Nevada · Hiking · Near Sandy Valley

Ice Box Canyon

Ice Box CanyonPhoto: David Balmer, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
2.2 mi
round trip
377 ft
climb
4,663 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Feb–May, Oct–Nov
best months

Ice Box Canyon is an easy out-and-back hike on Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada's Red Rock/Sloan Field Office, about 2.2 miles long with a 377-foot elevation gain from a low point of 4,254 feet to a high of 4,663 feet. The trailhead is named Icebox Canyon Trailhead, and the route is surfaced with gravel. Bikes and horses are not allowed. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 70°F in April to about 75°F in October, while July and August average in the mid-90s. That station sits roughly 880 feet lower than the canyon's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The Smyc hike starts just 0.2 miles away, and the Grand Circle Trail and the Necromancer Wall climbing area are each about 0.6 miles off. For an overnight stay, Red Rock Canyon Campground is about 5.7 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Red Rock Canyon Campground

    Campground

    Sites open the weekend of Nov 13 on Recreation.gov

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sandy Valley
  • Best time to go · Feb–May, Oct–Nov

    Best time to visit Ice Box Canyon

    Best months: February–May and October–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      53° / 32°

      4 wet

    2. Feb

      56° / 35°

      5 wet

    3. Mar

      64° / 41°

      4 wet

    4. Apr

      70° / 47°

      2 wet

    5. May

      80° / 56°

      1 wet

    6. Jun

      90° / 66°

      1 wet

    7. Jul

      95° / 73°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      94° / 72°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      87° / 62°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      75° / 50°

      2 wet

    11. Nov

      62° / 38°

      2 wet

    12. Dec

      52° / 31°

      3 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Red Rock Canyon - Spg Mt Rch S, NV, 5.8 mi away at 3,780 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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