Water carry
3L Hydration Pack
Useful for exposed desert routes where one small bottle is not enough.
View hydration packs1.77 miles • Easy • Trail
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The Black Friday trail is a connector trail in Buckskin Cliff Shadows—a popular region for recreation in Las Vegas. The area is rich in hiking trails, mountain bike trails, and has distant views of The Strip. All this from an anomalous location of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Yes, Buckskin Cliff Shadows is part of Red Rock Canyon NCA. Though the Black Friday trail is managed by the BLM, signage is minimal.
This region is split up into distinct areas. The main loop consists of easier trails near the parking lot. Of which were purportedly professionally graded by the city to be accessible for casual hikers and dog walkers. Heading deeper towards the ridges, older mountain bike trails present themselves. They're presumably maintained by volunteers and groups like the Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association. Some trails even have history of connecting to the foothills of the La Madre Mountain Wilderness.
The name emanates from the park sitting at the base of large ridges to the west. Deep cliff shadows become evident significantly earlier than the rest of the city. For many years, locals knew this was the best place to hike in the summer because of these cooler shadows, while extreme temperatures persisted in most of the city.
In short, the city of Las Vegas provided the space while much of the trail system was created decades earlier from local mountain bikers. Black Friday is but one of those trails used for biking, hiking, dog walking, etc. Connectors include but are not limited to Middle Earth, No-Dab, and Toque. Or combine thereof into one loop.
Recommended gear
Gear picks are matched to this route using distance, difficulty, terrain, and desert conditions.
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Water carry
Useful for exposed desert routes where one small bottle is not enough.
View hydration packsShade
Simple shade matters on open desert terrain, sandstone slabs, and long approaches.
View hiking hatsSun protection
A lightweight sun layer is one of the most useful pieces of gear for Red Rock exposure.
View sun hoodiesSkin protection
Small, easy to carry, and useful on nearly every Southern Nevada trail.
View SPF essentialsFooting
Better traction helps on loose gravel, sandstone, rocky washes, and steeper trails.
View trail shoesHeat support
Helpful on hot days, longer hikes, and steep routes where plain water may not be enough.
View electrolytes
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