited to spot from the view at the summit!?