La Madre Spring Trail

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Published: February 9, 2026

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Directions

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Common Questions

Distance:: 1.79 miles
Class:: Class 1
Dogs:: Ok
Route Style:: out & back
Trail Condition:: Maintained
Tags:: family friendly, remote feeling, seasonal water
Difficulty:: Easy
Parking:: Lost Creek/ Willow Springs lot. Or, drive a short distance down Rocky Gap Road.
Restrooms:: In the Lost Creek/ Willow Springs lot.
Reception:: No
Access:: The most direct is via the aforementioned lots but you could also access it from the White Rock Hills loop.
Good to Know:: It gets very quiet in this region as you'll be adjacent to the Rainbow and La Madre Wilderness. Only but a few hikers are typically on this trail, and there's a water source. So animals may come out of the wilderness for a drink.
Why:: A very quiet trail and it's very close to the rugged wilderness. You'll experience the impact of the Keystone Thrust via sandstone and limestone mountains.
Wildlife Probability:: Chance encounters in the early morning hours.
Trailhead coordinates:: 36.16123, -115.49894 — Map

La Madre Spring is a spacious trail located in the La Madre Wilderness of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The spring often times flows year round, but of course can change. Of which is not visible as it's shrouded in dense vegetation (seen in the photo below). The sound of flowing water however is overwhelmingly evident.

Accessing the trail from the Lost Creek/ Willow Springs area is the most direct. Park in the large parking lot or drive a short distance up the highly unmaintainted dirt road (Rocky Gap Road). Beware—Rocky Gap Road is largely for well equiped off road vehicles, quads, etc. If you do plan to continue up this rough road, plan accordingly.

La Madre Wilderness

The road continues into the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness which does in fact reside in Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas. The park has numerous wilderness areas with these two being just two of many. For the La Madre Spring trail, take the fork on the right towards the La Madre Mountain Wilderness, shown in the photos below. It's a direct route from there. Hikers need not worry about proper hiking shoes, hiking poles, or specialized hiking pants. This trail is a casual but progress slight incline surrounded by an array of dense vegetation. Standard shoes should work just fine. There's no massive boulders or scrambling.

White Rock Hills

The other way to access this trail is via the White Rock Hills loop trail. Begin at the White Rock Hills loop/ Keystone Thrust parking lot, circle the backside of the mountain. Upon reaching the spacious trail shown below, turn right up the hill. This route is much longer, but far more scenic with diverse terrain.

Whichever route you embark on, you'll pass through a renowned geological thrust. Thrust is a geological term implying the collision of two techtonic plates. This collision is responsible for the radical display of Limestone mountains on one side and rugged sandstone on the other. This region is a notable destination among hiking in Las Vegas.

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