Grand Circle | Calico Basin | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
The Calico Hills form a boarder between lower Red Rock Canyon and lower Calico Basin in Nevada. The Calico Hills form a boarder between lower Red Rock Canyon and lower Calico Basin in Nevada. The Lower Calico Hills Loop follows a 5-mile series of 4 trails around the circumference of the Calico Hills. The Calico Hills are composed of ancient Jurassic Era sand dunes that have been frozen into an artistic display of fantastic shapes, colors and designs. From a distance the Calico Hills are dwarfed by the larger surrounding formations. However looks are very deceiving as the closer you get these formations become huge with 30-40ft sheer drop-offs. Route description: 5mi Loop Circles Calico Hills; *Fairly Good Trail, Sketchy in Places – Some Steep Rocky Stretches* Click image or title above for more…
Grand Circle Loop | Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
The Grand Circle Loop is and 11.3-mile trail that serves as a great overview of Red Rock Canyon and its surrounding wilderness areas including The Rainbow Mountain Wilderness and The La Madre Mountains Wilderness. Learn about the access points to these great wilderness areas and receive insight on wilderness navigation and strategy.
Grand Staircase | Calico Basin | Red Rock National Conservation Area, Nevada
The Calico Hills form a boarder between lower Red Rock Canyon and lower Calico Basin in Nevada. These ancient sand dunes have been frozen into an artistic display of fantastic shapes, colors and designs. The most popular route up the Calico Hills is called The Grand Staircase. As you stand in the parking area in the Red Springs Desert Oasis in the Calico Basin and look closely at the Calico Hills towering above you’ll see a natural diagonal route that begins in the mid section and angles up to the right and to the summit of the hills. This is the Grand Staircase. Route Details: Approx. (2 mi. RT); **Wilderness, Sketchy Path, Class 3 Rock Climbing** Click image or title above for more…
Gray Cap Ridge Brownstone Basin Loop | La Madre Mountains Wilderness, Nevada
Beginning at Gene’s Trailhead in the Calico Basin, traverse most of Gray Cap Ridgeline from the SE Summit, then return to the Calico Basin by way of the Brownstone Trail and Road. Best time of year for this adventure is Spring or Fall. Click the image or title above for all the details.
Gray Cap Ridge Southeast Summit | La Madre Mountains Wilderness, Nevada
Gray Cap Ridge Southeast Summit in Nevada is an easy hike with spectacular views. Trails get you nearly to the summit. Hike begins at Gene’s Trailhead in the Calico Basin and navigates to the summit in the La Madre Mountains Wilderness. Best time of year for this adventure is Spring or Fall. Click the image or title above for more details.
Historic Road in Pine Creek Canyon | Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
View video documentation of a historic road leading from the intersection of the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive and Oak Creek Canyon Road straight to Pine Creek Canyon where the historic homestead of Horace and Glenda Wilson was built in the 1920s. Two additional historic roads in Red Rock Canyon are also recorded on video and discussed here. Click the image or title above to learn more.
Ice Box Canyon | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
Ice Box Canyon, located on the Eastern side of the Rainbow Mountains between Willow Spring and Pine Creek Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Red Rock Canyon. The brief 2.2-mile hike introduces the beauty and challenge of traversing the brush, boulders, ledges and streams in the canyons on the Eastern side of the Nevada’s Rainbow Mountains. This is a great 2nd canyon experience if you’ve never navigated such terrain. Easier, as a first experience is Lost Creek Canyon to the North. More difficult are Pine Creek, Oak Creek and First Creek Canyons to the South.
Juniper Canyon | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
Juniper Canyon is the passageway to Juniper Peak, the most popular summit in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada. The canyon in Itself is a full adventure with navigation challenges including brush, boulders, ledges and multiple route choices at every point. For this reason, we devote an entire adventure page to navigating this canyon at the Eastern base of The Rainbow Mountains. Best time of year to adventure in Juniper Canyon is mid-Fall through mid-Spring as Summer temperatures can exceed 110 degrees. Click on the image or title above for more details, map, images and video.
Juniper Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
If you’re looking to climb your first peak in the Rainbow Mountains, Juniper Peak is a good start. Many of the surrounding peaks dwarf it in comparison: Mt. Wilson; Rainbow Mountain; Bridge Mountain. Experience all the beauty and challenge of a Jurassic Era Aztec red rock peak in the Rainbow Mountains of Nevada. When you are facing Juniper Peak there appear to be 3 routes from the Red Rock Park side: Two narrow chutes to the left and what looks like a more gradual approach to the right. I ended up selecting the middle of these routes – the right chute of the two chutes to the left. Hindsight says that the easier, and likely the more traditional route is the more gradual climb up the slope on the right (just before Pine Creek Canyon). Route Description: 8.7 mi/ 3,909 > 6,109ft; **Some Trails, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Juniper Peak Summit Base Exploration | Red Rock Canyon NCA, Nevada
Juniper Peak summit base exploration, Nevada: From the Arnight Trail, through Juniper Canyon and up along the base of Brownstone Wall. Locate the Juniper Canyon entrance route; navigate the brush, boulders and ledges in Juniper Canyon, ascend above Juniper Canyon and explore various Juniper Peak summit routes along the base of Brownstone Wall.
