The past few weeks have brought welcome, cooler temperatures to Las Vegas. And the change of seasons also means a significant shift for outdoor enthusiasts ready to hike, climb, and camp at Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston, and beyond.
Donovan Childress, a senior at Arbor View High School, founded Black People Hike Las Vegas in 2020 in hopes of breaking the stereotypes surrounding Black people engaging in natural spaces or outdoor activities. “Black People Hike Las Vegas is a group that seeks to inspire African Americans in Las Vegas to enjoy the beauty, adventure, and serenity of the great outdoors in the American wilderness,” he explains. “We also want to get rid of the cliché that hiking and other outdoor activities are not made for people of color.”
Childress, an avid nature lover, says the group has been to Red Rock Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah. As the weather cools, the group plans to return to Red Rock to visit Ice Box Canyon, a 2.2 mile narrow and poor-light trail that leads hikers through seasonal waterfalls and loose boulders.
During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Childress says he was restless and felt unproductive while staying indoors. Black People Hike Las Vegas combined his search for an activity to bring that boredom away with his desire to make a difference in the outdoor community.
“When I went to Zion National Park or Grand Canyon National Park, I really didn’t see any people who looked like me,” he says. “When I tell black kids about it at school, they look at me crazy like, ‘Oh, hiking is for whites.’ So I’m trying to erase this stereotype. “
Red Rock Canyon requires timed reservations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those keen to ride its scenic route or hike the varied trails. The canyon actually opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. – reservations are not required before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. – and prices vary depending on the type of entry. Interested parties can book tickets up to 30 days in advance.
John Asselin, public affairs specialist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), says the reservation system will help reduce the canyon crowds as more visitors come to the canyon once the summer heat subsides. In autumn and spring, the busiest times of the year for Red Rock, around 2,300 people flock to the scenic ride on weekdays and nearly 4,000 on weekends.
“It’s getting busier and busier every year,” he says. “Even when the weather has cooled down, it’s super dry out here. It’s the desert so bring plenty of water. Don’t hike alone. Bring someone with you if you can. “
Another obstacle for some pursuing environmental projects is cost. Hiking, camping or backpacking equipment can be bought new and depending on the brand, type and quantity of items, it can be expensive. Other travel expenses such as location, transportation, and entry to the parks can drive up the cost of a motorhome’s travel expenses.
Some provisions make camping more affordable, including staying on public BLM land, typically first-come, first-serve, and free stays for up to 14 days.
April Contreras, a third-year PhD student at UNLV and president of the university’s Mountain Club, says that when she started the club in February 2020, she wanted to keep costs down in order to increase engagement among historically excluded groups like students of color.
“I started exploring nature a lot as a PhD student and realized that there were many barriers to accessing nature for women, women of color and the diverse community that the UNLV and the Las Vegas community in general serve,” she says . “So this really turned out to be an opportunity to start the UNLV Mountain Club to give people the opportunity to learn skills, to find their way in nature and to grow and feel empowered outside.”
Despite being a UNLV organization, the Mountain Club is open to all interested residents, says Contreras. Fees are $ 25 per year and include access to weekly trips led by Contreras; Dustin Hikes, Faculty Advisor and Professor at the Department of Psychology; or other experienced UNLV student migrants.
“We talk a lot about the triumph of the human spirit,” says Hikes. “You can see that … when hiking, when climbing, taking the next step, overcoming the difficult part.”
Jaylen Morris, senior accounting major at UNLV and a member of the Mountain Club and Rock Climbing Club, says joining the groups has grown him from a beginner to a successful hiker. After joining UNLV as a junior, Morris started looking for clubs to meet new people and make friends.
He says he’s met gatekeepers in other sports in the past, “but the Mountain Club and Rock Climbing Club in particular are really great and ready to teach new people, and that makes it a really good time.”
