In 1905 the Excelsior Company was formed (by the Lyon-Wilson Construction Company of San Francisco) to mine “superior grade sandstone” for construction projects in Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Over the next several years, the sandstone was mined off & on by at least 2 other companies, before closing for good in 1912.  Today, you can see the remains of the quarry and imagine how difficult it must have been to get the material back to Las Vegas.

The Sandstone Quarry trail starts along the same trail as Turtlehead Peak, before branching off.  All throughout this area are signs of prehistoric activity, so keep your eyes open for some of the many agave roasting pits, pictographs and petroglyphs.  The scenery is truly spectacular.  You can make this hike as long and as strenuous as you’d like, by scrambling in and around the Calico Hills and Tanks, and then proceeding up to Turtlehead Peak.

Please click the images below: