Calico Tanks Trail

Even though this hike is listed as moderate, you can make it a little easier by taking the well worn path of least resistance or you can make it a little more difficult, by straying off to challenge yourself. In the end, you’ll be rewarded with an outstanding view of the valley.
After studying the map to get an idea of the general direction and parking at the Sandstone Quarry lot, my wife, my daughter, her friend, and I set off. There are a couple of signs to help you make a series of right turns to get to the canyon and everything is pretty leisurely until then. Once in, there’s pretty much only one direction to go, the terrain changes and the elevation gain begins. There is an easier path with more cleared areas and rock steps to help with elevation. Or you can choose to navigate through on your own.
There is a large tank toward the end that’s a good photo op and with the area being enclosed you can play around with the acoustics and find that spot where you whisper and can be heard from a distance. From this tank, there’s your last bit of climbing and then you can have a seat and enjoy the view.
The normal hike is about 2.5 miles round trip, but after we got out of the canyon we headed north for a little bit to do more exploring and ended up going around 4 miles. Elevation gain was around 500 feet for us with most of it coming in the last half mile. I felt I had good footing with my running shoes and the heat wasn’t too bad for April but we had plenty of water. This was a good, short hike for the family and good stepping stone for some of the more challenging ones.

This was an amazing hike! This is definitely a workout for a newbie. This is our second trip to Red Rock the first was during our honeymoon, the second we were going to hike! I did not expect this to be such a hardcore hike, but we also probably made it more difficult because there’s no real indication once you leave the gravel & sand paths in certain places. Let’s just say we were far more adventurous than some of the people before us. All of it was worth it.
It’s breathtaking & it will work out your calves/​quads — make sure you wear really good shoes with support & tread — no kidding there were points that I got a bit of vertigo from the heights. We made it almost to Turtlehead Peak, but it was getting dark & considering we were thinking this was just a hiking trail, we didn’t pack any water or flash lights or snacks & it was close to 8pm. Next time, we’ll pack accordingly & spend more time drinking the view in!

Very beautiful and fun hike, a real joy to get away from the Strip and the perfect amount of time to spend doing it. Be careful about where you are going though, the trail is not marked so always stop and get your bearings. We made the mistake of seeing a bunch of people at the top of a peak, and thinking that was the vista point we ended up climbing straight up a mountain with lots of loose rocks and cactuses, only to realize halfway up that the «real» end of the trail was probably the other fork in the road. Definitely not for the faint of heart or those nervous around heights! I think the «real» end point is much easier. Went in mid-​Februrary around 1pm and it was the perfect temp and amount of sunlight. It was really crowded though, so we got slowed down quite a bit having to wait for people to pass through the more narrow passageways.

This was a great hike that I took with my children over the weekend. We’ve climbed Turtlehead peak at Red Rock and it’s amazing all on it’s own, but this hike was not as hard for children and you still get an amazing view from the top. The kids were able to jump around on some of the bigger rocks, play in the sand. The water «tanks» that are there are very neat. The temps were in the 50’s which was great, but honestly there is a lot of shade on this hike so you could do at higher temps for sure. I highly recommend this hike.

Completed this hike alone. The heat wasnt even a factor as I spend most of the trail in the shade. Climate was not humid at all. There will be some areas where you may need to climb but it is not required. It’s really difficult capturing this scenery without a wide lens camera so make sure you pack those.

Calico Tanks is a MODERATE trail, not an easy hike. I’m not much of a hiker, but I would consider an easy trail one I can bring my mom or grandma on, and this is not one.
The trail starts off easy enough with a clearly marked dirt trail, followed by some sand, and then it gets tougher. If there weren’t people already on the trail to follow, I don’t think it would have been as easy for us. Make sure you bring shoes with some grip on the bottom, because the rocks are quite smooth and easy to slip off of. When you get to the top, there’s a great view of Red Rocks with a view of The Strip in the distance. Also, don’t forget to bring ample water, some snacks, and a hat for shade. Although I did enjoy this hike, it was very hot that afternoon and I nearly passed out on the way back down. I’d recommend to start as early as possible to miss the afternoon heat.

