This is a nice little hike over a riverbed, through soft sand, and up sandstone steps to get to a natural water reservoir and a beautiful view of Vegas. Round trip it is 2.4 miles, with moderate difficulty due to occasional rock scrambling and a bit of stair master activity, and should take about an hour and a half. Since it is located in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area there is a fee to enter, $7 for one day one vehicle or $30 for an annual pass.
The entrance to the Red Rock Scenic Drive is on the right about five miles past the intersection of Charleston Blvd and State Highway 215. Take the scenic drive 2.5 miles to the Sandstone Quarry parking lot, the third pull-off after the Visitor’s Center, and the trailhead is at the north end of the parking lot, beginning near the kiosk and restrooms.
A short distance from the start there is a cleared area with several large cubes of rock left behind from an old quarry operation. A lot of tourists and first timers are overtaken by the sight of the giant sandstone hill on the right, and if you want a nice little bit of scrambling up rock faces it is a great place to do so. The trail continues to the left though, with a sign marking the direction. Some people follow the dry riverbed that does meet back up with the trail; however the loose rock can slow your progress and test your ankles.
About a quarter of a mile into the trail there is an agave roasting pit on the left. Just past the roasting pit another sign shows Calico Tanks Trail continuing to the right, to the left is Turtlehead – a much more strenuous adventure, the tall limestone outcrop is the peak. After the sign the trail heads east into some extremely soft sand, you will likely wind up with some in your shoes unless it has recently rained and then you have some puddles to jump and navigate around. Follow the trail uphill between the Calico Hills and up out of the sand onto sandstone. A set of sandstone steps helps you up, and after some more sandstone terrain another set of steps takes you up pretty quickly.
As the trail peaks, the path narrows and presses against the hillside leading to the large tinaja, what some refer to the natural water tank as. This usually has water in it, the level depends on recent precipitation, but you can usually easily make it around the south side of the tinaja to the rocks on the east side. These outcroppings offer an amazing view of the valley.
When you are done reveling in the beautiful rock colors and view of Vegas just follow the trail back through the hills to the parking lot.
This trail is great year round, just dress warm in the winter and bring water and protect yourself from the sun in the summer.
For further information: Red Rock Website or call (702) 515-5350
