Easy hikes and walks in La Madre Mountain Wilderness

Kraft Mountain – Gateway Canyon Loop, counter-clockwise Varied loop hike through the colorful sandstone landscape of Calico Basin. The trail initially leads on well-recognizable paths around Kraft Mountain and then into Gateway Canyon, where the character of the "hike" becomes significantly more challenging. In the canyon, there are several scrambling passages over or between large boulders. Hands are often needed for support; however, the difficulties are predominantly in the UIAA I–II range or easy Class 2 / occasional Class 3 scrambling. Counter-clockwise means that the rock steps and boulder passages have to be climbed up (or are they?). In some places, it is not immediately obvious where the best passage is – so one should not simply choose the most direct line over a boulder, but look for easier bypasses (sometimes hidden behind bushes!). Route finding is also quite challenging in places: anyone who thinks there is only "one path" in the canyon is mistaken; in the rocky terrain, the actual path sometimes gets completely lost. It is particularly important in Gateway Canyon not to go too far towards Turtlehead Peak, but to pay attention to the correct turn-off back to the Loop (turn left, it is marked). Overall: not a technical climbing tour, but significantly more than a simple hiking trail. Sure-footedness, some scrambling experience, and a good eye for route choice are definitely helpful. However, the appeal of this route lies precisely in independently finding the best line through the rock formations. But: it is worth it!! Always keep an eye on the heat, at noon temperatures can already exceed 40°C here – without shade (on the way back)!

Very colorful rocks! Wonderful trail, with sections to be careful about.

Beautiful route full of stunning views and rock formations, but be aware that there's a decent amount of scrambling involved. No technical climbing or anything like that, but you will have to use your hands and feet to do the full loop.

If you don't want to go back along the road afterwards, you have to go back along the river bed to the left

Just 0.6 miles round trip from Rocky Gap Road is a hidden seasonal waterfall in Lost Creek Canyon (typically present after rain storms and December-April). The waterfall is sometimes frozen the winter providing unique photo opportunities in the desert! This area is also a part of the Children's Discovery Trail, a self-guided, interpretive trail about the Red Rock Canyon area.

Hell Hill is the name given to the summit of a saddle between New or El Hijo Peak and Kraft Mountain. The south side is quite steep and gravelly, giving the hill its name.

Gateway Canyon runs behind Kraft Mountain and features a flat, gravelly wash with colorful sandstone, water-carved formations on either side. As you hike along the stream-bed you will need to do some moderate scrambling up and around some boulders and wedged chockstones. There is no water running through the canyon, but you might see some pools of rainwater in the colorful, banded and speckled sandstone rocks that line the narrow canyon.

The Kraft Boulder Field is a famous bouldering (climbing shorter routes, or "problems," that do not require ropes or other technical equipment) area that rock climbers from around the world visit. On all but the hottest and coldest days you can see climbers trying hard in this popular climbing destination. If you are visiting to climb in Red Rock, please remember to refrain from climbing on sandstone during and after rainstorms because moisture weakens the rock and it can break, endangering yourself and potentially damaging routes that people travel from across the world to try! Regardless of whether or not you are a climber, the Kraft Boulders are an amazing place to check out during your visit to Red Rock Canyon and the Calico Hills area!