While some people waited in long lines for shopping deals this Black Friday, others waited in line to get into Red Rock National Conservation Area.
Hundreds of cars wrapped around Red Rock Canyon.
Locals and tourists laced up their hiking boots and spent the day getting some fresh air. The Bureau of Land Management says it sees more visitors every year, especially around the holidays.
“I like it. It’s pretty packed on Black Friday,” said Dylan Robben, Red Rock visitor.
Cars crawled along in the long line.
“I should have predicted it, I mean the line moved along pretty smooth,” said James Sunbury.
Most just wanted to spend the day soaking up some fresh air and avoiding the shopping crowds.
“I’m usually scared to go out of the house on Black Friday,” Sunbury said. “I went shopping once and it’s drama.”
“I was like wow, I didn’t really think that a lot of people knew about this area, but it’s really fascinating,” Michelle Morales said.
BLM Field Manager Catrina Williams says this is by far their busiest season.
“I would say it’s triple, we get about 7,000 visitors on Black Friday and some of the days after.”
As the city’s population continues to grow, she expects even more visitors in the coming years.
“They love it, they’ve never been here before, they are from another country, they’re from out of state, they love it here, it’s beautiful,” Williams said.
“I’m ready to climb mountains or whatever I need to do to get a good shot,” said Alan Zingaro, Red Rock visitor.
“It’s nice to see that so many families are seeing that there’s more to Las Vegas than just the Strip area,” said Bill Robben.
It was an opportunity for many valley residents to experience what the valley has to offer.
