Red Rock Canyon - Calico Tanks (Clark County, Nevada)

A couple of years ago, I learned of a canyon west of Las Vegas, Nevada called Brownstone Canyon that was supposedly covered with Native American rock art, both petroglyphs and pictographs. About a year ago, I visited and began searching for a way to reach this canyon. Unfortunately, housing developments in that part of town have closed off the obvious access and I was unable to get there the way I had planned. I'm back in Las Vegas for a concert and decided I would take another crack at it. This time, I'll be attempting to reach the canyon from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

My concert was last night and it was a great show, but now I'm on to the outdoor portion of my trip. I had to reserve a timed entry pass about a month ago. Red Rock Canyon has become a very popular tourist destination for those visiting Las Vegas and to control the crowds, this reservation system was launched some time back. Entering just after 9:00 AM when my reservation allowed, I drive to the Sandstone Quarry parking area and begin to reconsider my plan. I was expecting temperatures in the high-80's today, but it's going to be substantially warmer. Today's high is expected to reach 101° and even now, it's already in the 90's. My planned route will take me up and around the western side of Turtlehead Mountain and then back down the north side to reach Brownstone Canyon. This is a rugged route with a lot of pathfinding and rock scrambling and I'm just not sure today is the day to do it, given the heat. Considering my options, I decide to abandon my original plan and instead hike to the Calico Tanks area of the park, which is a much shorter hike.

Leaving the parking area, I follow the marked trail, which follows a gravel wash into the red and orange sandstone tangles. Before long, the trail loops to the right and begins to ascend. With the sun beating down, I'm thinking that I made the correct choice. The trail is marked by piles of rocks collected in a chicken-wire cylinder and with a signed post sticking out of it. The park service does a pretty good job of marking it, but considering the three-dimensional nature of this trail as it ascends sandstone cliffs, it's still a bit challenging to find the right path at times.

There are quite a few people hiking this area today, even with the heat. I guess it's one of the better options. I continue on climbing several sets of fashioned stone steps and scrambling up sections of the red stone. Finally, I reach the largest of the Calico Tanks. During some parts of the year, this 'tank' catches rain water and holds it for some time, but here at the end of Summer, it is completely dry, though wild grasses growing in the formerly submerged soil give testament to the water that was here not that long ago. I take a short rest and spend some time examining a patch of dye on one of the rocks that forms the close side of the tank. It looks like the same type of pigment used by the ancient peoples of this area to create their pictographs, but this one doesn't have any form that I can recognize or make sense of. I use a few photo filters hoping to discern some kind of image, but never really do and after a few minutes give up the investigation.

From here, I follow where I've seen a few others climb up the eastern side of the tank. It's a bit sketchy, but I assume there's a good view from up there. It's a challenging scramble, but reaching the top, I see that it's worth it. From up here, we have a magnificent view of the whole Las Vegas Valley. The mega-resorts of the Las Vegas Strip rise in the distance. I take a few minutes to enjoy the view before heading back.

The return trip is similarly challenging due to all of the scrambling and with the sun rising higher in the sky, the temperatures are getting even warmer. I wish I could adventure more in this place, but I just don't think it would be prudent given the hot weather. I return to my rental car having hiked about 2.4 miles total. I'll have to try again (next time in the winter) to reach Brownstone Canyon. For now, I'll settle for the short hike I got in today.