AROUND TOWN: Take a hike in southwest Las Vegas

Route 159, which runs past Red Rock Canyon and the community of Blue Diamond, is fairly quiet during the week, which leads to the few neighborhoods in the western outskirts of Las Vegas.

But on Saturdays and Sundays, the rural route is a recreation hot spot. Many of the rocks and the trails just off the highway are peppered with hikers. Packs of motorcyclist and exotic car owners eager to flex their vehicle’s muscles zoom along the route, and hundreds of cyclists dare to ride alongside the swift traffic each weekend.

Public land planners, who have noticed the popularity of the area and the dangers of it, released plans last month for a 30-mile paved trail along Route 159. The proposed trail will be located within one-fourth of a mile off the highway and will include eight trailheads and two underpasses. It will welcome bicyclists, joggers, skaters and hikers. Construction could begin as soon as 2011.

— Danielle Nadler