Red Rock Canyon: Calico Tanks Hike
For outdoor lovers, Red Rock Canyon is a must-see attraction about a half hour from the Vegas Strip. Our favorite hike at Red Rock is Calico Tanks. This 2-mile hike leads to an impressive view of the Las Vegas Strip.
- Starting Point: Sandstone Quarry parking lot, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 1000 Scenic Loop Dr, Las Vegas, NV 8916
- Length: 2.5 miles
- Elevation: 400 ft gain and loss
- Type: out-and-back
Red Rock Canyon is a Natural Conservation Area 25 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. It features a state-of-the-art visitor’s center, 13-mile scenic loop drive and multiple hiking opportunities. Our full overview of the area can be found here.
While there are many hikes at Red Rock, we keep coming back to Calico Tanks. This hike is short at just over 2 miles, but it is ranked as moderate. This is because there is significant rock scrambling as you climb up the canyon.
The reward of hiking Calico Trails is the view of Las Vegas far below.
The cost to enter Red Rock Canyon is $15 per vehicle ($10 motorcycle). Pedestrians or bikes are $5 per person. An annual pass is $30 person. If you are planning on visiting multiple national parks on a trip we strongly recommend the annual America the Beautiful National Park Pass. For $80 a year this lets you, and everyone in your vehicle into most national areas.
The start of Calico Tanks is about 2.5 miles from the visitor’s center at the Sandstone Quarry parking area. Several hikes start from here. This includes the difficult hike 2,000 feet up Turtlehead Peak.
A map with the hiking trails can be found here.
Probably the most difficult part of the Calico Tanks hike is making sure you are on the right trail. From the parking lot there is a wide sandy trail that leads towards what used to be a quarry way back in the early 20th century.
Right beyond the quarry area, the trail splits to the left for Turtlehead Peak and to the right for Calico Tanks. If you somehow miss the sign just keep heading to the right following the large rocks that are on the right. This will lead you into a canyon wash area.
From this point the trail heads straight up the canyon wash with large rock formations on either side. This first part is a fairly sandy trail that is pretty well-marked.
After about half a mile you will start to do rock scrambling. At this point, you will see several stairs carved in the rock, but much of it is just picking your own route among the boulders.
It can be hard to figure out the actual trail, but usually there will be plenty of people to follow. In addition, it is a narrow canyon so you can’t really get lost. Your goal is straight ahead at the peak of the canyon.
The trail ends at a pond, Calico Tanks. The size of the pond varies based on the time of year. It is generally low in summer and fall and peaks in spring. You can walk a relatively narrow ledge along the pond or climb the trail above the pond.
Right past the pond you reach the end of the Calico Tanks Trail on the Vegas overlook. From here you get scenic views of the Las Vegas strip.
This is an out-and-back trail so you simply head back the way you came.
Overall this is a short hike but is rated moderate in difficulty because of the rock scrambling. Generally, kids love this kind of climbing so this is a good trail to build up their hiking confidence.
This is a popular rock-climbing area and you will see lots of people doing some pretty extreme climbing. If you have adventurous kids just realize they will have plenty of opportunity to push their limits.
The main thing to note is that Las Vegas weather can be very hot. We have never done this hike in the summer. Even in the spring and fall it has been well into the 90s. Bring plenty of water!
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