It's National Take A Hike Day and I found this out after I just did a hike here this morning with a friend. We opted to do 2 miles out and 2 miles back instead of the loop and had a great time. The first mile or so is a steady gain in elevation, but I didn't bring hiking poles and they shouldn't be necessary unless you need them for balance. The trail is easy to follow so you can't really get lost. We only saw one other person when we were on our way to the turn-around point: solitude! What I noticed about this particular hike is how quiet it is there, which makes for a very peaceful trek. We made it down into the wash area and then turned around to go back the same way we came. I recommend this hike if you're looking for something less difficult, but still full of terrific Red Rock scenery. Plus, it's free--no entrance fees here! read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

This was my first hike at Kraft Mountain and it was a pretty awesome loop! It took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes to do it even with running parts of it. It was a perfect day to hike it because it was overcast for most of the time and I think the temperature was about mid 70's which is extremely rare for June in Vegas. I'd say that the loop itself was easy but maybe that's for someone who walks, jogs and scrambles often. Maybe if you are a total newbie to any hiking or physical activity then maybe it won't be easy. The hike itself going uphill was easy but going down past all the grey rock heading towards the boulders can be tricky because scrambling is required. So get ready to slide down on your butt, cling onto some boulders and wedge yourself between a few hard places while scraping your skin or knees on hard surfaces and brush. I was wearing shorts and did fine and most importantly do carry some sugary snacks if you need a quick pick me up. Pack some gummies and at least a tiny bottle of water and also emergency sunscreen because even in overcast you will get burned by the desert sun. Overall this is a loop I highly recommend to anyone whose never tried it before. It's easy to follow, can't really get lost and there's always people on the trail so if you need help, almost sure you're not going to be alone. Loved this mini adventure and so glad I gave it a whirl. It was beautiful and peaceful. read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - Kraft Mt sign - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

Woke up on a Friday morning with the desire to get outside! Off to Red Rock Canyon I headed. With it still being the holidays, children out of school and people traveling I knew the canyon would be busy so I opted to hike this trail off of Calico Basin. I have completed the shorter trail a while back and decided try the longer loop. I arrived late morning and the parking lot was semi-full. This parking lot is the last available place to park as the road dead ends. You will be facing Kraft Mountain when you park. The hike begins at the parking lot but the sign is deceiving. I headed in the wrong direction and had to turn myself around to find the trail and head north. Once I began my ascent, my cardio workout began. I felt like I was hiking up Turtlehead Peak all over again. Heart rate was climbing but I felt great! Once I made it to the saddle, I looked around at the gorgeous view. I took a brief pause and kept going and all of a sudden I stopped. I heard rushing water in the distance and began to hike towards it. As I was heading towards Turtlehead Peak, I looked across the wash below and followed it up the hill. Aw, here was a natural water fall from the winter storm we had just had. I am always drawn to water when I hike so I began to make my way down to it. The ground was soft and moist which made my descent really easy. I made it to the falls and had it to myself for at least a half hour. Glad it was still early. I opted to keep hiking towards Turtlehead Peak instead of hiking through the wash and scrambling rocks. I headed back the same direction I came and and sat down on a huge rock on Kraft Mountain. I had to take in the magical view. Every peak in the distance was fully covered in snow. Even the peaks that normally don't get snow. I sat there for a while just feeling lucky and grateful to be in this spot on this day. As I headed back down, more and more people were heading up so I was glad I had some moments of solitude and bliss. They say total mileage for this loop is 3.6 miles. I added additional mileage for the fun of it and came back completing almost 5 miles. Be sure to wear good trail shoes and/or boots on this hike.This hike is a great workout with plenty of rewards. Lastly, remember to Leave No Trace. Pack in and pack out. Also, if you have a dog do all hikers a favor and pick up your dogs poop. This is part of being a responsible dog owner and Mother Nature is not going to eat the poop! read more

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It's a part of calico hills. It's a nice trail with different types of hiking: flat and sandy to steep and rocky. It's a loop that gives amazing views up to the hills. Rock climbers everywhere. Parking lot was full. read more

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Fun hike near redrock, we decided to wing it with this hike since redrock requires a reservation now. .. located all the way at the last turn on calico basin road. Uphill the first mile make sure you wear the correct shoes as the rocks are lose going up. 3 mil total out and back. Will definitely do this again during the cooler months went mid may and it was already spicy read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

I think this hike has a better view of Vegas than Calico Tanks. Lots of scrambling and quite a few good rocks to do the Lion King, Simba birth presentation on. Could have been because we lost the trail, but still enjoyable. For folks looking for their Response Rock fix without the entrance fee, this is an easily accessible one. read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

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I came here on a Saturday morning around 8AM, and the parking lot was about a third full. I did the hike clockwise and it was really fun! I got a bit lost when I went to the wash, as there were no signs, but fortunately, there were people in front of me for me to follow. The hike in the wash was really fun and interesting, although some of the rocks were a bit slippery. On the way out of the wash, I saw a lot of rock climbers, and there were quite a few people on the trail. When I finished the hike around 9:30AM, the parking lot was pretty much full. read more

