Red Rocks in California

Visit Red Rock Canyon State Park in California

Colorful badlands, towering buttes, and scenic desert cliffs form a hikers paradise. Red Rock Canyon State Park is a lightly visited desert wonderland where the southernmost tip of the Sierra Nevada converges with the El Paso range. There are several awesome trails here, but a good place to start is the Red Cliffs Trail.

The short and easy 1-mile loop trail travels around the cliffs, allowing you the opportunity to get a better view of the beauty surrounding you. From the very beginning of the trail you see spectacular views of the trail’s namesake: the red cliffs composed of sandstone, mudstone, and volcanic rocks towering above you. From the parking area, the trail leads up a small hill where you can see panoramic views of the park. (This trail has only 100 feet of elevation gain.)

There are several other trails in the park that you can tack on if you feel like doing more exploring (the Hagen Canyon Nature Trail across the street is a fun choice if you have time). Red Rock Canyon State Park is far too hot to visit in the summer (the Mojave Desert’s triple-digit temperatures are no joke).

But once the temperature starts to drop in the fall, the park is a great choice. Conditions tend to stay good through early spring, when the park fills with bright wildflowers. Summer’s too hot, spring sees the most visitors, so fall is an ideal time to go.

CAMP: Ricardo Campground, just north of Hagen Canyon, has 50 first-come, first-served campsites, many situated right beneath eye-popping fluted cliffs. Tables, potable water, pit toilets, and fire rings are provided. $25 per night.

Red Rock Canyon State Park is open from sunrise to sunset. Be sure to check for trail closures before visiting the park. Day use is $6/day. There is no reception in the park so download maps before you go. Bring plenty of water and go early to avoid mid-day heat. Check weather before you go, and do not hike on hot days. No dogs.

Story and photos by Natalie Bates, @wanderwithnatalie

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View