Last week I wrote about the amazing Kraft Boulders in Red Rock Canyon. Now I am going to tell you about another set of boulders very near by, but completely different. The Red Spring Boulders are not as well known as the Kraft Boulders, but they are still a ton of fun to climb. They also benefit from being near a picnic area and toilets.
How to Get to the Red Spring Boulders
Just like going to the Kraft Boulders you take Highway 159 out of Las Vegas. Drive until you see the turnoff for Red Springs on your right (if you pass the visitors center you have missed the Red Springs turnoff). Follow the road to the Red Springs picnic area and this time park there (assuming there is parking). The picnic area has toilets and a lot of tables so this is a great place to stop for lunch and also where non climbers can hang out if they want.
From the picnic area you can get to boulders two ways. You can either head left up the hill on a small dirt path, or you can take the boardwalk. Yes there happens to be a boardwalk out here in the middle of the Nevada desert. It allows you to walk around the Red Spring Meadow, which is part of the Red Rock Canyon conservation area. If you take this path you will walk up steps instead of the hill and when you reach the T in the boardwalk go left until you reach a gate that will let you out near the boulders.
What You Will Do at the Red Spring Boulders
Once you reach the boulders (hint: they are the giant rocks all over the hillside) you can start climbing. This is another popular climbing spot so remember to be courteous and stay out of the way of others. There is plenty to climb on however so you are sure to find something.
The Red Spring Boulders are on much steeper ground than the Kraft Boulders, so they can be a little harder to get to. Remember to use a crash pad and a spotter to stay safe while climbing.
The boulders we climbed here weren’t as large as the ones we did at the Kraft Boulders, but they had a lot of technical challenges. Of course we didn’t come anywhere near seeing all the boulders at either place so this variation could just be do to our choices in problems each day. We were definitely more willing to try difficult climbs the second day. With the wide variety of problems available in the Red Rock Canyon area it is a great place to improve your climbing skills.
There is one large boulder at the Red Spring Boulders that seems to dominate the others. It is nowhere near the scale of the Cube, but each of it sides present a different challenge to a climber, all of them difficult. This rock was very popular when we were there so you might have to wait a while before you get a crack at it.
On one side of this large boulder there is small cave that actually goes completely through the rock. Starting climbs in this cave is extremely challenging, and while it proved to be beyond our skill level it was a fun place to climb.
Sum Up
The Red Spring Boulders are extremely fun for anyone who likes to climb. There is a wide variety in problems making it easy to take a group of mixed skills here. There is also an insane amount of rock scrambling, essentially a whole mountain of it. So even if you aren’t into technical rock climbing you can still have an awesome time.
Be aware that the rock in the canyon cools off very quickly after sundown, so if you are climbing in the winter like we were it is best to go in the late morning or early afternoon. Once the rock gets cold and your fingers get stiff climbing becomes nearly impossible.
