Calico Basin at Red Rock Canyon is the place to find desert blooms in April and May. You’ll find shooting star flowers and orchids in the Mojave Desert.
Near but outside of Red Rock’s popular 13-mile scenic loop, Calico Basin is one of Southern Nevada’s most popular geological wonders. In addition to being home to three springs, it is a popular hiking area for hikers of all abilities.
Red Spring’s boardwalk, accessible by wheelchair and conveniently located near the Calico Basin parking area with restrooms and picnic tables, offers a tranquil half-mile stroll. Ash trees provide shade at the start of the looping path, while visitors can take in saltgrass meadow scenery as well as observe wildlife without disturbing the delicate ecosystem. Educational panels featuring colorful images are available to guide travelers through their journey, as well as benches for taking a break and listening to birdsong created by black-throated sparrows, crissal thrashers, and white-crowned sparrows.
View petroglyphs and multi-hued hills from the boardwalk and learn about Native American settlements in the area and the colorful sandstone and gray limestone geology that make Calico Basin unique.
There is also a 112-mile out-and-back hike that skirts parts of Calico Spring from the same location.
At the Red Spring boardwalk parking lot, the Calico Basin Trail crosses sandstone expanses and climbers can be seen climbing enormous boulders. In contrast to the gray of Turtlehead Peak and other limestone giants, this path has bold stripes of red and tan sandstone that look like a mural.
In late March, strawberry hedgehog cactus in the area had buds and should bloom brilliantly in April. A second Calico Basin water source near this trail is Calico Spring.
A second easy trail to see stunning sandstone scenery and stream orchids in May is the Ash Spring Trail. A rare alkali mariposa flower bloomed in the meadow. Ash Spring Trail begins from the second Calico Basin parking lot located at the end of Sandstone Drive.
Calico Basin gets a lot of visitors, so it is advised to arrive early, especially on weekends. Calico Basin has no fees at the moment, but there is potential for fees, reservations, and entry gates in the future. The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing these fees and other ideas.
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