True to Nevada’s pioneering spirit, by the time Red Rock Canyon received its National Conservation Area designation in 1990; intrepid climbers had already been exploring and mapping out routes for 20 years. Since then, it’s earned its standing as one of the best sandstone climbing areas on the face of the planet. The Aztec sandstone here is covered with a thin black desert varnish, which makes it stronger and gives it more incut edges than other major sandstone climbing spots in the country. The area’s also known for long, continuous parallel crack climbs, and a huge range of super-long, ridiculously difficult sport-climbing routes.