One of the most breathtaking views at Red Rock Canyon, Calico tanks is a moderate hive totaling 2.5 miles round trip. It starts out fairly easy and gradually increases in elevation and has some rough and slippery rock formations that you will need to clime up and down. The trail doesn’t offer much shade so if you find some and need a rest, take advantage of it.
Once you get to the tank and depending on the season there water level fluctuates. My trip had a very low amount of water but is definitely worth seeing. This isn’t the best part of the trip.
Scaling a few more feet past the tanks takes you to one of the best views of the area. A view of Las Vegas from far and above the the city of sin, it’s so quie, peaceful and calming. I love Vegas and this trail/​view just add to the many reasons why.

Who knew this place existed not I. Came here to hike with my girldfriend during the week in this place was already packed at 11 a.m. Such an amazing place loved it

Loved this trail. Very scenic and the view of Vegas in the end is well worth you efforts. My niece, 6, & nephew, 8, hiked with us perfectly fine.

Eh. This is a moderate hike. Once you start to leave the parking lot, you do have a few markers telling you where to go.
However, after you lose sight of the parking lot… There are no longer any more markers… Meaning you walk and summit 1.1 miles with no further direction.
With all of the steep and slippery Rocks… Some sort of direction would be very helpful.
Also, with paying $ 7 a car to get in… I would think that these trails would be a little more picked up. Broken glass… Beer bottles… Empty cardboard beer cases… I mean, yikes. Can you imagine trying to reach up and climb a rock and stepping /​grabbing a handful of broken glass??? Way to get in touch with nature.
So, a few posts of direction… and a little cleaning up, and I can see myself enjoying this hike and this trail a lot more.

This «moderate» 2.5 mile hike is perfect for anyone who wants a fairly quick, short hike at Red Rock with a nice view at the end.
While this is listed as moderate, I would say it’s more on the easy end of moderate. There aren’t any steep parts that left me breathing heavy, but there are a few climbs up some tall rocks. These climbs are definitely doable, and my friend’s medium sized dog was even able to get up these rocks with a little boost. The view at the end is beautiful– you get a look at the entire valley, strip and all. We were there the day before the Nellis airshow, so we could even see the practice runs from the planes.
If it’s a view you’re after, then this is the hike you want. I’ve been on the Turtlehead Peak hike, which leads to much higher elevation and is quite exhausting, but the views are pretty much the same. So save your breath and skip Turtlehead for the more relaxing Calico Tanks Trail.

We did this one «smack in the middle of summer». However it was unseasonably cool at just around 80 degrees.
The trail itself is pretty neat. But it isn’t the most clear path to the top and not super well defined. We could have easily made some wrong turns and had to backtrack. We lucked out making the same decisions as our party did that was ahead of us by about 200 yards. That is the beauty of this trail, you can be close by people and not see them because of the rugged terrain.
There is no water opportunities on the trail, but that should be understood. What isn’t understood is that this is NOT an easy hike. Read the information provided by the park. This is a moderate hike and not for people who want a nice stroll in a National Park. This is climbing up slippery stones and loose ground. This is weaving in and out of bushes and getting poked and scratched. This is way more than an «easy hike». It’s not something I would bring a person who is inexperienced with the outdoors. This isn’t that at all.
I loved that it ended with such a spectacular view! As others have said, go to the end… then go up to the left until you can’t go anymore.

You will find world class climbing in this area as well as some of the finest scrambling spots in Red Rock. Tons of different trails (most aren’t listed on BLM or RRNCA websites), I love to scramble, full body workout without the gym.
This area is best reached by the Calico Trail System parking lot near the entrance of Red Rock. At any given time, you’ll probably see climber, hikers, bouldering and scrambling throughout this area. I also see professional photographers quite frequently whether it be for wedding photos, and what not.
Lots of Class 3 & 4 scrambling, different spots you’ll have to squeeze like a cockroach to get through.
The views you can see from the Calico area can’t be beat, panoramic views of the entire city.

