Page 10 - Summer2011 magazine

by Chris Dempsey
Gateway Canyon

Drive out toward Red Rock Canyon on Highway 159 from Las Vegas and you pass the community of Calico Basin.

While most of Calico Basin is not visible from the highway, a rather imposing plum colored mountain situated just north
of the community certainly is. A little more than one mile in length, Krafft Mountain is largely composed of sandstone
and has a different shade of color than the surrounding peaks.

On the north side of Krafft Mountain is Gateway Canyon, an absolute delight for hikers wanting to experience beautiful
back country scenery close to the city. The canyon is nearly three miles in length and gains 1,500 feet of elevation from
bottom to top. The lower portion of the canyon runs in a westerly direction, but the upper portion turns north and passes
the east side of Turtlehead Peak before ending on sandstone ridges overlooking Brownstone Canyon.

There are several hiking routes starting at Red Springs Picnic Area near Calico Basin that provide access to the colorful
lower portion of Gateway Canyon. The most direct route follows the trails along the east side of the Calico Hills and
climbs steeply to a saddle on the western edge of Krafft Mountain. From the saddle, the trail follows the contour of an

adjacent peak around to the northwest and descends into Gateway Canyon about one-half mile later.

Although it is nearly impossible to get lost in Gateway Canyon, there are several difficult areas that require boulder
scrambling. The shortest version of the hike starting at Red Springs is about five miles and is rated as moderately

strenuous. The terrain in the canyon is not suitable for small children and hiking in groups is advised.

On entering Gateway Canyon, the route turns right and follows the drainage path toward the canyon mouth about one
mile to the east. At the point of entry the surrounding rock layers generally consist

of limestone and the floor of the canyon contains deep deposits of gravel. In a very
short distance, however, one begins to encounter the amazing sandstone formations
that dominate the surrounding areas of the lower canyon. Note the boulder in the
lower right portion of the picture. It exhibits darker lines and dots that contain a

higher concentration of iron, resulting in the deeper red color.

In many places the canyon narrows to a width of only a few feet and several obstacles are
encountered. The picture to the left shows one of the most difficult sections to be traversed.

Hikers must detour around boulders and drop about twenty feet through a narrow notch to reach
the confined space where you see them.

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