Date #1: Calico Basin Trail Las Vegas
Great day everyone! Sunshine here and for our first date we went somewhere that was sunshiny as well! Lol It’s called Calico Basin Trail and it’s located near Red Rock.
Now that the weather has been nicer, we decided to go for a nice hike. If you’ve never been, Red Rock is definitely on our top list of things to do in Vegas, especially if you’d like to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip.
Located approximately 21 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, it’s an easy drive and shouldn’t take longer than 30 mins to get there. Unless you live on the outskirts like we do and it can take about 45 mins.
Nothing terrible though. It’s worth the drive and peacefulness once you get out there 🧘♀️
Here’s a map of where we are heading:
Why We Picked Hiking At Calico Basin Trail
Here’s a little background on me “The Sunshine”. Back in October of 2017, I shattered my right ankle.
We’re not talking a little break. We’re talking full-on, right bones completely shattered and gone AND the left and back ankle bones were broken too.
I now have internal jewelry as The Shadow likes to call it Lol I have 2 plates and 17 screws holding it all together….ouch!
Even though it’s been a year and a half later, there are just some strenuous activities that I can’t participate in.
The Shadow is really great at researching all the trails and finding ones that are appropriate for me ❤️
So this trail is a basic hike that is great for beginners and kids. Also, pets are allowed so feel free to bring them along on a leash!
How Much Is The Entry Fee Into Calico Basin Trail?
Free. Yep, you read that right, it’s free!
Since Calico Basin isn’t inside Red Rock National Forest, you won’t need a pass to get in.
Yay for free dates! Just pay for gas 😊
Driving To The Trails
There are a few neighborhoods that are just a few miles from the base of the Calico Basin. Imagine having that view!?
It’s really beautiful and it’s really cool to see all the variations in the colors of rocks all within one mountain.
This mountain range actually spans around a good chunk of the North West side of Las Vegas.
Entering Calico Basin
As we entered the base of the mountains, we immediately felt calm and relaxed.
We were excited to start our morning with a nice hike and we also planned to have a little cookout while we were there.
There are a few picnic tables there with cookout grills and shade so it is a nice place to unwind after the hike.
Unfortunately, when we went, we were also looking for a mostly complete quiet and peaceful trip. There were a few families gathered for a get-together and they were quite loud so we decided not to have the cookout.
Information About Red Springs At Red Rock Canyon
So as you may have seen from the Google Map above, there are many trails that are all located within or around Red Rock Canyon.
Seems we also visited Red Springs! I didn’t even realize it until just now uploading these photos into this article Lol! 😆
The Shadow has informed me that there are actually 3 springs that are located within the basin.
We didn’t make it all the way back to any of the springs but the hike was just as beautiful regardless!
Hello from me The Sunshine! 👋
Along The Hike
All along the hike, there are so many cool things to see!
Oddly enough, there are flowers out there. I’m not sure why I’m surprised by that but I guess it’s because we don’t get much rainfall here so I would think they wouldn’t survive 🤷
Check out the beauties below! We found yellow flowers, some purple flowers on a thorny bush and some whispy feathery-like things too.
In addition to these really beautiful pops of color amongst the browns of the terrain, there were some really cool rock striations as well!
Again, I can’t mention enough how peaceful it was and how awestruck I was just seeing nature doing its own thing.
Here are a few more photos of the scenery that was around us and there’s a cool shot of a girl rock climbing too!
Oh and pardon the photo quality, but check out that cool lizard guy too 🦎
It was so nice to take our time, stopping and going as fast/slow as we wanted. We actually sat and had a few snacks while admiring the terrain. It was so nice ⛰️
Our Review Of Hiking At Calico Basin Trails
The Sunshine: Honestly, I really loved it! We went early enough in the morning and it wasn’t very hot. Mind you it was the beginning of June and it’s not as hot as say August but the temps can still get pretty high!
I liked how there were places to sit and relax, a.k.a. rocks Lol and you could really just get lost in the peacefulness of it all.
I would definitely go again and I would recommend it for families or beginner hikers too.
The Shadow: xx
In Conclusion…..
Getting out into nature was so relaxing and it was a great step away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
This is definitely a trail that we will hike again!
Thanks so much for being here and reading our dates & reviews!
If you’d like to read more of our date nights, click here to see more! 🙂
We’d Love To Hear From You!
Comment below if you’ve been and what you liked about the trails. Did you make it all the back to the springs? We’d love to hear about it!
And as always, leave a comment below and let us know where you’d like to see us go next!
Take care and until the next date, have an amazing week!
The Sunshine & The Shadow
