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Calico Hills Loop Trail - Calico II to Sandstone Quarry
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Calico Hills Loop
Calico Hills Loop TrailCalico 2 -- Calico Hills Loop trail junction (view NW)

Overview

Calico Hills Loop Trail is 6.5-mile hike that circumnavigates the Calico Hills. The hike can be considered a series of trail segments that start and stop at any of 6 trailheads (3 along the Scenic Loop Road and 3 in Calico Basin). Most of the loop runs on easy, gently sloping trails, but there are a few steep parts, some off-trail in a wash, and the Ash Canyon segment requires a fair bit of Class-2 and Class 3 scrambling getting down and around boulders and pour-overs.

Views from many parts of the loop are grand, with those on the west side of the hills spreading out across all of Red Rock Canyon, and those on the east side looking southeast across Calico Basin and points south. For hikers who have only driven along the Scenic Loop Road, this hike offers an up-close and personal encounter with the Calico Hills that is quite different from the road-side perspective.

Link to map.

Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker on Calico Hills Loop Trail beyond Calico 2 Trail (view N)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is fairly safe and usually not far from a road or trailhead. Ash Canyon requires a bit of Class 3 scrambling, so be extra careful when high enough to fall and get hurt.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This is a long hike, so be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials. The Ash Canyon segment of the loop goes into the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area, so pay particular attention to respecting the land.

Calico Hills Loop Trail
Trail marker on Calico Hills Loop Trail (view N)

The Hike - Calico II to Sandstone Quarry

Staying right at the Calico 2 Trail junction (Wpt. 12), the Calico Hills Loop Trail climbs gently towards a low saddle (Wpt. 13) on a well-used trail. Looking into the distance from the saddle, the trail can be seen dropping towards the wash, passing a set of large boulders, and climbing the hillside towards the next saddle. While hiking, look for petroglyphs on the boulders.

The Calico Hills Loop Trail runs up the valley and climbs onto the next saddle, then follows along the hillside and passes through sandstone outcrops to a point where Sandstone Quarry parking can be seen in the distance.

In this area, several use-trails cut up the hillside and others drop into the canyon, but the main trail stays more-or-less on the level before dropping into the south end of the Sandstone Quarry parking area (Wpt. 14). The trail continues north to the far end of the parking lot and the Sandstone Quarry North Trailhead (Wpt. 15).

Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbs over a sandstone shoulder (view N)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker passing a high point on Calico Hills Loop Trail (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail descends towards the next wash (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail traversing the hillside (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail approaching a large boulder (view N)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail passing a large boulder (view N)
Calico Hills Loop Trail Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Past the large boulder, Calico Hills Loop Trail climbs again (view N)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
A short, steep section (view NE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail continues to climb (view N)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail approaching a shady rest area (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Climbing towards another high point (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Crossing a high point (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Climbing towards the final high point on this segment (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail passing a nice Pinyon Pine (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail continues to climb at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail at a short, steep spot (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbing at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbing at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbing at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbing at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail merges with another trail (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail climbing at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Climbing towards the final high point on this segment (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker on the final high point on this segment (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
View down to Sandstone Quarry Trailhead (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail descends at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Calico Hills Loop Trail descends at gentle grades (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker approaching Sandstone Quarry Trailhead (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker arriving at Sandstone Quarry South Trailhead (view NW)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker walking through Sandstone Quarry Trailhead (view NW)

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location UTM Easting UTM Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi)
12 Calico II Trail Junction 640618 4001855 3,996 0.04 1.89
13 Saddle 640609 4002022 4,060 0.13 2.02
14 Sandstone Quarry South Trailhead 639525 4002803 4,308 0.97 2.99
15 Sandstone Quarry North Trailhead 639468 4002876 4,367 0.07 3.06

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240330

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