Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the Bureau of Land Management park 17 miles west of the Strip on Charleston Boulevard (State Route 159), a short drive past Summerlin from the 215 at exit 26. For families it is a day of short trails, picnic spots and a visitor center with indoor and outdoor exhibits.

The big thing to know right now: from October 1 to May 31, driving the Scenic Drive between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. takes a timed entry reservation from Recreation.gov, and the visitor center needs one too. Book before you leave the house, since phone service out there is unreliable. A day pass is $20 per private vehicle, and a $50 annual pass pays for itself in three visits. Fourth graders get in free through Every Kid Outdoors with a voucher, so if you have one, print it.

At the visitor center, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., kids can see the tortoise habitat and touch bronze animal statues. Two easy trails suit small legs: the 0.1-mile Sundial Trail from the visitor center and the 0.1-mile Petroglyph Wall Trail at Willow Spring, with rock art at the end. Red Spring picnic spots and the Red Rock Overlook need no reservation or fee. Leave the dog home if you plan to see the exhibits.