Gateway Canyon & Gray Cap Ridge NW | Calico Basin, Nevada

Gateway Canyon & Gray Cap Ridge NW | Calico Basin, Nevada | Visit lasvegasareatr... | When I emerged through the upper end of Gateway Canyon, I found myself in a strange land of sandstone slabs and boulders somewhere on the Northwest area of Gray Cap Ridge! Yes, GPS would have solved the mystery...but for a moment there was the wonderful feeling of landing in another dimension with little frame of reference.
This route began at Gene’s Trailhead just above the entrance of Calico Basin Road. From there I headed up Gene’s Trail to Gateway Canyon (East side of Kraft Mt.). I took Gateway Canyon to its connector route to Gateway Peak. Heading up a steep slope I found myself looking down on the tinajas of the Gateway Peak trail.
My goal had been to summit Gateway Peak, then descend its full ridgeline, returning to Gene’s Trailhead. I’ll return to complete that loop. However, this day’s exploration offers unique views of the Gray Cap Peak and Ridge Area, along with the challenging traverse through Gateway Canyon.
In the end, I found a way down into Brownstone Basin, finally descending Brownstone Road and back to Gene’s Trailhead. Many unique, beautiful, secluded routes!
Park at Gene’s Trailhead, just a half-mile up Calico Basin Road. Then take the trail to the left which is Gene’s Trail. Once you ascend a ridge, you’re looking down on Kraft Mountain, the large reddish sandstone mountain ahead and slightly to your left. That canyon wash to your left is lower Gateway Canyon. Trace the wash to where it emerges on the East (right) side of Kraft Mountain and continue on Gene’s Trail toward the East side of Kraft Mountain. The trail will cross the Gateway Canyon Wash and connect with the Kraft Mountain Loop Trail as it ascends Gateway Canyon and begins to circle around Kraft Mountain (counterclockwise). Soon the Kraft Mountain Loop Trail will descend again into Gateway Canyon and begin ascending that canyon along the East side of Kraft Mountain.
Gateway Canyon is a series of increasingly tall dry fall barriers. Just realize that when you’re faced with a barrier you cannot climb, look for a bypass to your right or left. This realization will get you all the way through Gateway Canyon.
As you reach the North (backside) of Kraft Mountain you’ll notice a few trails splitting off to the left and continuing to circle around Kraft Mountain. These are connectors to the Kraft Mountain Loop Trail. Ignore these trails and continue up Gateway Canyon, now with a limestone surface. Further up you’ll notice a canyon wash splitting off to the left. This is Rattlesnake Gulch heading to the upper opening of Ash Canyon. Ignore this and continue up Gateway Canyon. The dry falls continue to block your advance in places, becoming more imposing. Watch for the bypass routes.
You’ll know you’re reached the upper opening of Gateway Canyon when the limestone surface and surroundings turns to colorful sandstone slabs. Watch to your right for a large gully. Take this gully upward toward Gray Cap Peak. This is where I began to wander and climb various steep sandstone slopes. The Gray Cap Ridge area is a fairly narrow high sandstone strip between Calico and Brownstone Basins. Yet, when you wander into this area it can pull you in, turn you around and give you the feeling of having entered into another dimension!
At one point I reached a height looking down upon Kraft Mountain. Had I continued to the left I would have been headed toward Gray Cap Peak which I point out in the video. Instead, at this point, running out of time I turned around and charted a course to Brownstone Basin with the goal of heading down Brownstone Road and circling back to Gene’s Trailhead.
There are only a few descent points into Brownstone Basin. I tried a number of hopeful routes, getting cliffed out until I finally discovered a route that took me down to Brownstone Road and back to Gene’s Trailhead. If you want to have the wonderful feeling of being lost in the strange world of the Gray Cap Ridge area, choose a day where the Las Vegas temperature does not exceed 80 degrees and bring lots of water!