Mormon Mountains Wilderness

The Block

Moapa Peak

MORMON PEAK el 7414 is the highest in the range and hardest to get at. A 13 mile 4wd road goes to the easiest route at the SW ridge.Take highway 168 to the RR tracks at mp CL 21. Turn there on the Meadow Valley Rd and go 10.7 miles (the first 8 miles is rough pavement) to a 4wd road at N36 49448, W114 39436. Turn there and go a quarter mile to a knee deep crossing with hidden rocks. Next comes 4 miles up a wash with deep sand. The road exits the wash at 52490, 37531 then goes nearly 8 bumpy miles to the SW canyon el 4250 where erosion makes it harder. For the last mile or so, it crosses a wash to an agave pit then goes up the left bank of the wash to a left fork in the canyon at 57021, 31271 el 4600. The last mile gets tricky but still easy for a jeep. Walk up that left fork to another fork then go up the ridge between the forks reading 57643, 30973 el 5100. At el 5800 a cliff band is in the way. Go along the right side of it for 350 feet to a stairway then go up and then the route is obvious until the next crags at el 6400. Go low along the left side of those. At el 7000 there is a rock dome. Go over the top of it. There is no drop behind it. The reg is at 58433, 30026. Ponderosa pines could be seen alive and well in the east saddle. 5 hours, 2800 gain. It took me 2 hours to ride a cycle in on the 4wd road. I wouldn't take a 4wd in there for just a day. Peak 6365 is the rugged one on the east side of the road. I found a class 3 route up the side facing the road some 2 decades earlier. That's all I remember. Posted 2017.

