NAVIGATION: EASY- THE TRAIL IS CLEAR FOR THE MOST PART EXCEPT FOR A FEW SECTIONS IN LAST CHANCE CANYON. 

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CROWDS: DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU GO, THIS AREA CAN BE EITHER LOW TRAFFIC (DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS AND MID WEEK)TO MODERATE TRAFFIC (DURING TO COOLER WINTER MONTHS ON WEEKENDS.)

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KEY COORDINATES:

• STARTING POINT- RICARDO CAMPGROUND: 35.373283, -117.992586​​

• ENDING POINT- SAME AS STARTING POINT

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OUR TAKE: OUR FAVORITE PARTS OF THE TRAILS WERE THE INITIAL HILL CLIMB IN BLACK ROCK CANYON AND THE MORE RUGGED SECTION OF LAST CHANCE CANYON. WE BYPASSED THE "V NOTCH", A FAMOUS SPOT IN LAST CHANCE CANYON, BUT OUR GPX TRACKS WILL TAKE YOU RIGHT NEXT TO IT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A CHALLENGE. THERE ARE LOTS OF MINES AND OLD STRUCTURES TO EXPLORE IF YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE RIG AND STRETCH YOUR LEGS. WE WERE CRUNCHED FOR TIME WHEN WE VISITED, SO WE DIDN'T HIKE AROUND AND EXPLORE THE AREA ON FOOT MUCH.

WE TEND TO PREFER DISPERSED CAMPING, BUT OPTED TO STAY AT THE STATE PARK'S RICARDO CAMPGROUND THIS TRIP AND FOUND IT TO BE MORE SCENIC AND THE SITES MORE SPREAD OUT THAN MOST DEVELOPED CAMPGROUNDS. THE STATE PARK IS SURROUNDED BY BLM LAND, SO THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER CAMPING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AREA.

IF YOU ARE LOCAL TO SOUTHERN OR CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, RED ROCKS CANYON STATE PARK IS DEFINITELY WORTH A WEEKEND TRIP. IF YOU ARE COMING FROM FURTHER AWAY AND HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN VISITING RED ROCK CANYON OR OTHER TRAILS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS OR CALIFORNIA DESERT, WE'D SKIP RED ROCK CANYON IN FAVOR OF SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL TRAILS IN INYO NATIONAL FOREST OR ANZA BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK.