Calico Tanks Trail

From the parking area of Sandstone Quarry start along the obvious trail beside the signs and outhouses. The path will soon pass a junction; continue straight. It will shortly also pass by a large boulder, where you will most likely see climbers.

After a little way along this relatively wide and loose gravel path, you will reach another junction. Turn right here towards the Calico Tanks. Soon after the junction, the path will turn into loose sand, which is extremely frustrating to walk along. After hiking along the sand for a short way, the difficulties of the trail will start to make themselves apparent. You will find several unmarked forks in the trail where both of the options look good. Typically in these scenarios each option does, in fact, lead to the tanks, so no worries.

Towards the end of the path, the trail will run you up onto the sides of the canyon, where it will turn to sandstone. Here is where the trail is particularly hard to find, as there are very rarely any cairns or other trail-markers to follow. However – don’t worry – there are no turnoffs for other canyons along the way, so any route you may take through this small canyon is guaranteed to end at the tanks.

Remember when making these route-finding decisions to judge your scrambling ability. There is certainly a way to get around all the obstacles in front of you without climbing, it just sometimes takes a bit of problem-solving. Though this hike is not especially physically demanding, the route finding skills required in this section are challenging, as reflected in the hike’s grade. Once at the tanks return the way you came.

Check out more amazing hikes around Las Vegas:

• Mary Jane Falls Trail
• Cathedral Rock Trail
• Icebox Canyon Trail