White Rock Loop

Unilocal 100 Challenge 14′ * ¹⁰⁄₁₀₀
Past the old river bed, take a detour on to Keystone Thrust trail and you might just catch a herd of Big Horn sheep skidoodle by.
This time, we aimed to get a glimpse of various bird species but our binoculars had a disappointing day. Information at the visitor center did warn us that the weather was dry and water bodies nearby may have dried up but we were too stubborn, like we always are. All we saw was a shy little Robin who’d rather hide inside a bush than say hi.
Nonetheless, any nature lover would enjoy the desert terrain and beautiful view of the valley — which I heard looked spectacular once you actually hit the end of the trail. We ran into a geologist who told us to go straightforward where we would see these amazing rock formations but time proved to be tight that day. My galpal had a party to go to that night and as we began to head back only to catch the geologist’s wife. As we talked for awhile, her husband, about 50 feet away called out to her with these excited gestures.
He was pointing north where we saw a whole herd of big horned sheep strutting up the slope. It looked like one big family heading it’s way up where there was a small patch of grass area. There they grazed and looked down at us as we stared at them wide-​eyed in awe. I don’t think we were even halfway into the trail when we saw these guys.
Instead of walking up further, we decided to just sit down and enjoy the view before heading back down. Am more of an uphill person than downhill really… it’s always bittersweet when it’s time to go.

This 6.5 mile hike took me 3 hours, and it was the highlight of my trip to Vegas. It was sunny and clear, a little hot in the sun and a little chilly in the shade. I ran into about a dozen nice people along the way (Me, about a dozen times: «Are we still on the loop trail… Great, thanks… Have a good one!). I believe people when they say this hike was easy for them but I would call it ‘moderate’ because of the uneven terrain and significant gain and drop in altitude.
Entrance fee was cheap, $ 10 per car, and roads were all very well maintained and easy to navigate in my compact rental car.
I hope to return someday!

My review is for hiking to La Madre Springs on the White Rock Loop. I wanted to do the Loop, but we got a very late start. That’s one bad thing about having trails within a gated park. Come on… that’s what headlamps are for! We parked at the Willow Springs Picnic Area off Scenic Drive. The trail starts off as a wide gravel road. At 1.4 miles the White Rock Loop trail heads right. Afraid of being locked up in the park, we went straight towards the springs. But what the springs turned out to be was a small mossy retention pond created by a man made dam built in the 1960s. It still was a little surprising to see this in the desert. We took a little snack break and enjoyed the little ‘pond’. But I still couldn’t help but to feel a little board on this western section of White Rock Loop. Next time, I hope to experience the eastern side of this loop. Our round trip to the La Madre Springs was 4 miles.

At Red Rock Canyon the rocks are the stars. In the northernmost region of Red Rock Canyon, White Rock is the rock star. It’s tune is «Walking on Sunshine.» Since August, I have spent at least 4 hours hanging around this rock star the four times that I hiked the 6 miles White Rock loop Trail. With its stunning plant diversity, solitude, drastically changing landscapes, and breathtaking views of White Rock Mountain; White Rock Loop is my favorite trail in Red Rock Canyon.
The stage for White Rock Loop is in the northernmost reaches of Red Rock Canyon that pass into the La Madre Wildlife Area. On the La Madre facing side of White Rock a carpet of pinyon-​pine forest interspersed with cacti reach to the La Madre mountains. On the Red Rock Canyon facing side the carpet is Mojave Desert reaching to the horizon. The main parking areas are the Lost Creek and Willow Springs parking lots off the spur road at mile marker 8.
This is a loop trail. From my experience I advise hiking it clockwise. The major elevation gain is in the scenic pinyon-​pine forests with shady spots to pause and admire the scenery. If you hike counterclockwise, the majority of the elevation gain is in the unforgiving Mojave Desert. Another advantage of hiking clockwise is that two miles into the trail there will be a half-​mile spur trail to La Madre Spring. This is a nice hike if you decide you are not up to doing the 6 mile hike.
This review discusses each side of the mountain while attempting to make the 50, 001 character limit.
West-​facing side:
The hike starts from the parking lots and follows the paved spur road past agave pits and a picnic area. The point of interest is White Rock Canyon. The hike continues onto Rocky Gap Road.
North-​facing side:
This is my favorite part of the hike. The trail turns off Rocky Gap Road and into a slice of Heaven. As the trail lifts uphill, so does my spirit. When I admire the Pinyon-​pine forests, singing birds, crisp clean air, views of La Madre Mountain and White Rock Mountain, it is obvious my stress has stayed in Vegas. Looking at the shapes of the rocks on White Rock Mountain, my imagination goes into overdrive and I feel like a kid again. When I reach the White Rock saddle, time stands still as I take in the forest below.
East-​facing side:
Gradually the pinyon-​pine forest merges with the desert. There is a junction with Keystone Thrust and distant views of Las Vegas where I left my stress
South-​facing side:
At the White Rock parking lot, the trail now travels downhill through the desert. I always sit on a bench at White Rock Spring. This is a constant source of water and in my case solitude. This is also a spot the has Verizon reception. The trail widens for a segment becoming a divided trail. As it reaches the starting point, White Rock Mountain is still the star. Toward the end of the trail, it crosses a wash, climbs a hill, then descends a steep hill to the parking lot.
White Rock may be a Red Rock Canyon rock star. But, after you spend 4 hours hanging around this rock star, you will feel like a rock star from experiencing White Rock Loop. The main preparation is bringing PLENTY of water, hiking footwear, sunscreen, and a cap.

Very easy hike in the Red Rock Canyon national park. Great for families with young kids.
Met up with a few friends for this hike on a nice weekend day. There is a nice clean outdoor potty at the trailhead to drop some weight before starting. The loop trial is about 4 miles long and take about 2 hours at a normal pace. The trail consists of mainly flat well trotted over sections with very few inclined sections.
The view is better in the second half of the loop trial. Parking is usually very easy even on weekends as this is not a trial frequented by tourists.

God this hike is dreadful. It’s so boring. The terain is boring. The view is boring. This is an easy walk, wouldn’t call this a hike. The few times I’ve done it (both clockwise and counter clockwise) I’ve been swindled into going with my friend and her dog (who is old and small) so if he can handle the 6 mile loop, you know what that says. There are so many hikes to do out here that are way more fun and a better workout.

The hike is moderately strenuous. There’s isn’t a lot of boulders to climb or really any kind of difficult obstacle. The main challenge (I think) is just the elevation change. You’ll see a lot of potential trailheads– I was a little confused myself. When you go further though there are two ways to go, either a trail that goes up hill (where I saw bits of ice) and another one where you’ll start to see boulders in your path. All in all it was a good workout– lots of terrain and cliffs to see. Great for just wanting to take a stroll through nature :)

I’ve done White Rock Loop a few times — once counterclockwise and twice clockwise. It is definitely easier to do clockwise. There are a couple of possible trailheads. You can either start from White Rock Trailhead or Willow Spring Trailhead. We’ve always started from the former. The reason I think it’s easier to go clockwise is because you start downhill and end downhill (at least from White Rock Trailhead). Most of the uphill part occurs behind the mountain. For some reason, it doesn’t feel as bad going in that direction.
I like the fact that this hike is a loop. Most of the hikes in the area are out-​and-​backs. It’s nice to not have to retrace your steps and see the same scenery twice. Speaking of scenery, this hike has a diverse offering. In front of White Rock Mountain, it’s the typical Mojave Desert. But once you step behind that mountain, it’s like you’ve left Southern Nevada altogether. Stop often to just take in that beautiful view.
The loop is about 6 miles long and probably takes an average of about 3 hours to complete. It has a well-​defined trail for its entirety. I’d rate it a moderate and worthwhile hike.

This is a 6 mile loop hike off the Scenic Drive in Red Rock Canyon. I like this hike a lot because you experience diverse terrain and plant life. For much of the hike, you’re in typical Mojave Desert surroundings. When you get to the back side of White Rock Mountain, it’s like Red Rock Canyon’s hidden forest. That side is wetter and there are a large number of pinyon pines, juniper trees, and desert plants such as yucca and cactus of various types. It has a little of everything.
You can start the hike in 3 places, but I have always done this by going to the Willow Springs picnic area and parking there. Head east, parallel to the road you drove in to get to the parking area. You’ll pass the pictograph hand prints on the sandstone and a roasting pit and you’ll soon be on your way ascending to the top of a ridge. Then down the other side and back up until you get to the White Rock parking area. If you want, just before the parking area, a side trail goes down the hill to a place called «The Guzzler.» It’s a concrete rectangle with water fed by the White Rock Spring. There’s water year round and the animals like it. There’s a sign there saying White Rock Spring.
From the parking area, continue uphill. The trail drops into a wash and then back out and you’ll pass the turnoff for the Keystone Thrust Trail. Don’t take that one. Continue to your left and keep going up. After what seems like a long time, you come to a saddle. The view is stunning. This is about halfway on the hike, and it’s a good place to take a break and have a snack.
Continue along the trail and now it’s downhill. All that effort was worthwhile. This is the hidden forest area and the trail is quite lovely. It meanders through the trees and desert plants and you see the wonderfully colored sandstone on the back of White Rock Mountain. The geology along the trail, particularly in one spot where there is shinarump conglomerate, is stunning. Stop and enjoy and take photos.
Eventually, the trail joins the La Madre Springs Trail. If you want to make a long hike out of it, you could do a side trip to La Madre. For most however, turn left at the junction and head downhill. The trail meets Rocky Gap Road and you make another left and walk along the road back to the parking area. As you near the picnic area, you’ll be glad your après hike lunch is waiting in the car. The picnic area is a great spot for Guinness time.
Happy hiking!