Keystone Thrust Trail

I’ve hiked the Keystone Thrust Trail a number of times. Starting from the White Rock parking area, you walk through the opening in the wood fence – it’s very well marked– and continue a short distance to the wash. Go up the wash a short distance and trail comes up out of the wash on the right. At this point, you’re still on the White Rock Loop Trail.
After a bit of uphill hiking, you’ll come to a sign that points you to the Keystone Thrust Trail that goes off to the right. From here the trail is 2 miles round trip – an out and back hike. As you first hike along, it will be a single track trail with lots of black bush and cacti. After awhile, the trail becomes two lanes – remnants of the old road that was used for two reasons many years ago. This was a «chop shop» place where stolen cars were brought for the parts and then abandoned. The old road also led to some old mining area.
When you reach the high point behind Hogback Ridge, you can see the results of the thrust. The older limestone is on top of the younger sandstone rock – the result of the Pacific Plate coming up and over the North Atlantic plate millions of years ago.
There is a use trail to the top of Hogback Ridge and you can see the south end of the Strip – Mandalay Bay, Luxor and the corner of Trop and the Boulevard. There’s also a great view of Red Rock Canyon from there.
Retrace your steps to the car. Total distance will be about 2.5 miles adding on the little you hike on the White Rock Loop.

Very interesting trail. Follow the white bumpy unpaved road of White Rock a few miles after Sandstone Quarry in the Red Rock Scenic route. It starts off like stink on sh*t of an incline. Not as bad as Mt. Charleston, but it will steal a breath or 2. After that it’s all gravy. Come up around the darker hard rock mountain and into the valley to another red crumbly type mountain.
I wish I could be more technical, not to sound like a complete geological ass. Alas’ I like to experience my hikes then research them after. Not much to see on this hike as far as animal wise. Yet, it does have the makings and vibe for some formidable creepy crawlies later in season. I’ll keep you tuned if I suddenly run into the fangs or teeth on another hike here.
Seeing as the desert meets the Junipers at this very geological intersection I was hoping to cross some Mojave or Speckled rattlers. Maybe a Gila Monster under some rock chips? Since its barely October 1^st they are probably just having a late start.
I really dig the rewarding views and significance of this trails end. Also not too many folks like to drive the rocky unpaved path. Not a long hike and definitely worth the bumpy road in.

Red Rock Canyon is a world of imagination and wonder. The Keystone Thrust Trail is a geologic wonder where a thrust fault pushed the older limestone rocks of Red Rock Canyon over the younger red sandstone rocks. This is one of the few places in the World where a hiker could stand on two tectonic plates at one time.
The Keystone Thrust Trail is an approximately 2 miles out and back hike off the 13-​Mile Scenic Drive. To reach the trail-​head, you will take the 13-​Mile Scenic Drive past the High Point Overlook parking lot to a right turn on the unpaved White Rock Road. This gravelly road dead-​ends at the trail-​head parking lot serving both the White Rock Loop and Keystone Thrust Trails.
From the parking lot, White Rock Mountain towers above the desert landscape. The eastern segment of the White Rock Loop Trail feeds into the gravelly parking lot from the left. Straight ahead is the Keystone Thrust Trail. The beginning of the trail overlaps the northern segment of the White Rock Trail for a short distance past a historic agave roasting pit and across a wash. The best way to describe it is to envision the White Rock Loop as a clock, with the Keystone Thrust as a spur at the 4:00 position. Beyond the wash, the Keystone Thrust Trail proper junction is to the right.
The majority of the Keystone Thrust Trail is uphill. It starts off climbing up a set of railroad tie steps. The trail merges with an old jeep road as it continues uphill toward the northwest where two habitats merge: the Mojave Desert scrub and the Pinyon Juniper woodland. As it climbs uphill towards Hogback Ridge in an area where Red Rock Canyon merges with the La Madre Wilderness Area, the topography is a carpet of black brush and yucca. Straight ahead the La Madre Mountains become larger with each progression of the trail. When you turn around, you can see White Oak Mountain getting smaller with the pinyon juniper woodland to the right and the Mojave Desert scrub and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area to the left. The jeep trail is wide enough at times where it is a divided trail with desert plants in the median.
At its highest point the Keystone Thrust Trail separates from the jeep road that aims for the La Madre Mountains. The sign directs hikers to turn right on a narrower footpath down a steep hill. This is where Keystone Thrust Trail is breathtaking. Directly below is the Keystone Thrust. At the bottom of the hill, is the sandstone plate where Keystone Thrust Trail ends.
This is a mesmerizing spot to relax and take in the beautiful unique scenery. It is so easy to make out the thrust where the limestone plate is merging with the red sandstone plate. When you relax here, just think of how awesome it is to be in a spot where 60 to 65 million years ago, the Pacific and North American plates slammed against each other pushing the older limestone over the younger red sandstone and pushed up the Sierra Nevada Mountains. If you are not into geology, this is a tranquil spot to absorb the picture postcard scenery of Red Rock Canyon. Here Red Rock is alive with vistas of Turtlehead Peak, the La Madre Mountains, Calico Hills, and Blue Diamond Hill in the distance.
If you are up for more hiking, follow the trail beyond the red sandstone plate, where it will gradually make its way downhill into a wash. This is the furthest that I have hiked in this direction.
I have hiked Keystone Thrust Trail three times in conjunction with the White Rock Loop Trail. On account of the fact that I consider the unpaved White Oak Road a threat to my compact car, I’d park at the Willow Spring parking lot then subsequently hike the east segment of the White Rock Trail. I highly recommend this because this makes for an outstanding day hike that compliments the topography of the Keystone Thrust Trail. Whether you hike the Keystone Thrust Trail with White Oak Loop or by itself I highly recommend boots, water, suntan lotion, a cap, and a thirst for adventure.