Gravel parking lot. Interesting rock formations, derelect auto and hoppy rabbits. A pleasant crunchy under foot hike. The side boulders on the mountain were calling me to climb them, but we stayed on the path. read more

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This hike is outside of the Scenic Loop so you don't need to pay a fee to get in. From the trailhead in Calico Basin, the hiking trail is well-marked that takes you around Kraft Mountain in the La Madre Wilderness. Today, I went with a group and hiked counter-clockwise i.e going opposite direction. Located on Sandstone Dr & Heyer way, go past the picnic area to end of the road and you will see parking lot. By doing this hike counter-clockwise, you get to scramble over some of the obstacles you would otherwise slide down. Kraft Mountain Loop is a fun hike and scramble which traverses a variety of scenic terrain. Some portions consist of trekking through a wash, regular trail and some parts require Class III scrambling (using hands and feet) to climb over large piled-up boulders. The total hike took us about 2 hours, maybe a little more for breaks and photos. It's about 3ish miles and about 800ish feet in elevation gain. Dress in layers when the weather is cold, wear gloves, bring a hat when it's hot and plenty of water and snacks. read more

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Kraft Mountain is a natural landmark that towers over Calico Basin in Red Rock Canyon. The turn off is on Calico Basin Road off State Route 159 southwest of Summerlin and north of the 13-Mile Scenic Drive. To get to the parking lot: Follow Calico Basin Road past the Red Spring Parking lot where there is a sharp curve. At the stop sign turn left on Sandstone Drive. The parking lot is to the left of the dead end. Disparate from the 13-Mile Drive, entry fees are nonexistent. This review pertains to the approximately 3 mile Kraft Mountain Loop Trail (also called Gateway Canyon). It is a trail incorporating three kinds of hikes around Kraft Mountain. Hiking clockwise, the northbound segment is a scenic hike up to the saddle of Kraft Mountain with mesmerizing views, and a gentle downhill hike to a wash. The southeast bound hike along the wash is a hardcore hike requiring scrambling or sliding down boulders. The south and westbound segment is an easy hike through open desert that looks like a Western featuring a distant overlook of the Strip. As a Yelper I have a serious responsibility when I write reviews. If a hike entails serious risk, I must address it. With that in mind I suggest that the beginner hiker avoid the wash segment, and make this a hike from the trailhead to the start of the wash and back. I also suggest bringing the hiking essentials including hiking boots. Cell phone reception is also relatively nonexistent. The rest of this review is separates Kraft Mountain Loop by each segment. EXTENDED HIKE--Red Spring parking lot to trailhead My philosophy is to park at the larger parking lot with more eyes. I am here to hike, and the additional mile extends the adventure. There is anticipation on the way to the trail. The walk along Sandstone Drive was through an interesting community of ranchette homes. There was even a tepee. Along the left were the mesmerizing red rocks. NORTHBOUND SEGMENT: UP & DOWN SADDLE The trail begins at the parking lot. Please keep in mind that Kraft Mountain is directly in front of the Sandstone Drive dead-end. There is a major flaw where only the beginning of the trail is signed. At the foot of Kraft Mountain the signs are nonexistent. I had to follow a few general use trails and open desert to rejoin the loop trail up the saddle. On April 20, this was an enjoyable experience. The desert was blooming and the weather was serene. As the trail leaves Calico Basin for the La Madre Management Area, it gains elevation on the climb to the saddle. The views from the saddle are breathtaking. Look one way red rocks tower over a miniature Calico Basin. Look to the right and Kraft Mountain looks like Big Thunder Railroad minus the tracks. As soon as I progressed beyond the saddle, the scenery looked like the Grand Canyon. Past the saddle, the trail gradually loses elevation on the way to a wash. Walking further from civilization the air seemed cleaner and the blooming plants created a potpourri scent. Turtlehead Peak was standing in the near distance in front of me. I was literally hiking on cloud 9. SOUTHWEST SEGMENT: THE WASH The hike rapidly changed from a spiritual walk to a hardcore challenge. This is the first time that I entered the world of scrambling and sliding. When I had to progress past boulders and sand stones, my adventure could of easily turned into a misadventure. I felt like a video game character with one life. There was situations where I had to learn scrambling on the spot. The problem was that I was sliding when I tried to hike down these boulders with hands and feet. Instantaneously I had to perform some break dance moves that I never knew that I was capable of to avoid injury. Within seconds of avoiding a fall, I was compelled to slide down and land on my feet. Hence the name of these rocks are death slides. I understand that you have a choice of how to scramble down these rocks. It's just that every choice has a serious risk of injury. Once I landed on my feet after a few of these obstacles, it was obvious that there was no turning back. I was grateful that I wore hiking boots. To be honest, I was looking forward to getting out of the wash-without injury. SOUTH & WEST SEGMENT: DESERT WESTERN LANDSCAPE Just like a video game, there is a reward for progressing a difficult board. When I progressed the canyon, my reward was a vista of a distant overlook of the Las Vegas Strip from New York-New York to the Wynn. To my right was a tranquil vista of Kraft Mountain. Unlike a video game character, I had my work ahead of me. From this point to the trailhead, I was walking on a smooth trail that overlooked a landscape familiar in Westerns. Looking at Kraft Mountain was now enjoyable. When I got nearer the parking lot, I passed by people rock climbing on large boulders. When I saw the Calico Basin community to the left the trail was ending. My memories were beginning. Yelp Challenge #73 read more

