Overview

The Fossil Canyon-Fossil Ridge Loop makes for a nice 2.5-mile hike on the northwest side of Blue Diamond Hill where the walls of the canyon are full of interesting fossils such as sponges, gastropods, and corals.

The route runs up Fossil Canyon (sometimes called Echo Canyon) to near the head of the canyon, then climbs out of the canyon to connect with trails that run back to the trailhead. Hikers can take any of several routes back down, or hike farther up the mountain on one of the other Blue Diamond Hill Bike Trails. Hiking back down the Rock Garden Trail along Fossil Ridge makes for a scenic return route with plenty of fossils and a variety of cactus species.

Link to map

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a fairly safe hike, but be careful if you climb around on the boulders or cliffs looking at fossils. There is one, short but interesting 3rd-class scramble-up at a pour-over.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 30 minutes from town, but not on the Scenic Loop Road. Drive out West Charleston Blvd, past the entrance to the Scenic Loop Drive, to the Cowboy Trail Rides Trailhead on the left. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), the route runs southeast on the dirt road that leads to the horse corrals. Passing the first corrals, the dirt road curves to the right and runs into the deep canyon on the northern flank of Blue Diamond Hill. The first set of cowboy corrals are located about 200 yards down the road, and the second set is located at the end of the dirt road, just inside the canyon (Wpt. 02). At the end of the road, pass the corrals to the left, but don't disturb the cowboys or their horses, at least not too much. Just past the corrals, a wide trail drops into the wash and crosses to the other side.

For additional details and more photos of the Fossil Canyon (Echo Canyon) part of this hike, see Fossil Canyon.

The route follows the trail for a few hundred yards to where the canyon splits (Wpt. 03). The wide trail curves left to go east and up into Cave Canyon. There are some interesting limestone caves and fossils up the main canyon that are worth investigating but a bit of a challenge to get to.

At the curve, a smaller use-trail forks off to the right and runs south into Fossil Canyon. Starting up Fossil Canyon, the route follows a faint use-trail heading south. There is no sign, but the trail junction is fairly obvious. The use-trail cuts across Cave Canyon Wash, then across Fossil Canyon Wash, and eventually runs along the hillside on the west edge of the canyon. The use-trail drops into the wash from time to time, crosses to the east side, scrambles up little cliffs and pour-overs, and otherwise heads up the canyon. Watch for fossils in the limestone rocks along the wash.

Near the top of the canyon (Wpt. 04), watch for the use-trail or just pick a safe place, and climb the low ridge on the right (west) to get out of the canyon (Wpt. 05). The Fossil Trail runs right on the lip of the canyon through here. The farther up the canyon you go, the easier is the scramble-up the canyon wall, and eventually the Fossil Trail even crosses the wash.

Atop the ridge, the Loop runs back down the Fossil Trail, still watching for fossils, to a trail junction (Wpt. 06).

For additional details and more photos of the Fossil Trail part of this hike, see Fossil Trail.

At the trail junction (Wpt. 06), the Fossil Trail bends to the left and heads northwest down the hillside, while the Rock Garden Trail continues atop the ridgeline. The ridgeline is scenic, but the horseback riders use it, and parts are pretty trashed. Following the ridgeline, when just above the corrals, the trail forks again (Wpt. 07). Either follow the horse trail down to the corrals and walk back on the dirt road, or continue straight off the end of the ridge (Wpt. 08) towards the parking lot (Wpt. 01) on the Rock Garden Trail.

For additional details and more photos of the Rock Garden Trail part of this hike, see Rock Garden Trail.

In 2005, a fire burned several hundred acres the area between the Fossil Trail and the Rock Garden Trail. The firefighters used the trails as firelines, so for a few hundred yards the hillside between the trail is burned, while outside the trail is unburned. It is interesting to see the plants that survived, and it will be interesting to watch the vegetation recover over the years.

Fossil Ridge is an amazing place for cactus, and almost all of the common species found in southern Nevada can be see along the trail. There are lots of California barrel cactus and buckhorn cholla, and there are nice examples of silver cholla, cottontop cactus, beavertail pricklypear, and pincushion lower on the trail. Higher on the trail, there are nice examples of old man pricklypear.