Award-winning conservation area borders community of Summerlin

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, bordered by the master-planned community of Summerlin, won six readers' picks awards in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's 2009 "Best of Las Vegas" with readers' picks in the following categories: picnic spot, place to spot wildlife, place to take out-of-town visitors, place to hike, place to ride a bike and place to walk/jog.

Las Vegas Review-Journal staff wrote the following about Red Rock Canyon's multiple awards, "We hear you, you like Red Rock. You really like it. It's pretty much your favorite place for doing anything without a roof over your head."

Thousands of Summerlin residents would agree, according to Tom Warden, senior vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin. "Summerlin is fortunate to be so close to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area that we almost claim it as our own," he said.

"Red Rock Canyon forms the backdrop for the entire community and the red, rocky peaks are even depicted in the community's logo -- one of the best known brands and logos in Las Vegas. The area's world-class reputation for hiking and rock climbing along with its stunning beauty, easily make it the favorite of not just Summerlin residents, but everyone in the valley," Warden said.

The nearly 200,000-acre Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area features more than 2,000 climbing routes and is one of the top five climbing destinations in the United States; 19 hiking trails that range from less than a mile to more than six miles with varying levels of difficulty; a 13-mile scenic loop popular with drivers, cyclists and joggers; 42 springs; thousands of native Mojave Desert plant species; wildlife such as bighorn sheep, mountain lions and coyotes and petroglyphs that are thousands of years old.

"Red Rock Canyon is the rock star of Southern Nevada," Warden said. "The area provides an unlimited number of recreational opportunities as well as one of the most scenic backdrops in the area. We're happy it's our neighbor."

Red Rock Canyon is visited by more than 1 million visitors annually and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. For more information on Red Rock Canyon, visit nv.blm.gov/redrockcanyon.

Developed by The Howard Hughes Corp., an affiliate of General Growth Properties Inc., Summerlin began to take shape in 1990.

Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with about 9,000 acres still remaining to accommodate future growth within the master plan, including the community's urban core of Summerlin Centre.

The community is currently home to more than 95,000 residents and offers many amenities. These include more than 100 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of the Summerlin trail system, nine golf courses, a dozen houses of worship, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks, 23 public and private schools and nearly 100 actively selling floor plans.

Homes are available in a variety of styles -- from single-family homes to townhomes, condominiums and lofts -- priced from the upper $100,000s to more than $2 million. The Ridges are priced from the $500,000s. Apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $900s

For more information, call 888-898-5015, or visit summerlin.com.