birdandhike.com logo
Home | Wilderness | Hiking | Red Rocks
Calico Hills Loop Trail - Ash Canyon
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Calico Hills Loop
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker approaching entrance to Ash Canyon (view SE)

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 at entrance to Ash Canyon (view SE)

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
Hiker beginning descent into Ash Canyon (view SE)

The Hike - Ash Canyon

Near the top of Ash Canyon, the use-trail fades out as the route runs onto sandstone. The route passes through a cleft that opens onto an overlook (Wpt. 24) with nice views down Ash Canyon, and beyond the overlook, a well-used use-trail runs down the canyon.

At a trail junction down the canyon (Wpt. 25), the loop stays right and drops past white sandstone crags into what looks like might be narrows with pour-overs. Fortunately, there are no difficult pour-overs, but the route provides plenty of scrambling and route finding as it descends the canyon. Keep an eye out for use-trails on the west side of the canyon.

Hikers pass out of the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area about halfway down the canyon, which ends at Ash Spring (Wpt. 26).

Ash Spring is tucked behind two huge red-sandstone boulders, and the route weaves between them and through heavy forb vegetation to reach the spring, which is shaded by Ash trees.

Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker passing under another nice Pinyon Pine Tree (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Viewpoint atop Ash Canyon (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Rocky trail descends at moderate grades (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Rocky trail descends at moderate grades (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Rocky trail descends at moderate grades (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker approaching first fork in the trail (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hiker passing first fork in the trail (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
First fork in the trail descends into canyon bottom (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
First fork in the trail descends into canyon bottom (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Second fork in the trail (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Route descends through gap in the cliffs (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Lots of boulders to scramble down and around (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Route continues down the canyon (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Hikers descending through the canyon (view SE)
Calico Hills Loop Trail
Approaching Ash Spring (view S)
Ash Spring
Approaching the enormous boulders that hide Ash Spring (view SW)
Ash Spring
Passing between enormous boulders that hide Ash Spring (view SW)
Ash Spring
Dense vegetation at the spring (view W)
Ash Spring
Desert Tortoise drinking from Ash Spring
more to come
More to come ...

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)
24 Overlook 640520 4003275 4,481 0.09 4.25
25 Trail Junction 640632 4003146 4,360 0.13 4.38
26 Trail Junction near Ash Spring 641286 4002484 3,811 0.71 5.09
27 Trail Junction to Sandstone Rd Trailhead 641581 4002347 3,773 0.21 5.30

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

Hiking Around Red Rocks Hiking Around Las Vegas Glossary Copyright, Conditions, Disclaimer Home
Google Ads