A WAIT LIST has been established. If you are still interested in running this event please contact the RD, Ian Torrence (itgoes@aol.com). Thank you.

Location

Start/finish at the paved lower parking lot of the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area Visitor Center. Runners will have to pay to enter the park ($5). This is about 10 miles west of Las Vegas on State Route 159 (Charleston Boulevard), on the right.

Course overview and Logistics

Due to BLM permitting issues, this is now a TRAIL MARATHON event. Trails and rough 4x4 dirt road; Large loop with a six mile out-and-back. Please see Course Description below. Course has about 5,400 feet each of elevation gain and drop. Average elevation is about 4,500 feet above sea level. It is intended to give ultrarunners the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Red Rock and the challenge of a long run in the company of other long-distance trail runners. Drop-bag service can be provided at the Willow Springs Checkpoint (you can also be crewed from this point), if arranged beforehand with checkpoint crew before the start on race day morning. Runners pass this checkpoint at miles 6 and 16 miles. Runners must provide their own supplies (we will do our best to supply water). This run traverses a National Conservation Area. The scenery is very picturesque, with beautiful views of deserts, mountains, towering colorful sandstone cliffs, and the Las Vegas valley. This will be a low-key, non-competitive, non-organized, non-event. It is just a few of us using the trails as individuals for a FUN RUN! No aid (other than drop-bag service, and, perhaps, water, at the Willow Springs Checkpoint), no fee, no trail markings, no awards, and no wimps.

Course Description

Start/finish at paved lower parking lot Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area Visitor Center. The course follows the Grand Loop Trail northwesterly out of the parking lot at the visitor center. Follow this wide, well-groomed trail for about 0.7 miles, where the Moenkopi Loop hiking trail comes in from the right. Stay straight on the Grand Circle Trail for ~ 3.2 miles where it crosses the Scenic Drive. Watch for traffic as you cross to the other side. Continue another 0.3 miles to a T intersection with the White Rock – Willow Springs Trail. Take a left at this T intersection. Follow the trail to the Willow Springs picnic area, bearing right at two trail junctions as you near the picnic area. As the trail approaches the picnic area, it passes an outhouse and then merges with the paved road in the picnic area. Go uphill on the road, which soon becomes a dirt road. When the paved road ends, continue uphill past the picnic area on the dirt road for another 0.8 miles to the Willow Springs Checkpoint. The Willow Springs Checkpoint consists of a vehicle (to be identified at the start of the run) at a small parking pull-out along the road, where the road splits, with the La Madre Springs dirt road / White Rock Hills Trail going to the right. This is 6 miles from the start.

At this point, runners will continue up the Rocky Gap Four Wheel Drive Road to Red Rock Summit (mile 11). Once at Red Rock Summit Runners will retrace their steps back to the Willow Springs checkpoint (mile 16).

Return to the start/finish area by returning to the Grand Circle Loop and continuing clock-wise to the White Rock Springs Trailhead. From the Willow Springs Checkpoint, continue counterclockwise on the loop until you get back to the White Rock Hills Trailhead. Then turn right and go down the gravel road (southerly for 0.8 miles) until you cross the paved Scenic Drive and continue on the Grand Circle Trail for 2.1 miles back to the Sandstone Quarry (crossing the Scenic Drive again in this section, watch for traffic), then pick-up the Calico Hills Trail at the south end of the Sandstone Quarry parking lot. Take this trail past Calico Hills 2 and Calico Hills 1. About 0.7 miles south of Calico Hills 1 turn left on the hiking trail that will take you back to the tollbooths. Be careful crossing the paved road at the tollbooths. The run finishes up the paved access road to the visitor center where we started. Run against traffic.

Time Limit

Must be finished by 4:30pm (sunset).

Event's current local time: 1:08 PM PT