Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area begins about seventeen miles west of the Strip, and the 13-mile one-way scenic drive is how most people see it. The road loops through the Calico Hills and beneath the Wilson Cliffs, with a dozen marked pullouts and overlooks along the way. The red and cream sandstone that gives the place its name is an ancient dune field turned to rock.
You can drive it without stopping in about half an hour, but the pullouts are the point. Trailheads for Calico Tanks, Ice Box Canyon and Lost Creek all leave from the drive, and the Calico Hills overlooks are worth a stop even if you never leave the pavement. There is a visitor center at the entrance with exhibits and water.
Entry is $20 per vehicle. Timed-entry reservations are required from October 1 through May 31 for arrivals between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and are booked on Recreation.gov ahead of time. Closing time changes with the season, from 5:00 PM in midwinter to 8:00 PM in summer, and the gates are enforced. Summer afternoons routinely pass 105 degrees, so go early.