Calico BasinĬalico Basin Trail / Photo by Lizzie Gerecitano This trail does have some elevation and slightly steep areas although it’s rated easy to moderate. You’ll hike by massive sandstone boulders where lizards and bunnies frequently can be seen scurrying across the trail. Starting from the Red Spring parking lot, this is a loop trail that takes you up and around the Red Spring Boardwalk and down into a sandy wash. It gives you a marvelous view of Red Rock Canyon and the escarpment. It leads to the top of a small incline and is easily accessible. This is a paved path from the parking lot of the Red Rock Overlook that starts behind the helicopter pad. Red Rock Overlook / Photo by Lizzie Gerecitanoĭifficulty: Easy to moderate (there is a slight incline, but this hike is wheelchair accessible) It’s on the opposite side of the road from the picnic benches. Take the trail head from the Willow Springs Picnic Area parking lot. This is a very short trail that takes you across a wash to a cliff side full of ancient rock art that is estimated to be at least 800 years old. RELATED: One-Day Itinerary: Red Rock Canyon 4. Part of this trail is paved and easily accessible from the parking lot. Bear to the right and continue back up to the Willow Springs parking lot. There the trail heads to the right to where two trails fork. This path takes you past a pictograph site and ancient Agave roasting pits to the Lost Creek parking lot on the other side of the road. Length: 1.5 miles round trip, about 1 hourįrom the parking lot, follow the trail by the restroom south, which runs parallel to the parking lot and roadway. This hike will take you past signs of prehistoric life and interesting geologic formations. This is the most popular trail in Red Rock Canyon and can be accessed from Sandstone Quarry. Length: 2.5 miles round trip, about 2 hoursĭifficulty: Moderate to strenuous - rock scrambling and route-finding skills are necessary the farther along the trail you go Calico TanksĬalico Tanks / Photo by Lizzie Gerecitano Variable distance depending on where you choose to start the trail from and how long you decide to stay on it, including how much you choose to meander around and through the red rocks that you can walk upon. This trail can be accessed from either the Calico I or Calico II parking lots, or from a side trail that runs from the Fee Booth parking lot to connect with the Calico Hills trail. This trail goes from the base of the Calico Rocks from Calico Basin all the way up to Sandstone Quarry. Here are our Top 7 picks for beginner and intermediate hikers. Watch out for these impressive viewpoints (in order!) along the aptly-named Scenic Loop: 1.Let’s face it - Red Rock Canyon is all about the hiking trails! There is no better way to get inside the canyons and up close to the rock formations and ancient petroglyphs, or to see a bighorn sheep staring down at you from a cliffside, than from a beautiful trailhead through this national conservation area. Because it is one-way and you cannot turn back without paying again to re-enter, it’s best to plan your stops out beforehand. So, what kind of scenic beauty can you expect to see at Red Rock Canyon? Once you arrive at the National Conservation Area (NCA), you will be sent along a 13 mile one-way loop leading you along the best views Red Rock has to offer. In addition to providing a scenic backdrop to entertainment programs, it also offers beautiful hiking trails, camping, climbing, tours, and it is a very short drive from the Las Vegas Strip. Evidence of this type of plate-shifting activity can be seen all the way up the west coast of North America, but thanks to the Keystone Thrust fault, Red Rock Canyon is one of the most exposed examples, and it offers some of the most impressive viewpoints.īecause of the unique scenery it boasts, you may recognize this National Conservation Area from such films (and shows) as G.L.O.W. Approximately 65 million years ago, the shifting of tectonic plates forced the oceanic plate underneath the North American Plate, creating the Keystone Thrust fault. Here’s the slightly-more-complicated geological answer. What makes Red Rock Canyon so unique? Simple answer: The Keystone Thrust fault.
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