The Red Rock Legacy Trail finally broke ground for construction July 1, 2025, after 20 years in the making.
The trail is 20 miles long and it will stretch along State Route 159 with the purpose of serving cyclists, pedestrians, and hikers a safer recreation path. The entire trail starts at the Red Rock Detention Basin on W Charleston and will end near Cactus Joe’s Blue Diamond Nursery. Its construction is split in between five phases.
Although the official trail design isn’t complete, according to Boris Poff, the Red Rock Conservation Area Manager, Phase 1 of construction is already in progress. This phase starts at the Summerlin sign and finishes at the location of the Red Rock sign.
Poff says there are precautions being taken to ensure the wildlife in the area are little affected by the trail’s construction. Plants that have already been impacted are being replanted, tortoise monitors will be installed, and the BLM is working with Cactus Joe’s to grow seeds of plants that will be affected by future phase construction.
There are worries, however, of motorcycle and electric bike safety once the trail is built.
“That is a challenge that we are talking with law enforcement about,” he says.
He says they do plan to install speed limit signs and are even considering speed bumps.
The Red Rock Legacy Trail was first inspired by the death of Metro Police Officer Don Albietz. In July of 2005, Albietz was bicycling in Red Rock Canyon when he was killed by a driver during a hit-and-run.
Another person who’s felt the loss of a loved one due to a bicycle accident is Angela Ahmet. She’s a bicycist with the Southern Nevada Bicycle Coalition and frequents Red Rock Canyon often.
In December 2020, Ahmet’s husband, Aksoy Ahmet, was hit by a box truck along with four other riders – who also happened to be friends of the couple. Aksoy and the four other riders died that same day.
Ahmet has even experienced a couple of accidents herself.
“I actually was involved in a hit and run myself several years ago now, but my husband encouraged me to get back on the bike after that accident,” she says. “So, I ride because he was so passionate about cycling.”
After that day, pushing for cyclist safety has been at the top of Ahmet’s agenda. She says the number of trucks on State Route 159 have increased, and that many don’t realize how car velocity can physically shift bicycles and riders on the road.
Guests: Angela Ahmet, Southern Nevada Bicycle Coalition; Boris Poff, BLM Red Rock Conservation Area Manager
