Red Rock Canyon State Park EarthCache

This earthcache was placed with permission granted by the California State Park, Mojave Sector Superintendent.

Red Rock Canyon State Park is one of California’s "Crown Jewels." The park features multi-colored, bad land cliffs made famous in a multitude films, TV shows, and commercials. Visitors to the park are rewarded with spectacular scenery, abundant desert wildlife and a geological lesson that reads like the pages of a book.

Red Rock Canyon was once a forested area that received water from ancient rivers. These rivers formed a lake that persisted for over one million years. With each flooding of the basin, additional layers of sand and rock settled on the lake bottom. This sedimentary material formed the layers of sandstone visible today. Several of the sandstone layers contain sediment contaminated by ash from ancient volcanoes. These layers are usually white in color. The park gets its name from the signature red sandstone layers . The red sandstone layers contain iron rich minerals.

Uplift from earthquakes along the El Paso Fault, and mountain building processes twisted and forced the sandstone layers aboveground. It is interesting to note that the red sandstones layers weren’t actually red, but gray until they were oxidized aboveground. Red Rock Canyon’s Signature cliffs are capped or covered, by pink or yellow tuff breccia and ancient basaltic lava. These hard caps were the byproduct of twenty-plus volcanic ash and lava flows from the "Tropico Group." The ash and lava flows occurred after the flooding and filling cycles previous mentioned. The cliff caps are hard like cement and act as an umbrella for the underlying sandstone layers. These sandstone layers are soft enough to erode easily when pummeled by rain splash and wind, but cohesive enough to stand in very steep faces. This geological combination is what created the "accordion fold" cliffs.

Over 78 unique fossil species have been found in Red Rock Canyon State Park. The fossilized creatures range in size from elephant-like Gomphotheres, down to shrews the size of a human thumbnail. The fossil varieties include two types of rhinos, ten types of horses, four kinds of camels, and three types of Pronghorn. Fossilized pieces of Sabre-toothed cats have also been found.

It should be noted that Red Rock Canyon State Park’s plants, animals, natural and cultural features are protected. Collecting of any material is strictly prohibited.

As an earthcacher, please practice the principles of "Leave No Trace" and protect this park’s resources.

The visitor center is only open Friday through Sunday. You'll need to visit the park on the weekends in order to get credit.

There is a five dollar day use fee for recreating at the park.

1. Park at the Hagen Canyon Trailhead, located at North 35 21.901, West 117 59.080 Hike along the "Hagen Canyon Trail" and visit the cliff backgrounds at N 35 21.824, W 117 59.080. Repeat the process at N 35 21.743, W 117 59.114. Estimate the percentage of each type of rock visible on the cliff. (i'll except "color," if you are unfamiliar with the rock types). Email me privately with your estimates.
2. Due to seasonal closures of the visitor center, i'm allowing finds of this earthcache, without this requirement.
   Enter the visitor center located at N 35 22.378, W 117 59.410. Find the display featuring the rocks of Red Rock canyon. Email me the four types of rocks listed, along with a simple definition for each type. Do not post this information in your online log. Be sure to pick up a brochure for the Red Cliffs Preserve Trail.
3. Head to the Red Cliffs Preserve located at N35 21.737, W 117 58.715. Estimate the percentage of each type of rock visible on the cliff. (i'll except "color," if you are unfamiliar with the rock types). Email me privately with your estimates.