This trail was so much fun! Red rock labeled it moderate & I would say it’s between easy & moderate. Brought my two dogs & they had a blast. Harder for my smaller dog to come down so I had to help him a bit there. The incline doesn’t feel intense because before you know it, you’re at the top with a nice view including the strip! The water tanks were fun. My bigger dog jumped in. This trail includes sand, red rocks, rock steps, some shade, mostly sun, & some climbing. Plenty places to take a break. Just bring longer socks!

Amazing that this trail is dog friendly to the very top. What a view of Vegas!
What you need to know:
1. You will be climbing, so yes there will be plenty of steps on the way up.
2. Water. (duh! Bring it!)
3. Take your time, it is not a race.
4. Go early spring and NOT in the smack middle of summer!
Other than that. This is a fairly easy hike and lots of fun. Good for groups.

I have not been hiking in years. I really enjoyed this hike, it was a little strenuous for me since I’m out of shape HA HA HA and just recovering from a four week virus. Once we reached our destination I was loving the scenery all around us. You could see the Las Vegas Valley and the strip. I look forward to going again!
Make sure you have the right foot gear because there’s lots of loose stones, sandy areas and some steep climbing.

Wow amazing who knew this was even here not me. I’ve been here once years ago and I only been to the parking lot and maybe a 100 yards away from that not on the actual trail. The trail is beautiful and has a moderate level of difficulty. It is easy but not too easy, it is a little over a mile and filled with sandy paths, steep stone stairs, and the various natural turns and up and downs, after all. But at the end you reward yourself with water filled Calico Tank or not since it was kind of low when I was there and an awesome view of the Valley and Vegas with the refreshing winds blowing in your face and cooling down your body.
There are lots of amazing natural features about the trail, photo walk anyone. Also a little climbing
One of the nice things I like doing is hiking barefoot, yea I grew in Hawaii barefoot all the time so I kind of have tough feet it feels all nice like a massage. I almost made it all the way even ran quickly on the sharp gravel than I was like forget this haha. If you’re going to do barefoot just watch out for snakes and other things that can bite or sting you, luckily I was good except for that cactus that got me once.
Just remember you do have to pay for the entrance fee to get to this trail. I’d suggest buying the annual pass I don’t remember the prices but if you’ll be returning to Red Rock there are more trails to explore and you can bring visitors here, nice break from the city. Also remember to bring water and prepare for the weather, there was a little of a drizzle returning only if it was heavy rain. I wasn’t able to get any phone signal along the trail except at the very end since you’re mostly surrounded by the mountain’s walls but if you need to just get higher or in the open.
It is also a dog friendly trail as there were a number of hikers with their dogs on the trail. A friend even brought his little domestic house dog along, now that’s a trooper, Peta will be coming for you soon haha jk

Since moving here from Hawaii 4 years ago, this has been the only hike I’ve done in Vegas. It’s not as scenic as Hawaii beaches and/​or mountains so that’s the only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars. Granted, I really cannot compare Hawaii hikes to that of desert hikes.
Alas, this hike is great in that it’s very cool in the Spring. I recommend NOT coming here in the Summer, unless you like «hiking in Hell.»
IF you do come during the summertime, come very VERY early in the morning to avoid the high 100 degree temps. Obviously.
The hike itself is easy in that I’ve taken my 7 y/​o niece here to hike once. She loved it.
My roomies have, also, taken his 2 y/​o pup up here.
We’ve done the hike in around 2 hours up and down.
The views are spectacular. Red mountains and a view of The Strip. It’s definately nice to do something DIFFERENT in Vegas other than go drinking and/​or clubbing.
The one thing I really despise about this hike is all the sand. Wearing low socks was a big mistake on my part. Every 30 mins or so, I’d stop and take out all the sand from my shoes and socks. It was so tedious.
I recommend wearing high socks or knee highs should you try this hike.

