Calico Hills Overlook, Red Rock Canyon
The Calico Hills pullouts (Calico I and Calico II) are the first major scenic stops on Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area's 13-mile one-way Scenic Loop Drive, located 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on SR-159. Vivid bands of red, orange, and cream Aztec sandstone rise hundreds of feet above the desert floor, and the overlooks provide unobstructed views across the geological formations that give Red Rock its name. Restrooms are available at Calico II. The Scenic Loop is a timed-entry drive (reservation required in peak season) that routinely ranks among the top short rides near Las Vegas.
The Calico Hills pullouts — Calico I and Calico II — sit at the opening miles of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area's one-way Scenic Loop Drive, putting the most vivid sandstone in the area directly in front of you without any real commitment. The Aztec sandstone here runs through bands of red, orange, and cream, rising hundreds of feet above the desert floor, and the overlooks face those formations straight-on with nothing blocking the view. Vault toilets are available along the scenic drive, so it is a practical stop as well as a visual one.
The loop itself is a 13-mile paved, one-way road managed by the BLM, and it sits about 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip on State Route 159. From October through May, timed-entry reservations are required to access the Scenic Drive between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; from June through September no reservation is needed, though parking areas can fill by mid-morning on busy days. Cell service along the loop is limited, so have your reservation pulled up before you reach the entrance station. The drive itself takes roughly 40 minutes without stopping — the overlooks add only a few minutes each.
Red Rock's Scenic Loop is the go-to ride when you're within 30 miles of the Strip — the Calico Hills overlooks deliver the most dramatic wall of red sandstone in the state with minimal hike-in effort.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
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