Rainbow Gardens Road

Situated between Las Vegas and Lake Mead, within the Sunrise Mountain Special Recreation Management Area, Rainbow Gardens is a nearly 8-mile, point-to-point trail that cuts through a brightly colored mountain and canyon landscape formed by millions of years of erosion. Erosion still continues today, where heavy rains can quickly change this easy road into a rutty mess or even wash out the road entirely in spots. During normally dry conditions, this trail is suitable for any high clearance vehicle and is easily traversed in 2WD. Accessing the trail from the north end will be the most challenging thing you encounter, as you are required to drop the rutty hill on the north side of Kodachrome Road in order to start Rainbow Gardens. The remainder of the trail is a well-graded dirt and gravel road with minor grades and a short, 100-yard-long narrow section next to a drainage that drops off nearly 20 feet at its deepest point. The road is only 1.5 vehicles wide through this spot, but seeing oncoming traffic is easy, and the section is very short. This trail crosses several dry desert washes that can become rutty and ledgy after heavy floods. Rainbow Gardens can be run in either direction and can be run by itself or combined with one of the other nearby roads to create a full loop.

Camping is prohibited along this trail or any road within the Sunrise Mountain Special Recreation Management Area. The closest camping resides east, within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Large trailheads on each end of the trail provide great areas for trailer parking or airing up/down.