Moenkopi/Calico Hills 4-Mile Loop - 11/10/26

Amora scrambling at Red Rock

Mojave Yucca and Calico I Overlook

Hiking on the Calico Hills Trail

Amora viewing the Scenery

The Moenkopi / Calico I Loop is officially ~3.3 miles. Amora & I found a way to add a little distance and a little more elevation gain by adding a few other trails to the pot. We parked at the Red Rock Canyon NCA Visitor Center and joined the Grand Circle Loop / Moenkopi Trail to the left of the Visitor Center's parking lot. Turning right at the first junction and then left at the next trail junction, we traversed over toward the base of Moenkopi Hill and climbed up to the Calico I parking lot. From there, descend to the overlook and turn left. Do the loop here by climbing up the hill and dropping down into the red rock. Next, join the Grand Circle Loop going back toward Calico I. Continue across the overlook and take the trail that traverses the hill on the right until you find a trail leading off to the right. This trail junctions with a trail that comes down from the right. Finish the hill up and continue on the Grand Circle Loop all the way down to the Red Rock fee booth and across the road up to the Visitor Center. Hmm. Did you get all that? If you know Red Rock trails pretty good, I'm sure you did. Anyway, it is a very enjoyable 4.25 miles with red rock everywhere!

Stats: 4.25 miles; 800' gain

Calico Hills Overlook

South Calico Hills Trail

North Blue Diamond Hills from South Calico Hills

Oak Creek Canyon Loop - 11/7/26

Oak Creek and Mt. Wilson in Background

Colorful Oak Creek Boulders

Scrambling down to the red Vein

(L-R) Monument Peak, Indecision Peak
and base of Wilson Peak on Approach to
Oak Creek Canyon

Susan and I started at the Scenic Loop exit trailhead and headed straight out toward Oak Creek Canyon. This is the canyon located between Wilson Peak (the highest peak of the Red Rock escarpment) and Rainbow Peak (the most colorful peak of the escarpment). The colors of Rainbow Peak flow down through the canyon area making the large boulders of Oak Creek a beautiful area for some more difficult scrambling. (There are trails to the side of the canyon that enable rock climbers and hikers to navigate the scrambles on up the creek bed.) The trail that we took from the parking lot led to the old rocky abandoned road where we turned right. (There is also a trailhead for this road at SR 159.)

Wilson Peak and Rainbow Peak with Oak Creek Canyon Between

Potato Knoll (L) from canyon Trail

View down scramble up to Rainbow Peak climbing Wall

Rock climber starting up Rainbow

We followed the road toward the canyon between Wilson Peak and Rainbow Peak until it changed to a trail and passed a large trail sign. After the trail sign and continuing toward the canyon, we crossed a section of a geological red vein in the form of red dirt. The trail continued into rocky terrain. Rock climbers use this trail to reach the base of walls on Rainbow Peak. Soon, we had to turn up to the right and scramble up to a large pine. The trail, then, goes to the left and up some more. A fork is offered after a small climb and we took the left where the trail started down toward the creek bed in the middle of the canyon. Finally in the dry canyon, we turned to the left and began our scramble over very large boulders as we descended through the red vein as seen in a few of these photos. We enjoyed the scramble and finally came to a very large drop that was navigated on our left side. Immediately after the drop, a trail climbs out of the boulders on our right. Here, the trail has to be interpreted. Suffice it to say, whatever trail you use, it is best to head straight toward Potato Knoll. We only made one turn to the left followed by a turn to the right and reached the optimal location at the base of Potato Knoll. Here is where there are so many trails that your best choice is the right choice! We decided to not cross over the creek to the left and continued around the base of the knoll on its left side. This led us to a nice wet creek crossing. The water was higher than normal and our shoes got wet! 😱😎 Lots of photos!

Huge boulder near canyon creek with old tree growing from under It

Rainbow Peak shadow on Wilson Peak from Oak Creek Canyon

Colorful boulders in Oak Creek Canyon

Susan in Oak Creek Canyon

On the other side of the creek, the trail led to the right. At the next creek crossing, we decided to keep hiking straight staying on that side of the creek. (When I have tried crossing here, the trail gets a little convoluted and exits the trees only to leave you trying to find your way back to the creek! The maps below do not reflect this change.) So, we stayed on this side and continued along the beautiful creek that was making that "bubbling brook" sound. Soon, the trail started a climb up the embankment to the left. We followed the most worn trail up onto the desert floor and over to the old road we had been on before. A right turn led us back to the white rock intersection and onto the trail we had taken from the parking lot. We passed several high school students who were on a field trip. They were playing music as they hiked. We didn't tell them that it is illegal to do so but simply danced on by. They enjoyed the performance! What were we gonna do? We were outnumbered!!!

