Through the Mojave Desert
Red Rock Canyon

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Red Rock Canyon State Park was created in 1968 to help preserve this beautiful canyon. There used to be a small town here called Ricardo. It is now gone but the name still remains as the name of the geological formation here – the Ricardo Formation. The original alignment followed the creek bed and was washed out many times by flash floods. In 1941, a new highway was built on a higher alignment but would still be subject to flooding during the winter. No bridges were built over the creek at this time. In 1959, a complete bypass of the original alignment was completed. This high-speed four lane roadway completely eliminated all of the creek bed crossings by the construction of two bridges and many culverts. Large cuts were dug in the canyon narrows and guard railing was installed along the edge. Few improvements have been made to the roadway since then. In the early 2000’s, the old alignment, now known as Abbott Drive, was removed north of the Red Rock Canyon visitors center.

Go East on US 6 to Bishop

Go West on US 6 to Mojave

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