What is the history of Summerlin and Red Rock Canyon?

The Red Rock Canyon was designated as Nevada’s first National Conservation Area and can thank the master-planned community of Summerlin for its beginnings as one of the valley’s go-to natural wonders.

In 1952, Howard Robard Hughes Jr. bought a 30,000-acre parcel along the then-barren western rim of the Las Vegas Valley for $3 an acre — a residential acre there is now valued at $1.27 million, according to Howard Hughes’ 2022 fourth-quarter report — reportedly as a possible relocation for his California-based business concerns. Hughes chose not to relocate his businesses and build there, so the land sat dormant for decades.

The reclusive billionaire also bought the nearby Spring Mountain Ranch, close to the sandstone cliffs of Red Rock Canyon. A hideout for outlaws and cattle rustlers on the Old Spanish Trail, the ranch is today part of Nevada state parkland.

According to Summerlin’s website, before construction even on the community, Red Rock Canyon was officially birthed in 1988 in a land swap between Hughes and the federal government.

“Two years before the first piece of dirt was turned in Summerlin, the single most important act of preparation for the community was executed: a land exchange with the Bureau of Land Management facilitated by The Nature Conservancy in which Summa Corporation — predecessor to Howard Hughes — gave up 5,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land in exchange for 3,000 acres more appropriate for development.”

Red Rock Canyon is laid out around a one-way 13-mile scenic drive which includes hiking, trails, plants, wildlife, geology, camping and cultural resources. There are 26 numbered hikes and trails that are available on the canyon’s official website.

The BLM runs the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and they partner through formal agreements with Friends of Red Rock Canyon who serves as the philanthropic and volunteer arm and the Southern Nevada Conservancy who works on interpretive programs and manages the gift store. It was initially founded in 1988 as the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, and according to their website “Southern Nevada Conservancy’s many programs and services have helped visitors gain deeper understanding and appreciation of Red Rock Canyon’s cultural and natural resources for over 30 years.”

The BLM’s website outlines that in 1990, special legislation supported by Nevada’s congressional delegation changed the status of the Red Rock Recreation Lands to a National Conservation Area, the seventh to be designated nationally. The legislation provided the requisite funding to protect and improve the area and approximately three million visitors head to Red Rock Canyon each year.

According to the BLM, Red Rock Canyon is a “marked contrast to a town geared to entertainment and gaming, Red Rock offers enticements of a different nature including a 13-mile scenic drive, miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, picnic areas, nature observing and visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits as well as a book store.”

Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.