Overview

Calico Hills Loop Trail is 6.5-mile hike that circumnavigates the Calico Hills. The hike can be considered a series of trail segments that start and stop at any of 6 trailheads (3 along the Scenic Loop Road and 3 in Calico Basin). Most of the loop runs on easy, gently sloping trails, but there are a few steep parts, some off-trail in a wash, and the Ash Canyon segment requires a fair bit of Class-2 and Class 3 scrambling getting down and around boulders and pour-overs.

Views from many parts of the loop are grand, with those on the west side of the hills spreading out across all of Red Rock Canyon, and those on the east side looking southeast across Calico Basin and points south. For hikers who have only driven along the Scenic Loop Road, this hike offers an up-close and personal encounter with the Calico Hills that is quite different from the road-side perspective.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is fairly safe and usually not far from a road or trailhead. Ash Canyon requires a bit of Class 3 scrambling, so be extra careful when high enough to fall and get hurt.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. This is a long hike, so be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials. The Ash Canyon segment of the loop goes into the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area, so pay particular attention to respecting the land.

The Hike - Calico I to Calico II

From the Calico 1 Trail junction (Wpt. 09), the route continues north on a well-used trail. Shortly, the trail descends towards the wash, and just before the wash, the trail forks (Wpt. 10). All trails in this area lead north towards Calico II, so either fork will do. The right fork, part of the Calico Hills Trail, climbs higher (better views, harder route), and the left fork stays low (easier and shorter).

Staying left at the junction (Wpt. 10), the trail runs low along the west side of the wash. The trail eventually begins to climb, merges back together with Calico Hills Trail (Wpt. 11), and climbs into the Calico II area, which also has many use-trails that make it difficult to stay on the main trail, although some barricades help.

At a signed trail junction with the Calico 2 Trail (Wpt. 12) atop a wide switchback, the Calico Hills Loop Trail turns hard to the right, while the trail to the left runs up to the Calico Hills II Trailhead. The railing and stairs at the trailhead are visible from this point.