Easily my favorite hike in Southern Nevada and i have had my fair share of them. It goes without saying, but i will say it anyways, come prepared ( water, snacks, hat, proper footwear, hiking poles ) but hey, thats just me. Early spring is hiking weather around here and summer is just too hot. Bring a camera as there are too many photo opportunities to count. Just incredible scenary up here. Be prepared to do some scrambling behind the mountain to get down into the dried river bed. We did the hike with 4 people and 2 dogs. It was tricky at some points but we all worked together to negotiate the obstacles in our path. It was really a great team building exercise of sorts as we all helped each other. Seriously, if you have never hiked this trail, prepare to have your mind blown. Its that spectacular. Just watch where you step. Snakes, tortoises, burros, bats, spiders, big horn sheep .... yep.... they all live out here. read more

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A beautiful hike outside of red rock. If you wake up late but still wanna get outside and avoid the crowds at red rock, come here! The trail can kinda be hard to follow and at some points we are scrambling on rocks to get down to the wash but that is the fun part of the hike! The rocks had a beautiful red hue and fascinating patterns. Check it out! read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - Kraft Boulder loop - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

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There so so many different routes and hikes and scrambles you can take on Kraft. I love this area. Kraft Mtn is one of several hikes in the Calico Basin, one of the reasons I like it so much is there are about 4 different routes, depending on your ability and motivation, you are sure to find one that suites you. I have done the Kraft Mountain Loop route and found it to be enjoyable, some areas of good hill climb, couple spots of scrambling and once you reach the north side of Kraft, you can see Turtlehead and when you get to the wash, that's the best part. Great areas of "candy cane" rock, dry waterfall chutes. I believe the hike is around 4 miles RT. To get there go 1 1/2 miles PAST the Red Springs picnic area to the cul-de -sac. Park there and there is a trailhead. There are some cairns, but since there are different hikes and routes, they might be hard to find sometimes, but I don't think they will be needed. Most recently I've been doing a lot of scrambling to the peak. The south face (most difficult, but my favorite) as well as the west side approach. Both offer a great total body workout. Great Class 2 and 3 scrambling. Love this area! read more

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This seems to be a great place to bring your dogs off the leash. So knowing that when to go in you will hopefully avoid the gifts that many other dogs have left for you. It's a neat little spot, but I wouldn't really call it a hike. More like a place to adventure, scramble on rocks and climb. This was a much less strenuous experience than the Calico Tanks Trail. But the picture opportunities seemed to be abundant enough to make it worth bringing the camera. Just don't go here if you aren't able to handle unleashed dogs of every variety. Parking is free and even though this isn't in the Red Rocks Park it is still physically connected to the red rocks. read more

Kraft Mountain can be accessed by the Calico Basin/Red Springs Parking areas. It is included in many reviews of those areas, but is separate enough...and special enough for some specific highlights. Kraft Mountain is the closest mountain the north of Calico Basin. The area is a literal mecca for bouldering and climbing, but the Kraft area offers a great hike. There is a beautiful trail that circumvents the mountain. This trail can be hiked in either direction and is also a fantastic trail run for those with strong cardio. The trail run is typically done in a counter-clockwise route though in order to avoid the speed "Hell Hill" section...but when you really want to test yourself why not run it clockwise?...surely they were jesting when they named it "Hell Hill" right? Whether hiking or running the tail takes utilizes a dry wash (that should be avoided during rain) for about 1/3 of the trail. This portion requires some minimal scrambling at times...still I have hiked this with children without an issue. This area is connected to the back side of Red Rock Canyon and has a similar look and feel that you don't have to pay to access. I have seen a lot more wildlife around Kraft though for whatever reason. This season I came across desert tortoise on 4 different occasions...have seen more than one in a season inside the conservation area since I was a kid. Proceed with caution, this year alone I came across a herd of burros, rattle snakes, and several tarantulas as well. Last year there was a Gila Monster near the Cube (a specific boulder.) Come here for world class bouldering! Come here for great trail running! Come here for a unique and scenic hike! read more

Last minute decision on where to hike & it was worth it. We had fun scrambling our own way up to the peak & then followed a few cairns on the way down to make it quicker & easier for my pup. Fairly easy & short hike on a beautiful Vegas winter day. read more

Kraft Mountain Loop - View from Kraft Mountain Peak - Hiking Near Me - Las Vegas, Nevada

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