Red Rock Canyon hikers enjoy free admission on Public Lands Day

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area was free and easy Saturday, thanks to Public Lands Day.

The Bureau of Land Management, with other agencies within the Interior Department, waived “amenity-related fees” at the conservation area, which is about 20 miles west of Las Vegas. Although entry was free, other fees such as overnight camping fees would remain in effect.

John Schaaf, 73, and his wife, Sharon, 69, were volunteering for the Friends of Red Rock Canyon on Saturday, staffing the group’s table inside the visitor center. The couple, in Las Vegas for 19 years, was happy to be surrounded by visitors.

“It’s been busy,” John Schaaf said, smiling.

Friends of Red Rock Canyon, he said, helps to clean up the park and care for wildlife. Sharon Schaaf said the day underscored the conservation area’s significance and value.

“It’s a wonderful day to honor our public lands and point out to everyone how important it is that we have them,” she said

Public Lands Day visitors Don Sells, 60, and his wife, Kelly, 57, have been coming to Las Vegas since 1983. The Fort Wayne, Indiana, residents said they now have a time share in the valley and visit often.

“We make it out here every chance we get,” Don Sells said, adding that September began his favorite season to see the valley’s sights.

Kelly Sells said she had learned about the fee waiver from the Bureau of Land Management’s Twitter feed. She had wanted to volunteer for the day, but the couple decided to hit the trails instead.

“We’re out here to have fun,” Don Sells said, laughing.

Josh and JoJo Walker of Las Vegas brought their infant child in a stroller with them Saturday to Red Rock Canyon. The couple had planned to hike some “stroller-friendly” trails, JoJo Walker said; they didn’t know about the free admission.

“We came up today to do a hike; had no idea it was Public Lands Day, so it was kind of a cool thing to get in for free,” Josh Walker said.

The Schaafs saw Public Lands Day and its free admission as a boon for the conservation area. Waiving the fees, they added, was a good way to encourage visitors to return.

“If you get people to come out for free the first time, they come back,” Sharon Schaaf said.

Contact Christian Bertolaccini at cbertolaccini@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Follow @bertolaccinic on Twitter.