Overview

The Calico Overlook Trail is a moderately difficult 1.5-mile loop trail that runs south from Red Spring Trailhead. The trail climbs steeply to the crest of a ridge, the Overlook, then crosses over and descends steeply into the next valley. The trail then makes a scenic loop running up one side of the valley and back down the other. The trail climbs halfway back up the ridge, joins the outbound trail to close the loop, and returns to the trailhead.

Just climbing to Calico Overlook, with grand views north across the area and nice sitting rocks, makes a stout 1/2-mile round-trip hike.

The valley on the other side of the ridge is surprisingly scenic. This section, about 0.7 miles long, is the gem of this hike. Lush Mojave Desert Scrub vegetation and grand red-and-white sandstone cliffs combine to make this hike worth the effort of combing over the ridge.

Link to trail map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this hike is fairly safe, but the chance of slipping in the loose gravel on the steep hillsides is high, so trekking poles are a good idea.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Even though this hike is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 25 minutes from town, but not inside the Scenic Loop Road fee area. Drive out West Charleston Blvd, turn right onto Calico Basin Road, and then drive 1.1 miles to the Red Spring Trailhead on the left. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01) on the south side of the parking lot behind the picnic tables, the trail heads southwest parallel to the fence that encircles the Red Spring Boardwalk area. At about 0.16 miles out, the Calico Overlook Trail passes a trail junction (Wpt. 02) that leads to a gate and the side entrance onto the boardwalk.

The Calico Overlook Trail stays left heading more southerly towards an old road scar that shoots straight up the side of the ridge. The trail looks daunting, but slowly and surely, hikers gain the top of the ridge (Wpt. 03). Note that the old road forks near the top of the ridge; both forks work, but the right fork is ever so slightly easier.

The top of the ridge is Calico Overlook (Wpt. 03), so while catching one's breath, be sure to turn around and enjoy the view north across the Calico Basin area.

Continuing south, the trail starts steeply down the other side of the ridge. The old road angles slightly left as it careens down the hillside. Several side-trails fork off to the right, but one of these forks (Wpt. 04), about 100 feet down from the crest of the ridge, marks the start of the loop. The outbound trail stays left, while hikers will return to this point on the right fork. Of course, it is a loop, so hikers can go either way. The right fork is also the Calico Hills Loop Trail.

Continuing to the left, the old road heads southeast, then bends right to run south, and then southwest as it arrives at the bottom of the canyon (Wpt. 05). There are a number of crisscrossing trails in this area, but the Calico Overlook Trail turns right onto an old road that comes up the bottom of the canyon.

The lure of the enormous boulders on the north side of the canyon is strong, but the trail loops back through the boulders, so staying left-ish, the trail crosses the gravel wash in the bottom of the canyon (Wpt. 06) and climbs a short, steep, bank to get up above the wash. With a few feet of elevation, the boulder field is even more strikingly beautiful.

The Calico Overlook Trail continues west on the hillside above the wash. There are several opportunities to drop into the wash, but resist the urge to turn right until the trail starts climbing the hillside as if to climb over the ridge to the west. At a fork (Wpt. 07), the trail turns right to more closely parallel the wash.

While at the fork, notice to the northwest a white sandstone pinnacle that stands alone on the west (left) side of the wash. The trail runs out to within 150 feet of the white pinnacle before crossing the wash and looping back.

Although there are plenty of places to cut down into the wash, there is a trail on the south bank of the wash all the way to a trail junction with the Calico Hills Loop Trail, which is quite obvious at that point. At the junction, the Calico Overlook Trail turns right to cross the wash (Wpt. 08) and climb onto the north bank.

Now heading downstream, the Calico Overlook Trail runs southeast on gentle slopes above the wash. The scenery is grand with crags overhead and the boulder field coming back into view.

At about 300 yards past the wash crossing, the trail enters the boulder field (Wpt. 09). Here, the trail winds among colorful sandstone boulders that stand alone or pile one atop another. It seems that there are a plethora of trails, but the main trail is fairly easy to follow, and in general it stays to the left through the boulder field.

After passing the main boulder piles, the trail bends left and starts climbing back towards the steep ridge. The trail exits the boulder field (Wpt. 10) by an enormous square specimen standing alone on the hillside, then generally stays left against the cliff to the extent possible.

There are a number of use-trails in this area, but the main trail stays left against the cliffs until more-or-less being forced right onto the old gravel road (Wpt. 04) to close the loop.

In another 100 feet, the trail returns to Calico Overlook (Wpt. 03), crosses over the ridge and descends quickly to the Boardwalk Trail junction (Wpt. 02) and returns to the Red Spring Trailhead (Wpt. 01).