By Heidi Kyser

Ah, February … the month where New Year’s resolutions go to die. If you promised yourself to exercise more, and your gym time has already dwindled to half a joyless hour on the treadmill per week, then consider the sage advice of coaches who say the workout you’ll stick with is one you enjoy. And who doesn’t enjoy hiking?

Sloan Canyon 101 Trail

This is another trek from our popular March 2020 story, Hikes After 5, highlighting trails that are so close to town, you can hit them on your way home from work. As writer Rachel Christiansen noted, “the easy, winding nature of the path lends itself perfectly to making the journey as long or as short as you want.” And in keeping with the spirit of this issue’s feature, “Written in Stone” (p. 46), the 101 trail offers an alternative to Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area’s Petroglyph Trail, which is open to limited numbers of people — and no dogs — to protect the extensive rock writing found there.

HOW TO GET THERE: 2998 Nawghaw Poa Rd., Henderson

DISTANCE: 8.1 miles

ELEVATION GAIN: 850 feet

ANCESTRAL TERRITORY OF: Nuwuvi (Southern Paiutes) and Nüwüwü (Chemehuevi)

HISTORY LESSON: Archaeologists date the hundreds of petroglyph panels in Sloan Canyon to the Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Puebloan, and Late Prehistoric periods, meaning it’s been occupied for thousands of years. It’s an extremely precious cultural and historical site.

STEWARDSHIP 101: As Indian Country Today said in a 2018 report on vandalism to Southern Nevada’s petroglyphs and pictographs, “with popularity comes problems.” But you can be part of the solution. Rather than hike alone to the petroglyphs, take alternative trails, such as this one. Encourage others to visit fragile sites with a guide. Stay on trails. Watch where you walk and sit. And if you do see damage being done, report it at the visitor’s center.

CHRISTOPHER SMITH