• CAVE CANYON is what I call the canyon in the NW part of the range. An ATV trail goes 10 miles up it to a guzzler el 5250 and two huge agave pits, all visible on the sat image. I came in from the south up the Meadow Valley Wash Rd but the RR has some of it posted but not gated. Take highway 168 to the RR tracks at mp CL 21. Turn there on the Meadow Valley Rd and go 8 miles to the end of pavement at a gravel quarry. Keep going a mile and a half then cross to the west side of the RR tracks. Some vehicles can go another mile before crossing under a 7 foot trestle. There is just one road to follow as the topo shows and it's 4wd with one knee deep ford. It crosses under the tracks (a mud hole is there but dry that day) to the east side then comes back to the tracks but will fade on the west side. That's where I used the RR road along the tracks to the canyon at N37 02804 W114 34520. The ATV trail starts there and passes under a 6 foot trestle. At about 5 or 6 miles is Yucca Cave on the left. It goes back nearly 200 feet with stalagmites. The trail goes on thru gorges to the end at the guzzler at a main fork. The pits are at the left fork. Peak 6921 towers to the SE. I made a good loop using the NE ridge. I walked up the left fork to el 5700 then up to a saddle on the ridge at N36 59724, W114 26195 el 6050. A spotty sheep trail goes up to the summit at 59360, 26525. I kept going south to the next saddle then down a class 2 drainage at 59245, 26523 el 6650 to get back down to the main canyon. I took a shortcut thru a saddle at 59351, 26850 el 6000 then turned left on a trail and followed the ridge down to a trail at 59551, 27156 el 5600 that put me in the bottom then strolled back. That took 3 hours with 1200 noticeable gain, good pj forest with some light brush. I doubt that it's legal for anyone but wildlife personnel to ride the trail, but no one will make a stink if you stop at the guzzler like they do. It fades in brush anyway. This is the best canyon in the range. Posted 2021.
• WHITMORE MINE, HACKBERRY SPRING - a 21 mile jeep road goes to this area as shown on the topo. The last 5 miles is in a winding wash where anything bigger than a jeep would be hard to maneuver. There weren't any major obstacles the whole length, just some rubbly patches. Take I-15 to exit 93 and get on the north side frontage road. Go east a short way to a fire station then just past that take a right fork down into a mega wash. The road stays in the wash for 5 or 6 miles then exits on the right bank at N36 44133, W114 32941 el 1950. Follow it another 8 miles on intermittent rubble to a fork at 50799, 30572 el 3200. The right fork goes toward Moapa Peak. The left fork goes on another 6 and a half miles to the wilderness boundary el 5100 next to Hackberry Spring and 2 agave pits. The spring looked dry, but I didn't explore it. Wiregrass Spring is a short hike up the closed road but it's a fiction. Peculiar cabin ruins were the only thing there reading 55184, 27340 el 5500. The mine is up a steep hill but it didn't look worth going up to it. This road is mainly for 4 wheelers who like to camp in the middle of nowhere. Posted 2017.
• MOAPA PEAK, MORMON BENCHMARK - an easy 4wd road goes for 9 miles to the south canyon as shown on the topo. Take I-15 to exit 100 and there is RV parking on the north side. Go east from there on pavement for 300 feet and turn up a wash. There is only one road to follow to the base of the mountain where several short roads fork left to dams. Stay right at those forks to a kiosk then go another quarter mile to a dam where the hike starts el 3200. The last 2 miles of the road is on bumpy little rocks. Hike up the wash behind the dam to the correct fork at N36 50656, W114 27174 el 3550. Follow that up to a narrows at el 3900 where a trail goes up on the left bank and parallels the creekbed as it curves left to a saddle at 50961, 27439 el 4450. Then the trail goes up the ridge to el 4850 where it goes left around cliffs to a tricky little cliff about 8 feet high. A hook and 10 foot rope would be handy for solo hikers when descending that. The trail comes back to the right side of the ridge then switches up to a main saddle el 5200 on the east side of peak 5246. Now it's easy up to cliffs at el 5800 where the trail veers right along the base to 51501, 26980 el 6100 where it goes directly up to the final obstacle, the knife edge. It's a tenth mile long and took me 15 minutes to cross it. It's mostly class 1 or 2 and nearly level but some spots are so narrow that I straddled it with one leg on each side. The reg is at 51517, 27095 el 6471. For the descent I decided to take a stab at Mormon BM on the SW ridge. I went back to the main saddle el 5200 and stayed on the ridge using a sheep route right of center to an obvious gully on peak 5246 reading 51140, 27642. I went up that and curved right to get on top of the ridge. Soon I was on another knife edge but this one was wide as a car. It looked like it would cliff out, but I went down anyway and it was easy class 3 and not risky. It was obvious how to walk on over to the BM at 50923, 28066 el 5232. It was dated 1925 with a lot of surveyor junk around it. Next, I went down a sheep route thru the cliffs at 50882, 28114 el 5100 then it was obvious how to walk the ridge on down. That loop took me nearly 7 hours with about 3500 gain. Moapa is not as steep as it looks. Posted 2017.
