Kraft Mountain

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!

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.

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.

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!

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 Unilocaler 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.
Unilocal Challenge #73

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 ½ 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!