Red Rock Canyon – Calico Hills Loop Hike

on January 13, 2025

Introduction:

What? :

This relatively long 6.4-mile loop hike with 1,300 ft of elevation gain is not easy or for everyone but is rewording. The loop hike follow for most of its length the base of Calico Hills and it provide up-close views of the red-rock large boulders and cliffs. Along the hike you will explore canyons and creek the follow the base of the red hills on one side the “yellow” desert flat landscape on the left, you will get into narrow canyons with steep cliffs on both sides cutting through the hills.

This is a loop hike; you can have it in each direction, and you can start your hike in few parking lots (see below).

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Some sections of the hike are part of other popular hikes so you will see many more people on the trails but in other sections, mainly in the northeast of the loop, the trails see much less people and are more rugged.

Note: In some sections the trail is not clear or marked and you will need to do some path finding and large boulders and cliff climbing.

Plan for about 3-5 hours hike depending on your hiking level.

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Where? :

The park is located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, about 30 minutes’ drive, on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159.

This hike is a full loop hike so you can start it from any point you want but my preferred trailhead is located outside the main park section, visitor center and Scenic Loop Road, this is Calico Basin Spring parking.

How to get to Calico Basin Spring parking:

Drive out West Charleston Blvd, after 4 miles turn right onto Calico Basin Road, and then drive 1.2 miles to the Red Spring Trailhead and parking lot on the left. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Google Map Link

If you want you can start this hike also from the park scenic road parking at Calico 1, Calico Hills North, and Sandstone Quarry Overlook.

When? :

The park is open year-round, but the late fall and winter month are the recommended time to visit here.

Temperatures can average more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. If you are planning to hike, try to come early in the morning. The best protection against heat is drinking plenty of water and limiting exposure to the sun during the hottest parts of the day.

The park averages 294 days of sunshine per year.

Summer afternoon monsoon rainstorm is expected, be aware of flash flood and lightning.

Winter mid-day temperatures are the best for hiking, cold night around freezing and mid-day around 50-60f with almost no rain at all.

Due note 1:

Although located in Red Rock Canyon Park this trail head is not located in the main park section, and you do not need to make any visit reservation or pay fees.

Due note 2:

There is a large parking lot right at the trailhead, but it can get full during weekends and holidays. You can park along the roads in this area, just make sure your car is completely offroad and not in non-permitted sections.

Restrooms are available at the parking lot.

Due note 3:

Cell service is limited, make your park reservation prior driving here. If you plan to hike download your map.

At the visitor center there is wifi.

Due note 4:

Pets are welcome at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Pets are permitted on trails and should be leashed

Due note 5:

The park is very popular with the rock and boulder climbing community.

There are routes of interest to both the beginning and advanced climbers. Great boulders and sheer rock faces bring climbers from around the world.

Stay off the sandstone when it’s wet (within 24 hours of rain).

Due note 6:

The Red Spring Picnic Area has 12 picnic tables, various trash receptacles and toilets. The picnic tables are covered with aluminum pavilions for shade and protection from inclement weather.

Due note 7:

The nearest restaurants, supermarket, gas station, are located at the corner of Charleston Boulevard and Desert Foothills Drive, 4.5 miles northeast of the entrance to Red Rock Canyon.

Due note 8:

This is a popular area, and you will not be alone here, many other visitors come here during weekends.

Due note 9:

Wear a hat, dress in layers, sunglasses and apply sunscreen

Due note 10:

Rattlesnakes and scorpions like to hide under rocks and in shrubs, be aware.

Due note 11:

It is possible to create together other loop routes around Calico Hills and Kraft Mountain. These routes, some involved with path finding, varying in length, climb, and difficulty level but they do not require advanced rock-climbing skills.

My thoughts:

Calico Hills loop is a fun hike that combine many interesting landscapes to hike through. I usually start this relatively long hikes from this parking lot, you do not need to enter the park, pay fee or mad on-line reservation.

In the far northeast section of the hike, you will probably see only few people if any. In this section is not so establish trail and involved with fun trail finding and boulder climbing/descending. No need for any climbing experience but do expect fun obstacle to overcome, especially in the top of Ash Creek Canyon.

The Hike:

I will describe the trail starting at the Red Spring parking lot at Calico Basin.

I decided to hike it clockwise because I find it better combination of section and keep the fun section going down Ash Creek Canyon to be near the end of the hike.

You can also hike it going to the right, you will have the same fun hike.

From the parking lot the trail start right to the left of the spring and boardwalk area.