Stats: 5 miles; 700' gain

Kay in shallow water of Oak Creek

Oak Creek yellow trees in front of Potato Knoll and Wilson Peak

Yellow trees line Oak Creek as it flows toward SR 159

Cairn Trails Loop - 11/5/26

Snowy Spring Mountains beyond Upper Cairn Trail Ridge

View down through Black Velvet Canyon from Mountain Springs Peak Trail Ridge

View behind escarpment ridge from Upper Cairn Trail

A dog, a smile and our desert mountain Foliage
What more could you want?

What would a November in Las Vegas be without a trip up to Mountain Springs Peak? So, Susan, Amora and I almost did just that! Still fascinated with the Upper and Lower Cairned Trails, we parked at the Mountain Springs Pass Trailhead and started up the 4x4 road toward the antenna. After climbing the first hill, we turned to the left onto the shortcut trail. This trail ends at another road and we turned left. (Take note of the cairn here.) We followed this road up and around a corner until we came to a trail that crossed the gulley to the left. This led to another trail (right) and ended up at an old dirt road roundabout. (Begin looking for cairns.) The trail continues across the circle. Further up, there is a fork. Go left for the Upper Cairn Trail and continue straight for the Lower Cairn Trail. We forked to the left and began a beautiful climb up a ridge filled with desert foliage and rocky sections. The trail is cairned but if you stay atop the ridge, you're "gold!"As we neared the main ridge above, the trail became steeper. We tried, as we had before, to go right and traverse over to the main ridge where the Mountain Springs Peak Trail resides. It didn't work so well this time. Anyway, we found the trail and began following it to the right. 

Amora

Susan and Mt. Potosi

Here, there are magnificent views of the sandstone bluffs from above. Reaching the trail, we found ourselves not far above Black Velvet Canyon and we could see Windy Peak rising up from the sandstone bluffs to the right. We took our break and continued until we passed the Windy Peak Trail fork to the left.  Not much further, we found the junction to the Lower Cairn Trail on the right. The trail begins with a short zigzag down and heads out to a rock outcrop at a point on the ridge. After passing the outcrop, the trail begins to drop a bit steeper. At the bottom, we crossed the gulley again and hiked on down to the Cairned Trails Fork. 

Reaching Mountain Springs Trail from Upper Cairn Trail

Resting with Susan and Amora

Continuing straight, we retraced our steps back to the car. It was a cool day in the mountains and we saw a few other hikers ... each with dogs! Amora was a great sport and is becoming quite the scrambler! We took our time and enjoyed every minute.

Stats: 3.5 miles; 1100' gain

A cairn on Upper Cairn Trail - Mountain Springs, NV Beyond

Windy Peak as we descend the Lower Cairn Trail

Outcrop on Lower Cairn Trail

Blue Diamond Canyon 5 Loop 2 - 11/2/26

Amora at Blue Diamond Canyon 5

Hiking bike trail above Canyon 5

Amora's introduction to Scrambling

Sponge fossil in a chert Bubble

Susan, Sue, Amora and I parked at the Wheeler Camp Springs Trailhead near Blue Diamond, NV, on SR 159. The trailhead is difficult to see as you come down the road from the Red Rock Scenic Loop area. Suffice it to say, after you pass the old Oliver Ranch gate and a blue info sign, the trailhead turns to the right. There is a yellow and black striped sign at the entrance indicating a cattle grate. Amora, my standard poodle, won't cross the cattle grate but neither would a biker's dogs that started across the road at the same time we did. Amora and I crossed the fence to the right and then crossed the road to enter into Canyon 5. The bike trail leads you in and out of the canyon wash until it climbs up to the left side of the canyon. If you are a scrambler extraordinaire, keep going up the canyon and find a challenging dryfall climb of about 5-6 feet. Instead, we took the trail that continues along the side of the canyon above on the left. After passing the deepest part of the canyon, the trail drops back in and we began scrambling up between the walls. This was Amora's first scramble! And, she was very good at it! We weaved and dodged through the rocks and small drops until we reached the fork where a big boulder sits. Here, we stopped for water, snacks and dog treats. In this area, there were some interesting sponge fossils as seen in the photo to the left and below.

Rest at Big Boulder Fork

Sponge fossil in a chert Bubble

We returned to the big wash junction where the trail came down into the canyon wash. In this area, there is a continuation of the bike trail that climbs out of the wash and up onto the surface above. Finding the Lower Goatroper Trail, we turned to the left and followed the trail as it wiggled its way up the hill. Reaching a small ridge, we found the double cairn marker and turned left onto Flow Job. This trail led us down the small ridge and back over to the trail we started out on. Back through the lower part of Canyon 5, we crossed SR 159 again and found the cars. A short but sweet hike with the super-scrambler poodle.         Stats: 4 miles; and 700' gain.

Scrambling between the Walls

Canyon 5 with the red rock escarpment Beyond

Cottonwoods at Wheeler Camp Spring in Distance