Red Rock Canyon

We were hoping to get to Death Valley today, but what with taking the wrong turnoff a few times and general fiddle faddling around we couldn't make the park before dark. Fortunately we were driving right through Red Rock Canyon State Park at 5 pm.  They don't take reservations so, together with the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere, although the campground was busy, there were still sites available.

We really liked the park so decided to stay 2 nights.  The campsites are backed up against the hoodoos
and you look down onto a Joshua tree forest.

The next day we hiked up to the top of the hoodoos and then up Whistler Ridge which was made of a streak of black lava.  The desert is not really in bloom but we saw one paintbrush in bloom, apparently the only one in the park.

On the other side was miles of badlands.

Later in the afternoon we hiked up behind our campsite and then down along a wash. Here we saw a jackrabbit and a loggerhead shrike (bird of the day).