What we’re about
WELCOME!
VegasHikers is the premier hiking group in the Desert Southwest! We take more hikes to more places and have the friendliest, most welcoming organizers of any group around. We feature hikes for all skill levels, road trips, camping, and social gatherings. We have events at a huge variety of times, places, and days. We even hike at night! With dozens of organizers and an average of more than an event a day, you're sure to find activities to suit your fancy.
KNOW YOUR LIMITS.
Our organizers are not tour guides, we're not rangers. Going out with us is the same as going out with a few friends. Expect the same risks, take the same precautions. As organizers, we will do our best to give accurate descriptions of the hikes we post. If you're a beginning hiker, a hike's elevation and distance may not mean much to you. Likewise, difficulty ratings are subjective, and a hike that is "easy" to one person may be "moderate" to another. Err on the side of caution. You're much better off going on a hike that's too easy for you than a hike that's too hard or too dangerous for you. As you go on more hikes with us, you'll become more familiar with our ratings and our descriptions, and you'll learn more about your own limits. Ultimately, it's up to you to keep yourself safe out there. You're an adult. Hike within your abilities.
DUES/FEES
There are no membership dues to be a part of this group. It does take money to pay for this site, fill up first aid kits, and keep organizers prepared, so we gladly take donations any time they're offered.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Our group can be defined by five terms, which help guide every decision we make. They are as follows:
- All are welcome
- We hike together
- We come prepared
- We're all adults
- We appreciate the outdoors
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Fitness Series: Up Muffins & Down Skull Canyon LoopCowboy Trails, LAS VEGAS, NV
Please read the entire hike description. New participants will be required to sign a Waiver like the Disclaimer below. 📢Please arrive between 4:15p – 4:25p.
✨Welcome to the Fitness Series✨
These hikes are designed to strengthen cardiovascular health and ultimately your pace and stamina on the trails. A pin is available for those who participate in the series and attend the final hike, Cowboy Caves & Beyond!We’ll be running this Fitness Series on a seasonal basis (Spring, Summer-permitting, and Fall) to train up for the annual Summer Charleston Series in 2024.
✷Everyone starts on the Waitlist✷
Hosts: Liz has over 500 hikes & Paul has over 350 hikes with VegasHikers; both are co-creators of this Fitness Series and proud alumni of the Summer Charleston Series.
To learn more about the Series, click here:
VegasHikers: Cowboy Fitness Series📌 This is a loop hike that starts at the Cowboy Trail Rides parking and goes up to the the Muffin Rocks. We then hike south across the ridge line to the top of Skull Canyon trail and make our way back down to the parking lot. While a moderately challenging route with several ascents and descents, the trail can become steep in some places. Since the goal of this hike is fitness, you'll need to maintain a fast pace.
✷Carry minimum 2L of water – bring a headlamp or other light source✷
HIKE QUICK STATS
• Location: Cowboy Trail Rides
• Distance: 5.5 miles
• Elevation gain: 1,282 ft
• Strenuosity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✰
• Time: 2 hours
• Gear: trail shoes required; no trekking poles
• No guests, children, canines, or event crashers, please!
• All attendees must be members of VegasHikers. It only takes a couple of minutes to sign up and it's FREE.FAQs
- Do I need to attend every hike? No. There are 7 hikes to choose from. To earn the pin, you must complete 5 hikes plus the Cowboy Caves. (6 total)
- Do I need to be in good shape to start the series? Since the program is designed to strengthen endurance, a reasonable amount of fitness is required.
Have questions? Text Liz 702-496-2455 and/or Paul 702-628-0454.
Tentative Schedule for Fitness Series:
Tues., 3/12: Bunny to Cat in the Hat & Down Fossil Canyon Loop
Thurs., 3/14: Echo Canyon to Cat in the Hat Down Fossil Canyon Loop
--- Note: New participants will not be accepted after this point of the series ---
Tues., 3/19: Brokeback Mtn to The Bronc to Rock Spectacular
Thurs., 3/21: Firehouse Hill Horseshoe Out-&-back
Tues., 3/26: Skull Canyon to the Overlook Out-&-back
Thurs., 3/28: Up Muffins & Down Skull Canyon Loop
Tues., 4/2: Bob Gnarly & The Boneshakers Loop
Sat., 4/6: Cowboy Caves & Beyond!Want to learn more about VegasHikers?
Subscribe to the magazine here: VegasHikers Magazine sign-up•• Disclaimer ••
Please be aware that your Meetup organizers are not tour guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would take if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being. By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event. All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or any injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for this event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer, and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.Not open - Grand Staircase - Beginner ScrambleNeeds location
REQUIREMENTS FOR SIGN UP - NO EXCEPTIONS
• YOU MUST SIGN A WRITTEN WAIVER TO ATTEND THIS HIKE. The link to the written waiver is here:
http://richardwaltjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/written-waiver.pdf
You will not be moved to the "going" list without providing a signed waiver by email to the address on waiver.
If you have already provided one to me, you do not need to provide another one.HIKE DESCRIPTION
I first did this hike years ago. It wasn't until much later that I was informed of the name, Grand Staircase. It's a good climb right up the front of the rock facing the Red Springs picnic area in Calico Basin.
From the parking lot it can look very steep and dangerous, but other than the lung-busting, seemingly endless climb, there's nothing to it. The climb down along the ridge can be filled with fun hops and small jumps (might be tough on the knees). There's a small amount of scrambling necessary, both up AND down, but nothing too difficult.
The view from the top of this rock is amazing. There's a pretty good view of the entire Calico Basin and the surrounding rocks as well as a look into the city to remind you that you're not very far away. You can also see over the 13-mile loop into the signature part of Red Rock Canyon.
This is a heavily traveled area. We don't see too much wildlife along this route, but we remain hopeful. Check out my wildlife gallery for some of my favorite pictures of animals I've seen.
http://richardwaltjen.com/galleries-2/animal-gallery/• Helmets are always welcome. Be sure to use one that doesn't block your sight.
• Always carry "in case of emergency" numbers with you.
• No guests will be allowed without my prior approval.
YOU MUST BE ON THE "GOING" LIST IN ORDER TO GO ON THIS HIKE. CRASHING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
Meet location will be sent on by message or text on the night before the hike.
STATS
Distance: ~ 1.5 miles round trip.
Elevation gain: ~ 900 ft.
High point: 4302
Low point: 3604
Difficulty: moderate-difficult
Pace: ~ 1 mph.
Children: no.
Dogs: no.
Time: ~ 2 hours.
Bring: At least one liter of water. Snacks if you want.INFORMATION LINKS
Scrambling Tiers
http://richardwaltjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rickw-scrambling-tiers.pdfPassages
http://richardwaltjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Passages.pdfPin Program
http://richardwaltjen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pin-Collection.pdf