Overview

This 4-mile loop starts along Calico Basin Road, shortly before the housing area, and runs north and west using interconnected use-trails that crisscross the desert to make a loop. Hikers need to pay attention to the many trail junctions. The hike generally runs north to the mouth of Gateway Canyon, turns east on old roads and then south, climbing onto the summit of Peak 3844. The hike descends off the north side of the peak, and runs southwest back to the trailhead.

This is a surprisingly pleasant hike with grand scenery, a nice craggy peak, and even solitude -- all on an easy hike starting only minutes from town.

Link to area map or trail map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is fairly safe, but the peak is craggy, so always be extra careful near edges where you could fall and hurt yourself.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this is a short hike, 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 30 minutes from town, but not on the Scenic Loop Road. Drive out West Charleston Blvd, turn right onto Calico Basin Road, and then drive north 0.4 miles to the main Calico Wash Trailhead. Continue around the curve for about 0.2 miles. Before getting to a shallow wash, watch for an unmarked use-trail that runs north. Pull well off the road and park here; this is the Genes West Trailhead.

The Hike

Because there are so many interconnected use-trails in this area, trails established by hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and even vehicles for various purposes, the route description sounds convoluted and confusing. In reality it is simple: always staying on well-defined use-trails or old roads, hike north to the mouth of Gateway Canyon, turn east on an old road to catch the north toe of the summit ridge, hike south to the summit (Peak 3844), and then cut down and north before curving back to the trailhead.

From the West Trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 30), a use-trail, heavily used by horseback riders, leads northwest. After 3-4 steps, the trail crosses a trail running parallel to the road: this is the return trail.

Continuing northwest, in a few more steps another trail merges from the left, and thereafter all trails run northwest along the edge of a wash. The other side of the wash is private property so please say along the trail.

Eventually the trail is forced onto the hillside above the wash to pass the corner of fenced property (Wpt. 31). The trail descends and again follows the edge of the wash, eventually merging with an old road (Wpt. 32) that comes from across the wash.

Following the old road along the wash, the road eventually forks (Wpt 33). The left fork runs back onto private property, while the right fork runs up onto a low ridge heading northeast.

Heading northeast and away from the residential area, the old road forks at a point with twin powerpoles (Wpt. 34). Hikers can turn hard to the left to pick up a trail, or they can follow the road to the left.

Continuing north on the trail, the trail eventually merges with the old road near the mouth of Gateway Canyon. There are a plethora of old road and trails in this area, but the goal is to get to the base of the red cliffs to the north, and then turn east on an old road. A short-cut trail leaves the old road at a curve (Wpt. 37) and cuts northeast to rejoin the same road (Wpt. 38) under the red crags.

Rather than taking the short-cut, hikers may want to wander along trails and old roads that lead up into the mouth of Gateway Canyon; the area is scenic and provides some shade.

Continuing east on the old road (Wpt. 38), the hike follows the old road along the crags and out into a broad, open valley, surprisingly with views of Las Vegas.

Through this area, the vegetation is sparse, but typical Mojave Desert Scrub, with a diverse assemblage of shrubs such as Creosote Bush and White Bursage, Mojave Yucca, Spiny Menodora, Nevada Jointfir, Indigo Bush, and several other species.

The old road passes a trail junction to the right (Wpt. 39) and continues eastward. Eventually the road bends to the south, crosses the powerline road (Wpt. 40), and climbs straight up the steep hillside to a powerpole.

Shortly past the powerpole, the now gently sloped road merges with another road coming from the left (Wpt. 41), and together the road winds along the hillside heading south.

Near the top of the ridge, the Red Rock cliffs come into view, as does the summit of Peak 3844. The old road eventually gains the top of the ridge (Wpt. 12) and merges with a trail coming in from the right.

Following the old road south, the trail runs out onto a broad, flat highpoint (Wpt. 13) where vehicles stopped. I can image that this would have been a nice place to park and watch the lights of town at night.

From the far south end of the old road (Wpt. 14), a use-trail continues along the ridge heading for the summit. Stunted Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus and Utah agave are thick along the ridgeline.

At the base of the summit block (Wpt. 15), the trail splits. A spur trail continues to the summit (Wpt. 16), but the loop turns right and starts down the steep north side of the peak.

Continuing to the summit (Wpt. 16), the faint use-trail is hard to follow because of so much bedrock, but the route is obvious. Atop the summit, the views are grand for such a low peak. The 360-view includes the Red Rock Cliffs, the Calico Hills, the La Madre Range, the Las Vegas Range, Virgin Peak, the Muddy Mountains, peaks in Gold Butte, Wilson Mountain over in Arizona, the North McCullough range, perhaps the New York Mountains, the South McCullough ranges, and of course, Blue Diamond Hill.

Departing the summit, the route backtracks to base of the summit block (Wpt. 15), then turns left and heads west and northwest down the north side of the peak. Notice here the difference in vegetation from the more sunny south and west-facing slopes. Even desert almond grows here, a species usually restricted to washes.

Descending to the northwest, the trail crosses a wash and intersects a trail running along the hillside (Wpt. 08). Turning left, the hike runs downhill and quickly merges with a trail coming in from the right (Wpt. 07) and continues to the southwest.

The trail passes a junction (Wpt. 06) with a faint trail to the left, runs up over a ridge (with a view down to the main trailhead), and then descends towards a gully. At a fork in the trail (Wpt. 05), the hike stays right staying on the contour across the hillside (route does not descend to the main trailhead). Continuing over the ridgeline, the trail descends to the trailhead (Wpt. 30).