Tourists, locals enjoy Red Rock Canyon’s reopened campground

Robert Reich and Elisa Bernal said they lucked out when they couldn’t find a Las Vegas hotel room Saturday night that fit their budget.

To save money on their Labor Day weekend trip, the Los Angeles couple headed west on Charleston Boulevard and pitched a tent in the campground at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It was hot overnight, they said Sunday morning, causing a dearth of sleep for Reich. But the roughing it was worth it, they said, considering the picturesque overnight skies and desert views greeting them at sunrise.

“It was beautiful,” Bernal said. “The stars were shining bright. The moonlight was very bright. If you love nature, being outdoors, starry nights, moonlight, this is the place for you.”

“We are happy they provided us a place for the weekend,” Reich said.

This theme repeated itself for much of the morning Sunday at the Red Rock campground as sleepy-eyed campers emerged from their tents, campers and recreational vehicles. Campers expressed appreciation that the campground was open in time for the Labor Day weekend. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the nearby scenic drive and visitor center in March, with the scenic drive reopening in late May. The campground opened Tuesday as it normally does to start the camping season.

After sunrise Sunday, the campground was roughly a third full. Retirees Diane and Louis DeSantis of Charleston, South Carolina, spent the night in their RV at the campground as part of a national parks tour. The married natives of Massachusetts were impressed with the morning view of the desert to the south and the mountainous outlook to the west.

“It is a gorgeous campground,” Diane DeSantis said. “We were supposed to be in Glacier (National Park),” but some areas of the park are closed.

“We decided we didn’t want to drive across the country to see half the park,” she said.

Louis DeSantis said they ran the air conditioning on their RV off a generator until about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, then they shut it down to comply with the camp’s quiet hours. It was still a hot night, even with their accommodations.

“It’s a great campsite,” Louis DeSantis said. “Clean, well-maintained. Nevada did a great job with this thing.”

“This is just gorgeous,” Diane DeSantis said. “You wake up every morning, have your coffee, just walk around.”

“Close to Vegas,” Louis chimed in.

Las Vegas resident Michael Brewer brought his three young children, Luke, Blake and Austin, to camp in the family’s 21-foot travel trailer. The goal was to just “get out of town a little bit for a short weekend … a nice little break for the kiddos. Get them out of the house a little bit.”

“It’s building memories for the kids,” Brewer said. “I remember camping when I was a kid.”

He said camping so close to his home, in such a beautiful setting, allows him to get his kids out into the fresh air and nature in an era of quarantining and schooling from home.

“It is nice because it is close to downtown Las Vegas,” Brewer said. “It’s easy to get to and it is beautiful scenery. Even though the city is right over there you can’t even tell it is right over there. You have the red rocks right behind you, so it gives you a reason to go through here, go on some hikes and spend time with the family.”

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.