The Best Day Hikes in America: Ice Box Canyon

Escape the heat in this desert oasis, named for the cooler air trapped within the box canyon’s high walls. The trail starts hot in a sandy wash with expansive views of multicolored Red Rock Canyon, but quickly cools down as it wends through chaparral and manzanitas to the mouth of the gorge. Scramble above pools of water through the narrow passage to a seasonal, 160-foot waterfall at the back of the canyon.

Distance 2.5 miles (out and back) Trailhead 36.142842, -115.491127 Drive time 0:45 from Las Vegas Season Year-round Contact