Granite Range, Nv

The Granite Range rises a mile above the Black Rock Desert. The photo above shows Wagon Tire Mountain on the right, Granite BM and Granite Peak to the left of it, peak 7624 on the far left then peak 7772 to the right of it. Gerlach has gas but only Empire has a grocery store. Posted 2014.

• GRANITE PEAK el 8970 and Granite BM are right out of Gerlach. Take paved County Rd 34 for 21.7 miles to the 4wd Cottonwood Creek road on the left. This is a mile after the pavement ends reading N40 53300, W119 20620. Follow a fence for 2.5 miles on the 4wd road to a fork at a hill. Both go, but right is smoother. It goes over the hill and joins the left fork. Stay on the main road to a creekside camp area with aspens at 51472, 27263 el 6300. Numerous forks here go to campsites, but stay right on the main road and it makes a U turn and starts up over a ridge then drops into a valley. Stay on the main road to a fork at 51598, 28329 el 6600. There is a good dry aspen camp here. Go left at the fork and the road goes onto the crest and effectively ends where the road is blocked by a tractor and locked gate at 49485,25526 el 7600. But right before that is a fork at 50291, 25693 el 7650. Go right at that fork to the end at el 8200 right at the base of the peak with the Granite BM. It's a simple hike to the BM at 48854, 25838. The map shows the BM is lower than Granite Peak to the south. There is an old man made trail skirting around the right side of the BM peak. It starts right at the same place you park for the BM hike. It goes along at the 8200 level to a low rock wall. I lost it here, but picked it up again as it was passing thru a saddle reading 48773, 26345 el 8050. The trail is on the right side of the drainage as it approaches the saddle then goes thru into another drainage and up that to another saddle at 48444, 25993 el 8450. Then it goes level a short way east to another saddle where you can see the peak. Here you have to drop down 400 feet into the meadow at the foot of Granite Peak then pick your own route up to the tower at 47374, 25836. 5 hours, 2000 gain. Take long pants and tick spray. There are some cairns on the trail but more are needed. The road on the crest is mostly smooth, but some steep spots may require a locker. The Cottonwood Creek road has several rubbly spots. I went north to Crutcher Canyon then down that to the power line road, but coming down canyon had a lot of rubbly sections. You have to go south on the power line road to get around a ranch. It might be feasible to go on north on the crest to Fox Mountain. It has a good road down to Nv 447. The Granite Range is more useful for 4wd/OHV touring than hiking. Posted 2014.
• WAGON TIRE MOUNTAIN el 7600 is easy. Drive the same as for Granite Peak as far as the dry aspen camp on the crest road at N40 51598, W119 28329 el 6600. Go north from there for about .8 air mile to an obvious road with a gate going up toward the peak. Go thru the gate and in less than half a mile the road is pure rocks. It's not worth driving beyond there because you start hiking in a few feet. Just get on the main south ridge. There's no brush or major dips. The top is at 53335, 29170. The dry lake on Melody Mountain can be seen to the north. 2 hours, 700 gain. Posted 2014.
• MELODY MOUNTAIN el 7200 has a 4wd road to the top. Drive to the end of pavement on County Rd 34 and keep going 2 and a quarter miles to a graded road angling off to the left reading N40 54387, W119 20859. This is a few feet north of a sign for Lawson Farm. Take the graded road for less than a mile to a gravel pit. Keep going a short way to the next fork. It's a chalky road but you can go a few feet more to a better road. Take that to a fork reading 56133, 23144. Go left on 4wd and go straight up into the canyon south of Melody Canyon. The road goes over into Melody Canyon then into private land at el 6200 then makes a left and climbs the slope. At 57278 ,28137 el 6900 go left. Shortly you'll come to the only tricky spot on the road. There is a turnaround and it's only a short walk to the top at 56900, 28089. Jeeps can make it. The dry lake is half a mile away.The road on top was so rocky I had no urge to keep going past the lake. The private land wasn't posted and likely won't be if nothing is disturbed. Not a bad cycle ride. Posted 2014.
• GRANITE BASIN PEAK is what I call peak 6347 and is in the SE part of the range. Take County Rd 34 to an easy 4wd road at mp 12.8. Go a tenth mile on that then make a left. Go west and don't take any left forks. In about 4 miles is a fork right before a spring. Go left there for a mile to the end of the road at a canyon reading N40 44646, W119 19343 el 4700. Aiming straight for the peak won't work because there's a big hill in the way. I went right up the center of the canyon to the saddle. From there I went too high, so to avoid that go to 44499, 19838 where you can see the rest of the route. From there, drop down a little and walk game trails to the last major saddle then up to the top at 45046, 20519. 3 hours, 1700 gain. An enjoyable hike and easy to get at. The road in is packed sand, no rocks. Posted 2014.
• RED MOUNTAIN CREEK is gated right at the mouth, so forget it.
• PEAK 7772 is a prominent summit on the crest south of Granite Peak. I went to mp WA 80.4 on Nv 447 and got over to the power road then used a wash at N40 41820, W119 24845 to get within 3/4 mile of the ascent ridge. Mtn bikes might work in these washes. I went up at 42349, 23596 el 4400 and just kept going up the open ridge sprinkled with juniper. There were no hidden saddles to cross all the way up to peak 7624. A trail is on the west side of peak 7624 reading 44007, 23608 el 7500. I used that to go on to peak 7772 reading 44491, 23762. 7 hours, nearly 4000 gain. Good views including into Granite Basin. Bowen Canyon drains Granite Basin but is private. Posted 2014.
• SHEEP SPRING is a pristine spring near the southern tip of the range. I used the same parking spot as Peak 7772. It's a short stroll from there to a main wash at N40 42084, W119 23667. Just go up the wash and keep left at main forks. Right after a minor fall that's easy to get up you'll come to a tiny stream. The main spring is up on the left at 42234, 22999 el 4700. Easy. Posted 2014.
• FOX MOUNTAIN el 8200 is in the north end of the Granite Range. An easy 4wd goes 12 miles to the top starting at mp WA 106.5 on Nv 447. Posted 2013.

 Duel at Skull Meadow. John Deere vs F-150. Guess who won?