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| Turtlehead Mountain and Calico Tanks, NV | | -
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| | Turtlehead Mountain and Calico Tanks, NV | | | |
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Turtlehead Mountain and Calico Tanks, NV
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| Hiking | 7.17 Miles |
2,421 AEG |
| | Hiking | 7.17 Miles | 4 Hrs 26 Mns | | 2.13 mph |
| 2,421 ft AEG | 1 Hour 4 Mns Break | 15 LBS Pack | | |
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[ show ]
| no partners | | On day two of my Vegas excursion I did some solo hiking in the Red Rock Canyon area west of Vegas. The first hike was up to Turtlehead Peak. This is about a 2000 foot climb to a peak with great views to the east over Las Vegas and to the west and south of Red Rock Canyon and the Keystone Thrust Fault. This hike is what I call strenuous, in the order of Pusch Peak near Tucson, except the trail isn’t as good. The trail starts out as a super highway at the Sandstone Quarry Trail Head in Red Rock Canyon but deteriorates to a route that scrambles up a gully on the northwest side of Turtlehead Peak. This must be a trail because someone marked the route with little paint spots along the way. There are numerous side trails where others have thought they found an easier way. Once on the ridge on the north side of Turtlehead I thought the tough part was over but the climb up to the peak was just a continuation of what I just came up, maybe not quite as steep. Once on top the view make the hike up worth it.
After coming down from Turtlehead Peak I still had time so I headed up the Calico Tanks Trail. This is a cake walk of a trail with lots of hikers. At some points I thought they needed traffic lights installed to help in managing the crowd where the trail heads up a few narrow stairs or steps. The Calico Tanks Trail heads up to of coarse Calico Tank but continues about 100 yards further up to a saddle with great views over Calico Basin and Las Vegas. The hike in is among the red and white sand stones of Red Rock Canyon and makes for a very picturesque hike. This hike might be better in the spring when calico Tank has water in it. Also might make a good morning sunrise hike to be at the saddle to observe the event.
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