Echo Canyon - Fossil Ridge Loop

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La Madre Mountain Wilderness

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Length: 4.5 miles / 7.2 km
Duration: 1-3 hours

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Overview: Blue Diamond Hill, across from the main part of Red Rock Canyon, offers some great hiking trails. Many of these were created by mountain bikers and some were created by the horseback riding concession that operates near the trailhead.

Parking for this hike is along SR 159 just outside the entrance to the horseback riding road. The hike takes you in the road and then right and into a canyon just beyond where the horseback riding people have their eating area for riders who get the eating option. From here, the trail drops into and across a wash and heads to a canyon that splits into two. For this hike, take the right fork, Echo Canyon, and hike up the canyon following the defined trail. There are several dry falls to navigate, but there's nothing that's extreme. The trail meanders back and forth as the canyon makes its way to the top of Blue Diamond Hill.

Eventually, you'll meet a mountain bike trail. Take that as it goes off to the left and follow the bike trail as it basically parallels the wash. You'll come to a split in the trail. Stay to your right eventually coming out on an old road that's been used to service a communication tower farther up the hill.

Turn right on the old road and follow it to an area that's open with great views of Red Rock Canyon. Here's a good place to have a snack and some conversation.

Walk down the hill and you'll come to a trail that leads right. Follow this trail. This is the main Fossil Ridge Trail that takes you back to the parking lot. It's really nice going downhill after the uphill section.

Happy hiking!

Tips: Blue Diamond Hill has trails all over and it's a great place to explore. You can start at the trailhead and string together several sections of trails to make your hike up to 6 or 7 miles. It's a glorious place especially when you go to the overlook and see lovely Lady Las Vegas in the distance.

If you zoom in on the map, you can see the bike trails and different routes you can try on Blue Diamond Hill.

For much of this hike, there is no cell phone coverage, so it's impossible to follow tracks on an iPhone. I have added the EveryTrail trip link below where you can download the hike's GPX file and use it on your GPS device.

Points of Interest

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Parking

The parking lot is along SR 159 on the left side as you travel south. To begin the hike, follow the road under the Horseback Riding sign.

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Wash

After following the road to the back area of the horseback riding area where they have their eating area, the trail heads to the left, down a small hill, and across a wash.

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Fork in the trail

Here the trail forks. You want to go to your right which is Echo Canyon. To the left is Cave Canyon—a hike for another day.

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Dry falls

There are a couple of dry falls to ascend. They're not difficult. Just make sure you have good hand and foot holds. Be careful with the limestone rock. It is very sharp in places and cuts easily.

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Bike trail

After hiking the wash for a good distance, you come to a mountain bike trail. Take the trail to left although this doesn't seem the correct way to go. It soon switchbacks and you're heading the right direction. If you want, you can stay in the wash.

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Road

Another key point along the hike is making it to this road that is used to take equipment to some kind of communication/weather station farther up the hill. They have used a trencher to dry to make the road impassible for vehicles.

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Break

We took our break in this area. You will have cell coverage when you get here. There are some good boulders on which to sit and enjoy the view of Red Rock Canyon.

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Fork

This is a crucial turn in the hike. This puts you back on a mountain bike trail to go back to the parking area,

Pictures in this guide taken by: LVHiker, Sherman gets ready to get up this dry fall area., The bike trail meets up with the trail from the wash., A view across to the Red Rock Escarpment and the Wilson Cliffs.

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