• CANDY BENCHMARK el 3438 sits right along the road that goes to the Moapa Peak hike. Follow that road nearly 3 miles in from the freeway to a faint road going left up a wash at N36 46132, W114 2774. It goes along the right bank at first to get around some rough stuff. Park after half a mile and walk to the obvious main canyon and then use the right bank until it fizzles. I went up the right slope from there but that was a mistake. The canyon is a whole lot smoother. Stay in the canyon for a short way to a cave on the right bank. Climb up a stairway on the left bank for 100 feet to an easy shelf reading 45964, 29242 then it's smooth sailing along the canyon to a saddle at the head then an easy ridge up to the reg at 45976, 29562. It needs a glass jar. 2 and a half hours, 1200 gain, not steep.Sheep don't live here. Posted 2017.
• THE BLOCK el 5804 is what I call a rugged peak along the Horse Spring road. A class 3 sheep route goes up the west side. Take I-15 to exit 100 and follow the Carp road parallel to the freeway for 4 miles to the end of pavement where it swings north. Now it's a graded road. After 7 and a half miles there is a sign for the Hackberry Spring TH. Keep going past that and over a pass to a sign for Horse Spring reading N36 58395, W114 19736 el 3200, about 16 miles in from pavement. Turn there on easy and mostly smooth 4wd and go 4 miles and park at el 4050. Mtn bikes would work on this road. Walk a mile across a valley to a ridge at 57286, 23421 el 4400. Go up and you'll see a cave up to the left. Circle up to it then keep going on a shelf for 200 feet to another shelf switching back toward the cave. At that spot I was reading 57236, 23091 with 16 ft accuracy. Walk that shelf back toward the cave, though above it. Where the shelf ends is the only exposure and I didn't consider it dangerous. Some might find a 30 foot hand line to be helpful. The route goes up from there in obvious gullies until a cliff band where it jogs left a little then on up to the summit at 57191, 22926. 3 and a half hours, nearly 2000 gain. Take long pants for light brush. The road goes on another 4 miles to a parking area el 5500 then it's a trail for a third mile to the spring el 5700, which is a hole in the ground with some water and dead rodents. The Hackberry Spring road goes easy 4wd for 3 and a half miles to the TH and mtn bikes would work. Then it's a 2 mile walk on the old road to the spring, which is likely dry. I have used this route to get to the Whitmore Mine basin. There is rock art on this hike. Posted 2017.
• DAVIDSON PEAK el 5300+ is the high point of the East Mormon Mountains.The east ridge is reasonable. I-15 has a secret interchange just east of mp 110. Pull off at the sign for truck parking and drive thru a gap in the fence. The underpass is less than a mile west. Get on the north side frontage road and go west. It soon turns north as a 2wd dirt road. It smooths out after a couple miles. Stay on the main road for a dozen miles from pavement to a faint 4wd track at N36 54247, W114 17743. This is where the main road starts climbing to the last tower. The 4wd track circles for .7 mile to the mouth of a canyon el 3250 or walk straight to it at 54154, 18215.  Hike up the ridge on the left side of the canyon all the way to the summit at 53790, 19465. 3 hours, 2200 gain. Mtn bikes would work here. A road west of the peak goes higher, but the terrain on that side goes parabolic. VIRGIN HILL, south of the freeway, is a segment of the Old Spanish Trail where it climbs onto Mormon Mesa and allegedly the nastiest part of the entire trail. From the underpass, drive south to a white building then keep going another half mile to a T at the old highway. Go right for 1.1 mile and watch out for crumbling pavement at crossings. Turn left on easy 4wd and go 3 and a half miles to Halfway Wash then go down that for 3 miles to the trail on  the right at N36 41102, W114 20013. It climbs nearly 400 feet to the top where a marker awaits placed by businessmen in the 1960s. The washed out trail was widened to accomodate vehicles but segments of a pack trail can still be seen beside it. I encountered a tortoise about halfway up. These roads are on the topo but not the trail. Posted 2017.