Unilocal 100 Challenge * ⁷⁄₁₀₀
Two things are a must with this trail — a sturdy pair of hiking shoes/​boots (with good tractions) and a lot of stamina.
Rated as moderately strenuous, a chunk of Calico Tanks (which is 2.5 miles in length, out-​and-​back) comes with boulders of rocks which you’ll find yourselves navigating through with strategic footwork. Considering my girlfriends and I are the types to ‘side trip’ on a large rock and carve things out of it or find huge holes in them and get ourselves in, we had the time of our lives sliding our way down and heaving our bodies up whenever we found a good spot to indulge ourselves in simply because this trail is filled with them.
However, just because there are a lot of rocks doesn’t mean that it’s the only type of terrain you will encounter. Expect a portion with fine sand that’s so relaxing to walk on (we wished it went on forever) and some well-​aligned rocks that form into a neat staircase eventually leading up to the basin. Mind you, the later parts of the trail will be the most grueling but also the most fulfilling once you reach the tank/​basin (which in January should either be filled with water and most likely, frozen solid).
Some hikers we met along the way were aiming to get to the other side of the tank because they’ve been told that perching on the large rock across where the trail ends offers a beautiful view of the mountains, but I guess walking on thin ice (literally) wasn’t exactly the safest bet and most of them turned back. By now, we decided to head back toward the parking lot, but not after more ‘on the edge’ moments at some mini-​cliffs/​steep rock which proved to challenge our fitness.
Overall, Calico Tanks Trail offers a variety of terrain and beautiful scenic views that leaves your eyes wandering around at nature’s wonders. My friends and I had a wonderful time and even managed to pick a nice spot on some flat rocks, grabbed a bite and snacked on some munchies. Would definitely love to go back again. This time of the year would be perfect for a hike up here, or else, I can only assume it gets exhaustingly hot in the summer.
Note: Halfway into the trail, look in the direction of your upper left. You might just find ‘ Unilocal’ carved on a rock. Way to go on that, Veronica M.

Calico Tanks is a moderate 2.5 mile out and back hike at Red Rock Canyon. To get to the trailhead, take the Scenic Drive to the 3^rd parking area, Sandstone Quarry, and hike the trail that goes out from the west end of the parking lot by the wooden fence posts.
There is about 500 foot elevation gain/​loss. Some of the trail is packed gravel, some is soft sand, some is made up of large rocks that make you watch your footing carefully, and some of the hike is going over sandstone. In short, this hike has a little something of every kind of terrain. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll see some water in the tanks (natural depressions or erosion of the sandstone) that hold water until it evaporates.
After you start hiking, you’ll pass an historically significant area where there once was a quarrying operation in the early 1900s. Stop and look at the blocks abandoned there around 1913 and read the interpretive marker about «The Big Devil.» From here the hike crosses a double wash and then continues until you reach a fork in the trail and Calico Tanks goes off to the right. You’ll come around the back of the sandstone you see in the parking lot and you enter a canyon with sandstone walls on both sides.
The trail is fairly evident most of the way. There are a few places that people have placed cairns to help guide you. As long as you’re going up the canyon, you’ll be OK. The worst that can happen is you get yourself in an area where you’re stuck on a ledge. You may have to retrace your steps and go the other side of the sandy area,
The payoff is reaching the large tank at the end of the trail. Today, January 1, 2011, there was a large amount of water in the tank from our recent rains. The top had a good coating of ice. Enjoy the tank which is dry most of the year. Then head a little more east and you’ll get to an overlook where you can see the Las Vegas Valley. There are two routes to accomplish this: 1) go along the base of the tank and climb the rocks up the small chute on the opposite side; or, 2) when you reach the tank, stay high on the hill on the right and boulder scramble along a path that leads you to the same area. Take what you find easiest. This is a good place to have a snack and to do some exploring.
Retrace your steps to the parking area. Before you get back to the trail junction with the Turtlehead Peak trail, you’ll see and interpretive marker on your right hand side. This is for an Indian roasting pit. It’s a mound beyond the marker where they cooked their food using the agave plant which is common in Red Rock. Make sure you see this historical spot, too!
TIP: This is one of the most popular trails at Red Rock Canyon, so if you go on a weekend, get there early as the parking lot fills up quickly.
I have put the GPS tracks on EveryTrail at this link:
Happy hiking!