Instead of driving through Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, why not run a big loop instead?! The Grand Circle begins and ends close to the entrance to the park, at the visitor center. This 11.5-mile loop begins by traversing the beautiful Calico Hills Trail and then heading deeper into the park, looping past White Rock, and then returning to the visitor center via mostly flat, mellow trails.

The White Rock Loop runs for 6.2 miles, circumnavigating the prominent peak by the same name. This loop gets quite remote and goes well away from the crowds as it swings around the backside of the mountain, and yet with less than 1,200 feet of elevation gain, it's still a highly achievable route.

While many of the trails in the mountains above Vegas can be quite steep, the trails in McCullough Hills are mostly quite mellow and well-graded. The trail tread is sandy and mostly smooth, with very few obstacles to trip you up or cause pause. In addition, there is very little fall exposure along these trails, and most of the time, absolutely none!

To head deep into the hills above Blue Diamond, check out this delightful loop on Dead Horse to 3 Mile Smile. This intermediate-friendly run is mapped as departing from the Late Night Trailhead, but it can be run in conjunction with the classic Blue Diamond loop for a much longer cross loop, if desired.

The Fossil Canyon trail in the Cowboy Trails network is a popular trail run thanks to its ease of access, beautiful views of Red Rock Conservation Area, and the fossils embededd in the canyon walls. The route begins by slowly traversing a flat area before climbing steeply up the narrow canyon to reach a mesa top. If you're looking for more mileage, you can easily add on other trails in the network, too.

Mount Charleston rises dramatically above the Southern Nevada landscape, soaring to a height of 11,918 feet above sea level, with a staggering 8,259 feet of prominence. Even though it doesn't break 12,000 feet, this incredible mountain ranks as the 8th most prominent mountain in the USA! The 8.5-mile route to the summit is strenuous and gains over a vertical mile in elevation, making this a truly challenging trail run.