The Ice Box Canyon Trail at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada is a strenuous 2.3-mile out-and-back hike that leads to a seasonal desert canyon waterfall.
Trail names: Ice Box Canyon Trail
Location: Red Rocks National Park, 1000 Scenic Loop Drive, Las Vegas Nevada
Permitted uses: Hiking
Prohibited uses: Speed limit on the Scenic Loop drive is 35 mph. Parking is allowed in designated parking areas only. Do not disturb wildlife. Do not feed wild horses or burros.
Hours: Dawn to Dusk. Exit times are posted at each trailhead for each season.
Fees and Parking: There is a daily fee charged for each car, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian. Reservations for timed entry are required between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Reservations can be made by visiting recreation.gov. A $2.00 fee was charged to process a reservation. This fee will be in addition to the park entry fee. A one-day pass for Cars/trucks is $20.00/per vehicle with up to 4 adults including the driver. Motorcycles $10.00 per vehicle, Bicyclist $8.00 per bicycle, Pedestrian $5.00/per person. Annual passes are available, and Lifetime “America the Beautiful” passes are honored. Payment is accepted in either cash or credit card. Children under 15 years of age are admitted free of charge. There is ample parking at each trailhead.
Pets: Dogs on a leash are allowed. Please leave no trace, which means do not leave bagged dog waste or trash along the trail.
Accessibility: This trail is not wheelchair accessible and is not advised for those with any mobility issues. The trail has a lot of uneven terrain and lots of rock scramble.
Hiker amenities: Restrooms and trash bins are located near the parking area.
Length and Trail information: Ice Box Canyon Trail is one of the 26 numbered trails inside the Red Rock Canyon National Park off of the 13-mile scenic loop drive. Hikers can download a map of the trail system by visiting redrockcanyonlv.org. Ice Box Canyon Trail is #16 on the downloadable map. This hike was done as an “out and back” hike.
The trail is marked by narrow brown conservation posts and are more frequently placed on the part of the trail that crosses the desert to the Canyon. Once inside the rocky canyon area, the markers seem to be less. It should be noted that hikers need to pay very close attention to their GPS, as it is very easy to get off trail, especially when descending in the wash area.
Ice Box Canyon Trail is rated as Difficult and is 2.3 miles long with a change in elevation of about 400 ft. The difficult part of the hike are the rock scrambles that need to be navigated. If hikers visit in the spring, they are likely to see a beautiful waterfall as a result of either rain or melting snowpack at the end of the Canyon. We were lucky enough to see pools of water in the Canyon as well as a small, but steady flowing waterfall at the end of our hike. The Canyon walls on either side are awe-inspiring.
Although this is the desert, during the spring there are lots of plants in full bloom. We were able to see Dorr’s sage, Plains Pricklypear, Western Redbud, Beavertail Pricklypear, Desert Marigold and Apricot Mallow all in bloom. The Singleleaf Pinyons were absolutely loaded with pollen, and the Junipers were full to the brim with berries. If you enjoy birding, then this hike is a must do. During our hike we were able to identify hearing the following birds: House Finch, White-throated Swifts, Violet-green Swallows, Cassin’s Vireo, Pygmy Nuthatch, California Scrub-jay, and Plumbeous Vireo. No doubt this area is attractive to birds and wildlife thanks to the water source.
Ice Box Canyon Trail is a great hike, and despite it being rated as “Difficult” I would gladly return and hike this trail again. The rock scrambles are fun and the payoff of the waterfall at the end can’t be beat.