  

  Tortoise coming down Virgin Hill. I pointed out that he could save a lot of time using the interstate, but you can't tell a tortoise anything.

  
  

  

  One of the surviving markers placed by businessmen in the 1960s.

  
  

Arrow Canyon Range

Tortoise on the NE ridge of Tortoise Peak. He was coming down as I was going up. Show off..

The Bowl

Peak 5146

Glendale has gas. Overton and Mesquite have supermarkets.

• ARROW CANYON RANGE HIGH POINT el 5226 - US 93 runs right next to the range. Just park near the ascent canyon which is at N36 39086, W114 53996. I went to mp CL 77.2 to get on the power line road. That saved a half mile each way but took longer. Go up the canyon to the main saddle el 4300. It's easy to go up the ridge from there until some dark crags get in the way at el 4700. Angle up around the right side and soon a route appears to get on top then stay on center to the reg at 39800, 53239. 4 and a half hours, 2500 gain from the power lines. Posted 2015. 
• HIDDEN BENCHMARK el 5026, PEAK 5146 - these are the last  two 5000+ peaks going north. A sheep route  goes up the east ridge. Take highway 168 to mp CL 16.8 and turn at the sign for Warm Springs. Go 1.6 miles and turn left on a dirt road. It's the last turn before the refuge. The road soon enters Battleship Wash then goes up on the left bank, but don't get on the left bank until N36 42383, W114 43181. Follow the road to the end at a saddle el 2600 marking the wilderness boundary as shown on the topo. It's 5 miles in from pavement. A deep rut is in the road a third mile before the end, but 4wds can get around. A rough trail (needs pruning)goes into the canyon from the saddle to get you down to Side Canyon Wash. Then go upstream and climb out on the right bank at 42535, 48783 el 2350. Go all the way to the top of the bench el 2500 and walk that to the base of the mountain then go south across a wash to get on the east ridge. I went up to 41416, 51292 el 3400 to get on the ridge. Then just go up to the BM and reg at 41300, 52559. The south face of Peak 5146 is in view and an easy gully can be seen on the right side of the summit block, but a cliff band is in the way. Walk to the west side of the cliff band and go up a chute at 41934, 52722 then walk along the south base of the summit block for 200 feet to get at the easy gully and the rest is obvious. That peak is at 42004, 52720. Then come back to el 4800 and cut over to the east ridge for the descent. The hike to Hidden BM and back took me nearly 8 hours with 3000 gain and 1000 of that was hardly noticeable. The side trip to Peak 5146 took 90 minutes with 800 gain. Land owners might block access. Posted 2017.
• CLIFF BM el 3598 is at the north end of the range. Take SR 168 to mp CL 5.2 and go south for 2 miles on easy 4wd to a T. Walk to N36 45970, W114 52245 and go up the ridge to the BM at 45507, 53050. 2 and a half hours, 1500 gain. Posted 2015.
• TABLE MOUNTAIN is a tiny one just south of highway 168. A 4wd road goes to it as the topo shows.  It's the only named mountain in the range. I went up the south canyon then walked the rim and dropped off on the west side. Short and easy.
• TORTOISE PEAK el 4819 is what I call the rugged peak on the south side of Side Canyon. Take I-15 to Ute exit 80. A sign right there says no trespassing on the reservation but says nothing about using the road, which is heavily traveled and not by the tribe. I took a chance and rode on in. At RR tracks the road jogs left half a mile to get over then resumes going NW. At about 7 miles in is where maintenance ends on BLM land as the topo shows. Then it's easy 4wd for another 5 miles to the end at a mine. I stopped just short of the mine at a wash reading N36 37609, W114 51320 el 3050. The NE ridge is the easy way up, I made a loop coming back on the south ridge. I walked down the wash a quarter mile then cut left thru a gap and soon hit an unused road. I followed that along the base until it petered out then kept going to a wash at 38560, 50325 el 2900. I followed a trail up that into a low saddle el 3200 at the head. I could have gone up from there, but couldn't see the NE ridge route from there. I went thru the saddle then veered left into Side Canyon and on to a viewpoint at the base of the NE ridge reading 39917, 50875 el 3200.  I could see the route so I went on up the ridge to the 3900 level where cliffs got in the way. I angled up to the right to a flat spot covered with sheep beds at the cliff base reading 39299, 51193 el 4250. It was obvious how to zigzag on up to the summit reading 39073, 51483. The south ridge for the descent is too craggy, but sheep have a route on the west side of it. I went off the west side of the summit and got on a trail at 38950, 51611 el 4500 and went along at that level for .13 mile then moved left into a notch el 4550 to get on top of the south ridge. I walked that down to the next crag and used a trail on the west side of that to get around then the terrain got easy. I walked over to the rim of a deep canyon at 38372, 52118 el 4250 then followed that south down to the mine. Near the bottom I used a bedrock drainage at 37928, 52118 el 3700. It was like stairs. I only had a half mile walk on the road from the mine back to the start. That took nearly 6 hours for 8 miles and the only significant gain is the 1600 feet up the NE ridge and most of that isn't steep. I saw a pint size tortoise at el 3800 on the NE ridge and countless sheep beds on the entire mountain. Driving across the Indian land is an unknown, but it's likely public access. Check with the BLM or go on Christmas. I saw one truck at the mine and could tell that a lot of OHVs come in from I-15. Posted 2017.
•  ARROW CANYON can be done one way with one rappel about 30 feet.  We drove to mp 12.9 on SR 168 then south on a dirt road for .7 mile to a parking area behind a building. Leaving one truck there, we drove to a dip on SR 168 at  mp 9.3 then walked  south down a wash and kept going downstream. One handy trail to use is on the right bank at N36 44911, W114 48142. That cuts over to the main Pahranagat Wash then it's a short walk to the narrows and the dam. A rope was tied to a rusty bolt at the top of the dam and hanging down into a stinky pool. We moved the rope over to an obvious safe ledge on the north wall in order to avoid that pool. A sheep trail circles over to the ledge from the entrance to the narrows. We tied off to a large horn then crawled down into a keyhole and rapped about 30 feet to the bottom. Then it's a stroll down canyon, when dry. There was a half hour of road walking to the lower truck. Some of that road is nasty. It's a about a 3 hour walk to do the 6 miles from truck to truck. Cars might have an extra half mile. A 100 foot rope doubled over should work, and 6 feet of webbing for the horn. That rope we used might be gone. This is the best way to see this canyon. Even if you don't rappel, there is an obvious bypass trail around the dam on the south side. Avoid this after wet spells because of long mud holes. Posted October 2015.
• THE BOWL is an odd eroded area in the North Muddy Mtns. Take I-15 to exit 88 and follow the main 4wd road for 3 miles to the crest next to a tower. Glen Benchmark el 2982 is the second peak north of the tower. Sheep trails go around the left side of the first peak. That's an easy, one hour hike. Drive on another mile toward the south tower to a high spot in the road then walk 100 feet to the rim of The Bowl. All roads easy 4wd. Posted 2017.

