If you love scrambling and boulder-hopping, you’ll love Ice Box Canyon. Ice Box Canyon is another popular trail, besides the Calico Tanks trail, in Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas. This hike features beautiful views of the mountain range, a cool canyon, tons of rock scrambling, and seasonal waterfalls. The canyon is the perfect place to stay cool in the open desert. This is because it sits at a higher elevation. Also, the narrow canyon walls provide tons of shade.
Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!
Stats
Where
Ice Box Canyon Trailhead
Parking
There are small paved parking on both side of the scenic roads
Restroom
There is restroom at the lot on the left-hand side.
Fee/Reservation
Before getting to Red Rock Canyon NCA, you’ll need to reserve your time entry online. Reservations are available up to 30 days in advance at 7 am P.T. If you have America the Beautiful Pass, your entry will be free, however, you still need to pay $2 for the reservation fee. To reserve your timed slot, go here.
Distance
2.3 mi R.T.
Elevation Gain
577 ft
Level
Moderate to strenuous, depending on how far you hike in. The boulder-hopping is no joke.
Time:
2-3 hours
Pet-friendly
You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leashed. Although, we don’t recommend bringing them.
Ideal Time
October – May for cooler weather. The parking lots are small so go on the weekdays or earlier in the morning for parking spots.
Weather
Video
Getting There
The trailhead for Ice Box Canyon is located along the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Road. This one-way scenic road runs counterclockwise and lets you access the majority of the trails inside the park. From the entrance gate, Ice Box Canyon Trailhead is about 7.7 miles down the road. There is a small sign for Ice Box Canyon on the side of the road, right before the parking area. The parking lots are located on both sides of the scenic road, with the trailhead on the right-hand side, and the restroom on the left. Don’t forget to reserve your time slot to drive into the park in advance here.
The Adventure
The Start of Ice Box Canyon Trail
After driving through the aptly named scenic road of Red Rock Canyon, we arrived at the parking lot for Ice Box Canyon. Since we came on a weekday, we didn’t have any problem getting a spot. Once we parked the car, we quickly follow the worn trail toward Ice Box Canyon.
The first part of Ice Box Canyon Trail is well-defined and not too difficult. Most of the trail is gravel, mix with some minor scrambling. The view is beautiful with the tall mountains, blooming right in front of you. Since the trail is leading into the canyon between these mountains, the views get even more breathtaking. Make sure to watch your steps though. The further you hike in, the more uneven the trail gets. Along the way, we saw a few climbers, hanging on the side of the mountain.
Up in the Canyon
As we hiked further into the canyon, the trail got a bit confusing. It splits into multiple trails. So, the main Ice Box Canyon Trail will follow along the bluff and eventually lead down to the rocky wash below. Then, you’ll follow the wash to the end of the canyon. If you want to start your scrambling and boulder-hopping early, you can find the safest way to go down the wash earlier. There are multiple ways down. Be careful going down as it can be very slippery. That being said, we recommend going as far as you can before heading down to the wash. That boulder-hopping is no joke.
Down to the Wash
Once you get down to the wash, the Ice Box Canyon Trail becomes increasingly difficult. You’ll be scrambling and boulder-hopping the rest of the way. The best way is to find the routes that work best for your ability. After passing the big old dead tree, you’ll soon come up to a fork in the canyon. If you look left, there is a lone tree growing in front of the boulder. There is a bypass behind this tree. This is the easier way. However, you can also go toward the right and climb up the boulders. It will be a bit harder and depending on the season, there might be a pool of water there, blocking this access.
After we climbed up the bypass, it looks like we were at a dead-end. However, we realized that we can climb and traverse across the sloping ledge on the left-hand side. This ledge is not that bad going up, however, it can be slippery on the way back down. Either way, make sure to be careful when walking along the ledge.
The Dry Fall at the End of Ice Box Canyon
As the ledge wrapped around, we came to the full views of the tall dry falls. During the winter, or after a big storm, there might be water falling down the two levels falls. Unfortunately, most of the time, there isn’t any water. If you’re lucky enough to see the waterfalls, it is quite spectacular. There are also some pools underneath these waterfalls.
You can climb up to the middle pool if you’re adventurous and capable. It is considered a class-4 scrambling. This means you’ll need both hands and maybe ropes for downclimbing. It is also a long way down if you fall. We don’t really recommend climbing on this route unless you know what you’re doing. The rocks are a lot slipperier and steeper than they look, especially on the way down.
After you finish exploring, head back to the way you came from. The way back seemed a lot longer to us because we were over all the boulder-hopping. Even so, it was a fun adventure, although it is a little bit overrated in our opinion. If you’re short on time, the Calico Tanks trail is a way better hike. If you’re not afraid to drive, there are many other cook hikes, only 30-40 minutes from Las Vegas. Our favorites are Gold Strike Hot Springs, Arizona Hot Springs, and Liberty Bell Arch. If you love off-the-beaten-path spots, check out Spooky Canyon. If you’re into biking or tunnel hiking, check out the Historic Railroad Trail near Hoover Dam.
These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
adventure gear
You need good hiking shoes with lots of traction for rock scrambling. We love our La Sportiva. Vy’s version.
Dustin’s version for La Sportiva shoes
Make sure to use lots of sunscreens! We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30.
Face sunscreen is also important. We love these tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
You should always bring plenty of water. Vy loves the Camelback L.U.X.E.
For shorter hikes, the Patagonia Women’s Nine Trails Pack 18L is perfect to hold water and your essentials.
If you want something lighter, we love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
other things to bring
Always good to bring some snacks with you. For healthy and easy snacks, check out some of our recipes.
camera gear
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2 Comments
Scott
If you really want to see Ice box let us know. You will need a wet suit and serious rappling skills. FYI there are a lot of rapples and jumps required. See us at “we love to roam” on insta
Vy
That sounds awesome! We saw a video on the Canyoneering route and it looked pretty cool. We will check you out, we love canyoneering too! 🙂