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Handprints Trail
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
handprints Trail
handprints Trail
Handprints trailhead parking (view E)

Overview

The Handprints Trail is a short, ADA compliant trail that runs 250 feet from an accessible trailhead parking area, past information signs and picnic tables, to an archeological site where Native Peoples did "high 5s" on the rocks with painted hands. Leaving behind hand paintings (pictographs using red paint), these people might have been leaving a signature saying: "I was here." Native Peoples also cooked meals here in an agave-roasting pit, suggesting that this was a ceremonial gathering place. There is more rock art hanging on the wall of Red Rock Canyon, but hikers need to search for it.

The scenery is great, the desert vegetation is relatively lush for the desert, there are nearby springs with riparian vegetation, and there is always the chance of seeing bighorn sheep up in the cliffs.

Link to map.

Handprints Trail
Handprints are visible from the trailhead (view E)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a safe hike if you don't stray off the trail. Watch for Catclaw Acacia (also called Wait-a-Minute Bush) growing on the edge of the trail. The curved spines catch and tear clothing and skin, causing people to Wait-a-Minute and untangle themselves.

Please respect the Native American sites and don't deface them; they are part of the history of this land, and when they are gone, they are gone forever. Sites like this are protected by the federal Antiquities Act, and the Friends of Red Rock Canyon offer a reward for information leading to the arrest of people defacing the site.

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.

Please respect these important sites and stay behind the fence.

Handprints Trail
Trail starts by outhouse (view NE)

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along the Scenic Loop Road in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 1 hour west of Las Vegas. Drive out to Red Rocks, pay the fee, and then drive about half-way around the Scenic Loop Road to Willow Springs Road. Turn right and drive north 0.5 miles to the close end of the Willow Springs Trailhead parking area. Watch for reserved parking stalls. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead parking area by the lower restroom (Table 1, Waypoint 01), a cement trail leads east 80 yards towards huge boulders against the canyon wall.

Starting out, visitors quickly encounter the first information sign: Rugged Survivors: Wild Sheep Of The Desert, which provides information about the Desert Bighorn Sheep who live here.

Handprints Trail
Concrete trail runs towards the handprints (view E)

Continuing, the trail bends a little right and then a little left to arrive at a picnic table. On winter days, this table in the sun is a nice place to sit and enjoy the scenery or even to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Continuing under a tall Singleleaf Pinyon Pine, the trail soon arrives at the second information sign: Rock Impressions, Stories over Time, which provides information about petroglyphs. Just beyond the sign, hikers arrive at a viewpoint (Wpt. 02) where five handprints can be seen on the boulder ahead.

From the handprints viewpoint, the concrete trail turns right and continues to an agave roasting pit viewpoint (Wpt. 03). Another sign here provides information about this site: Agave Roast, a Time for Feasting and Ceremony.

After spending a few minutes contemplating the lives of people who lived here hundreds or thousands of years ago, return up concrete trail to the trailhead (Wpt. 01).

handprints Trail
Approaching information sign (view SE)
handprints Trail
Information sign: Rugged Survivors: Wild Sheep of the Desert
handprints Trail
Details of information sign (view NE)
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (left side)
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (right side)
handprints Trail
The trail continues (view SE)
handprints Trail
Last picnic table (view E)
handprints Trail
The trail continues under a pinyon pine (view E)
handprints Trail
Second information sign (view E)
Willow Springs Loop
Information sign: Rock Impressions, Stories over Time
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (left side)
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (right side)
handprints Trail
Trail continues past the information sign
Willow Springs Loop
Painted Hands viewpoint: handprints pictograph site (view NE)
handprints Trail
Painted Hands pictograph site (view NE)
handprints Trail
Painted Hands pictograph site (view NE)
Willow Springs Loop
Painted Hands pictograph site (view NE)
Willow Springs Loop
Painted Hands pictograph site; they can be hard to see (view NE)
Willow Springs Loop
Five ancient handprints (view NE)
handprints Trail
The trail continues to the right (view S)
handprints Trail
Grand scenery (view S)
handprints Trail
Approaching the Agave Roasting Pit viewpoint (view S)
handprints Trail
Agave Roasting Pit viewpoint (view S)
Willow Springs Loop
Third information sign (view SE)
Willow Springs Loop
Information sign: Agave Roast, a Time for Feasting and Ceremony
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (middle)
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (left side)
handprints Trail
Edited text from the information sign (right side)
handprints Trail
Agave roasting pit (view E)
handprints Trail
The Willow Springs Loop Trail continues past the concrete (view S)
Willow Springs Loop
Ash and burnt rocks from ancient cooking fires (view down)
handprints Trail
A better view into the Agave roasting pit (view E)
Willow Springs Loop
Dirt trail continues down canyon past agave roasting pit (view SE)
more to come
More to come ...

Returning to the Trailhead

handprints Trail
Dirt trail approaching concrete trail (view N)
handprints Trail
Returning to the concrete trail (view N)
handprints trail
The trail returns towards the handprints viewpoint (view N)
handprints trail
Approaching the handprints viewpoint (view N)
handprints Trail
One last look from the handprints viewpoint (view NE)
handprints trail
The paved trail continues to the left (view N)
handprints Trail
The Handprints Trail bends left (view W)
handprints Trail
The Handprints Trail returns past the picnic table (view W)
handprints Trail
The Handprints Trail returns towards the first info sign (view NW)
handprints Trail
The Handprints Trail returns towards the outhouse (view NW)
handprints Trail
The Handprints Trail arriving at the trailhead (view NW)
more to come
More to come ...

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (ft) Cumulative Distance (ft)
01 Trailhead 635186 4002569 4,557 000 000
02 Handprints Viewpoint 635232 4002570 4,550 182 182
03 Agave Roasting Pit Viewpoint 635241 4002555 4,547 065 247
01 Trailhead 635186 4002569 4,557 247 494

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240719

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