Picnic area · Lake Mead National Recreation Area
A picnic among 140-million-year-old red sandstone outcrops.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake Mead Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake Mead National Recreation Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake Mead audio tourRecorded for this place
Redstone Picnic Area: Dunes Turned to Rock“Redstone Picnic Area is just ahead, with tables right beside red sandstone outcrops. I'd stop here for a picnic and a short wander among the rocks.”
Plays as you drive up to Redstone Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Lake Mead Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Redstone Picnic Area is a roadside stop along Northshore Road in Pinto Valley Wilderness, where eroded red sandstone rises beside the picnic tables. It’s a good place to break the drive for lunch or a short wander among the formations.
There are three picnic tables, three grills and pit toilets, but no drinking water. Bring water and your meal. Summer heat can be dangerous, so plan a walk for the cooler part of the day. Redstone is inside the park fee area; keep your park pass or admission proof in the vehicle. The site is listed as year-round with no reservations. Dogs are allowed on leashes no longer than six feet.
The Redstone Trail is an easy, unmaintained route over mostly loose sand and gravel. A local route guide notes that flash floods can wash out sections and make the path harder to follow. Parking and toilets are at the trailhead, so you can turn back after a short look among the rocks. The loose surface means you shouldn’t assume the full walk is accessible.
These outcrops are eroded remains of dunes formed about 140 million years ago. Wind-blown sand later hardened into Aztec sandstone; the sweeping layers and folds are still visible in the rock.
After a windstorm smooths the sand, you may see tracks from kangaroo rats, pocket mice, lizards or beetles. Prints can reveal how much small wildlife passes through even when the animals stay hidden.
The red sandstone stands out against the nearby gray limestone mountains. Walk around the main outcrop for changing angles: a close view shows the layered walls and small openings, while a wider frame brings in the desert basin beyond. Sunlight changes the rocks’ color, so try another side as the light shifts.
Wildlife
525 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
116 sightingsBurroMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 4 PMSighting map
99 sightingsWhite PelicanMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
145 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
106 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake Mead. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyRedstone Trail0.6 mi · 1 hr · At the trailheadA short loop beside ancient dunes turned to stone.
ModeratePinto Valley Route10.8 mi · 5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA 10.8-mile one-way crossing through washes, old roads, and gypsum hills.
ModerateMiners Cove Wash Trail3.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayFollow a rocky wash to a high view over Lake Mead.
ChallengingCleopatra Wash Trail5.9 mi · 4 hr · 2.9 mi awayA volcanic wash narrows, then opens onto Lake Mead.
ModerateRazorback Wash South Trail6.3 mi · 5 hr · 4.1 mi awayA remote traverse through red, yellow and green mud hills.
ModerateRazorback Wash North Trail5.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 4.7 mi awayA 5.4-mile wash traverse with a short climb and car shuttle.Parkwolf’s Lake Mead ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
