The Top Things to do in Red Rock Canyon State Park, California

Check Out Red Cliffs Natural Area 

The Red Cliffs Natural Area is located just off Highway 14, on the east side. You’ll park in the dirt parking lot, and immediately see the colossal Red Cliffs on the left (you also can’t miss them from the highway!). 

There is a 1-mile easy loop trail here, but I don’t think following this trail is a must-do. The excitement really comes from getting up close to the cliffs, which you don’t need to hike to since they’re right by the parking lot. I suggest spending some time carefully climbing over rocks and checking out some of the mini cave-like sections in the cliffs. 

We decided to visit during sunrise, but if you’re not an early bird, this definitely isn’t a necessity. Start your day at Red Cliffs before moving on to the next spot! 

Hike at Hagen Canyon

Next is Hagen Canyon, which is just about a quarter mile up the road, on the opposite side of Highway 14 from Red Cliffs and near the entrance of Abbot Drive. Hagen Canyon has plenty of amazing rock formations and cliffs to check out and climb on top of, as well as a few Joshua trees! There is a 1.2-mile loop trail, which is very easy to hike. 

As you’ll see on the AllTrails map linked above, there are two spots where the loop trail meets and then splits. As we hiked, we went counterclockwise, staying to the right at these junctions in order to complete the whole loop and not miss anything. 

One of the spots that you won’t want to miss when hiking at Hagen Canyon is Window Rock. It isn’t super clearly marked in the AllTrails map. However, if you drag your mouse along the mileage/elevation tracker at the bottom of the page, this rock is located at the 0.9-mile spot – right at the end of that small off-shoot. Head over there and check out the two “windows,” and then turn around and continue following the trail!

The trail is fairly easy to navigate, but since cell service is spotty in the area, getting the AllTrails Pro membership and downloading the trail map for offline use isn’t a bad idea.

Explore Ricardo Campground

Another spot that absolutely can’t be missed is Ricardo Campground, which is just about a mile down Abbot Drive from Hagen Canyon. Stop by the self-registration kiosk at the entrance and pay the $6 day use fee, and then park at the lot. 

There is a 1.4-mile loop, which is just the dirt road that goes around the campground (so look out for cars if you follow it!). However, you can also just cut through the middle of the loop (it’s a cleared out sandy area) and then just make your way straight to the cliffs to get exploring. There are plenty of opportunities to get up close to the cliffs, and even some ledges you can (carefully) climb up to. Keep in mind that there are campsites in front of the cliffs, so be respectful of the other park-goers and campers in the area.

Hike at Nightmare Gulch Loop Trail

If you’re planning on camping in Red Rock Canyon (more on that below) or just want to spend the whole day in the state park, another trail to check out is Nightmare Gulch Loop, which is 9-miles long and rated as moderate. 

As you hike this trail, you’ll have opportunities to explore slot canyons, and will see plenty more unique rock formations and desert cliffs. Commenters do state that this trail isn’t the most clearly marked, so I’d definitely recommend downloading the map for offline use from AllTrails.

Important note: this trail is closed seasonally from approximately February to June each year to protect raptor breeding areas, so you have a shorter window to do this trail. You can find current closure info on the Red Rock Canyon State Park website.

Red Rock Canyon State Park, California Camping

There are 50 primitive campsites available at Ricardo Campground, located right in front of the amazing desert cliffs. The campground has pit toilets, potable water, fire rings, and tables available for use. 

The campsites are first come, first served, and each site allows a maximum of 8 people. It is $25 per night per site, which you’ll pay for through self-registration, but be sure to check out the park website for the most up-to-date info. This fee includes one vehicle per site, but you can pay an extra $6 per additional vehicle. 

When we visited on a Sunday in January (when there was really nice weather during the day!), a good amount of campsites were taken. The park website recommends arriving Thursday evening or Friday morning during busier times (around the spring, fall, and on holiday weekends).