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| - With its sunny climate Vegas is Sun City. In the Summerlin Master-Planned Community, Cottonwood Canyon is a beautiful linear park in Sun City. When I walked in Cottonwood Canyon Park, I was walking on sunshine.
Cottonwood Canyon is a linear park that is approximately 1/4 mile north of and parallel to Charleston Boulevard from the 215 sound wall at the west to Hualapai Way at the east. As the paved trail weaves through the Cottonwood Canyon neighborhood of Summerlin, it passes under two underpasses (Pavilion Center and Town Center) and through three pocket parks of golf course green grass. As the Yelpers before me stated, there is a parallel wash that is ideal for hiking. From beginning to end hiking it took me 30 minutes one-way.
The paved parking lot is Canyon Bluff Court, which is off Park Run Drive by the Heights of Summerlin. I felt safe leaving my car there. Because Canyonwood Canyon is a stone throw from Charleston, it isn't a bad idea to park at Red Rock Casino or the Best Buy plaza and walk along Pavilion Center to the park. Missing from both the parking lot and park are restrooms. From the parking lot, a set of steps and a sinuous ramp lead to a depression in elevation. This would be Cottonwood Canyon. Ahead is a wooden bridge across the wash that parallels the paved trail. This is roughly the center of the park. When you cross the bridge, you are walking eastbound toward Town Center and Hualapai. If you turn left, you are walking westbound toward Pavilion Center.
Cottonwood Canyon is a Disneyland clean canyon of nature weaving between affluent houses and a Best Buy-Cosco plaza. Graffiti is relatively nonexistent. This gives a perception of safety and police presence. Unlike Disneyland, real animals replace robotic animals. I shared the canyon with bunny rabbits, small lizards, birds, and dogs. With its beautiful plants, Cottonwood Canyon looks like a linear garden. When I walked it in November, the changing colors on the trees reminded me of an imported New England landscape. The nicest view is westbound with a trick of vision making it look like the trail reaches Red Rock Canyon.
I shared Cottonwood Canyon with children of all ages and dogs of all breeds. The activity ranged from children barely past toddler age riding bicycles around the golf course green pocket parks to seniors enjoying an extended youth jogging. I'd pass several dog owners. Cottonwood Canyon gives the impression of being a safe place to the degree that quite a few dogs were unleashed. Bicyclists were also common, and I'd hear the occassional "To the left."
Chances are that if Howard Hughs is looking down at the beautiful parks in the community he envisioned, he is not rolling in his grave. After walking on sunshine through a beautiful park in the community that Howard Hughs created, I am encouraging people to invest an hour exploring Cottonwood Canyon Park. It is encouragement through a 4 star rating.
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