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| - 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 3rd 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: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=921688
Happy hiking!
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