After walking along the spring area, the Red Ridge Trail climb to the low exposed ridgeline ahead of you. No need to climb the rocks on your right.

From the ridgeline the trail continue and going down and to the right into the deep creek below you, here you need to follow Lower Calico Hills trail.

You can stay on the right side of the creek and start hiking upstream although there another trail that follow the creek on the far side (west) of the creek. Either on are good.

After 0.8 miles from you hike start the trail connect and here you have two options: stay in follow the creek or take the trail on the left side that following the creek from above.

After hiking for about 0.4 mile you will reach the Calico1 parking lot, located on the road above the creek.

Keep hiking northwest and soon you will have again 2 hiking options:

The first is it take the right-side trail that cross the creek to the right side and climb up the hump and the second option is to take the left trail that stay on the low-level west of the creek.

I prefer taking the right trail, it is more interesting and closes to the red rocks and provide more view.

After walking over the hump and the open space the trail get into the red rock boulders and turn to the left and getting into the creek below.

From here I recommend that you will keep walking in the creek and not take any trails to the left.

The canyon getting narrow with tall red rock on both side and after turn to the right there is another sharp turn to the left.

At this point of your large loop hike you can cut to the right canyon and hike up Guardian Angel canyon and pass and from there hike down back to the starting point.

This will be a good option for shorter loop hike.

Take the main canyon left and keep hiking in the canyon.

After short hike the rocks on your left will disappear and the canyon open-up. Short after the trail climb on the left side of the creek and it climb up on the left hill.

The view open-up and the trail keep following the creek from above the red rock.

For the next 0.8 mile the trail follow the creek, and it offer a nice view of the Calico hill’s rocks.

After 3.2 miles from your hike starting point you will reach Sandstone Quarry Parking Lot.

Here you can find restrooms.

Here you will also see many more people on the trail.

From Sandstone Quarry Parking Lot, you will follow for 0.4 miles the Calico Tank trail.

After the creek getting narrower, exactly where the Calico Tank trail turn right from the main creek, you need to keep hiking left in the main creek.

You can explore the Calico Tank trail getting up, but you will need to go back and keep the loop from this point.

From this point there is trail on the maps (Rattlesnake Trail) but there is no clear trail marking/signs and in many places no clear trail.

This section is involved with some path finding and boulder climbing. It really help if you will have an electronic map to find the right direction to take.

Try to stay on the main creek but soon you will see a creek heading to the right.

If you will stay on the main creek a good indication for that will be that you will walk to the west, far away from Calico Hills.

Find the creeks and rock surfaces leading to the right but not climb to hike onto the large hills.

Toy will need to climb some large 3-5 ft rock ledges and waterfall, nothing dramatic or risky just be careful.

After overcoming relatively large 10 ft dry waterfall you will reach the end of this boulder section of the trail.

Here the landscape change to open desert view on the left and Calico high hills and boulders on the right, here you can find clear Rattlesnake Trail path, on the open landscape of the creek.

This is the “far point” in the loop hike and were you start to loop back in the general direction of the trailhead.

Climb up this short section and you will reach at the saddle a large rock where from it you have a view to the other side.

The view from the rock is unique, you can see the combination of the red rock with the white desert landscape.

This rock is distance 4 miles from your hike starting, 2.4 miles to go…

Climb down on the trail and you will reach a trail junction.

Here we will take to the right heading into Ash Canyon.

If you will take left (longer loop option) you will get into Kraft Mountain and Gateway Canyon trails.

Keep to the right and cross the red rock section.

Start to follow the clear Ash Canyon Trail. At it first section it crosses a section of red rocks and boulders.

The trail start descending into the canyon, looks for the trail.

This is the fun section of the hike.

The deep canyon cliffs should stay on your right, and you need to find the trail more to the left.

This section is also involved with boulder and cliff climbing and path finding.

You will get out of red rock into white/yellow rocks and the canyon get steeper and deeper.

As you go down into the narrow canyon you will lose a lot of elevation in short amount of walk.

The trail keep leading down and the canyon open-up. Ash canyon is about 0.8 mile long and at the end of it you will reach Ash Creek Spring.

This section has running-water and many large ash trees. Walk along the creek in a wide trail until you will reach Wisdom Tree Trail.

Here we start tot circle the hills back in the direction of our starting point.

The Girl Scout Trail following the hills base.

Keep hiking Girl Scout for about half a mile, you will cross a creek on your way, until it connect to Calico Basin Trail, from here it is 0.6 mile away from the end of the hike.

After short hike you will reach your trail starting-ending point.

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