Bootleg Canyon Park is a small Boulder City Park contiguous to the massive Bootleg Canyon and River Mountains Loop Trail. Located at the end of Yucca Street where Boulder City merges with the Mojave Desert, Bootleg Canyon Park shares a River Mountains Loop Trail paved parking lot.When walking or bicycling along the River Mountains Loop Trail in Bootleg Canyon this park stands out on account of its dense landscaped hill covered with flowers and pine trees. This standout scenery advertises the park to the trail users. I am one of them. It is from the River Mountains Loop Trail that I have visited this park.
Dating back to approximately 2016 when Boulder City transformed the desert into this scenic park, I have spent quality time here when hiking on the River Mountains Loop Trail in Bootleg Canyon. It is off the highest point of the River Mountains Loop Trail in Boulder City which makes for a suitable place for a breather. These hikes include my annual First Weekend of October Hike between Railroad Pass and the Art in the Park Festival in downtown Boulder City. This also includes yesterday when I used the River Mountains Loop Trail on the way back from the River Mountains.
On these hikes I will usually approach this park from a small spur trail that leads into the generous sized paved parking lot. The parking lot usually has a couple of cars. The upshot is enjoying nature to myself. Well sort of. When visiting Bootleg Canyon Park, you share time with native animals. Sculptured native animals that is. From the tall upright bunny rabbit sculpture at the trail entrance to the turtle sculpture on the top of the hill, the paved trail overlooks a menagerie of native desert animals on its short and very gradual ascention to the top. They include a rattle snake, scorpion, gilla monster, and roadrunner. They share the landscape with information signs and desert landscaping. The relatively short trail concludes on a mound overlooking Boulder City, the Eldorado Valley dry lakes, and River Mountains featuring Red Mountain. There is a shaded gabezo to savor the moment.
Bootleg Canyon Park is more than a garden oasis in the desert. The undeveloped part of the park features un unpaved path through a sparsely covered pine forest that leads back to the River Mountains Loop Trail. No matter when I visit, it treats me to a scentsational aroma of pine.
Being a child at heart and animal lover in my heart I adore these whimsical native animal sculptures. However, it broke my heart when I recently read that a very deranged psycho poisoned and killed several of the real life bunny rabbits that lived here in the shadow of the bunny rabbit sculpture. Just like several parks that I have reviewed, this is one of them that will benefit from routine police patrols and cameras. Additional, it can benefit from restrooms. The closest restrooms are at the Bootleg Canyon trailhead off Canyon Drive. Overall Bootleg Canyon is an upbeat colorful garden spot that I have enjoyed spending quality time in nature in the company of whimsical native animal sculptures. When I am hiking along the River Mountains Loop Trail in Bootleg Canyon, my return factor here is a four out of five. read more