Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive Photo Tour

Red Rock Canyon - Why are the stones red?

According to the Bureau of Land Management, more than 600 million years ago, the land that would become Red Rock Canyon was the bottom of a deep ocean basin. Over time the changing land and water levels resulted in deposits of ocean and continental sediments. The result was the gray limestone now visible at the Canyon. About 180 million years ago, a giant sand dune field formed over what became the western United States. Eventually, the weight of the sand layers compressed into stone or what is called Aztec Sandstone. This sandstone forms the Red Rock Canyon Cliffs. There were iron-bearing minerals in the stone and the exposure of these minerals to the elements caused oxidation, resulting in the red, orange and tan colored rocks.