Charleston Peak Wilderness, west side

The ultra steep SW gully of McFarland and police training facility below in Clark Canyon

Horse BM on the left, then Bonanza, McFarland, Sawmill, Wallace Ridge and Charleston

Pictograph on Horse BM

The NW slope of  Mcfarland. The high block el 10500 at top center is not the summit. The summit is a fifth mile behind it. The route comes around the left side of the high block and follows the trees down. 

The canyon at Wallace Peak.

The route goes up into the saddle on the right then up the ridge and over Charleston then down the left side to treeline. It then comes down along the drainage that has trees on the left side.

⦁ CHARLESTON PEAK el 11912 can be climbed from the west in a loop of 5 or 6 miles. Use Basin Road at the traffic light near Home Depot in Pahrump. Go east about 10 miles or more on a graded road to where you dip into a big wash. Get on the 4wd road to Wallace Canyon at N36 16975, W115 49717 and go nearly 7 miles to the end at 17079, 43477 el 8050 where good campsites await in the pines. Hike up the canyon about one air mile to a major fork. Left goes shortly to WALLACE FALLS. But go up the right fork then it splits so keep far left at 16197, 43001. I climbed up the left slope here but the gully is easier and it goes on up to a saddle at 15917, 42763 el 9700. Keep left at main forks along the way. From the saddle, go up the ridge. Right away there are some minor crags. Stay on top just left of center to get thru. At about 10700 is a minor class 3 notch. A fat rope has been here for years but isn't needed. Go down the notch then along the right side of crags until you're 100 feet past the low point of the notch then angle back up. In another tenth mile is another problem crag. There are class 3 slabs on the right side. I left a cairn at the slab I went up. Next it eases up all the way to the trail at 11500. Go up to the top then go north down the main ridge to a major saddle at treeline el 11300. The plan is to follow the major gully down from the saddle. From the saddle, drop down thru the trees along the right side of the major gully. Go down parallel to the gully keeping it in sight. At 16529, 42207 el 10100 go down closer to the gully to avoid crags. Walk down with the gully close on your left and crags on your right. The slope will guide you down to an avalanche zone where you can keep to the right in the trees then you'll get into a nice pine forest before you drop into the canyon you came up. I always walk a straight line for the last mile and always get snared in dense saplings. In 2015 I went to a game trail reading 16612, 42577 el 9200 at the base of a crag then down to the pot farm water line at 16689, 42967 el 8500. I kept going down a gully and soon got on the right bank of that then it drops into the main canyon. That worked.  6 hours, 4000 gain.The terrain is easy but steep. This route will never be crowded. I've never seen hikers on the west side of the Spring Mtns. I encountered what must have been a marijuana farm at 16886, 42953. They left behind a mile of plastic water line. This is the best place around Vegas to spend a hot weekend. And only you and I know about it.

⦁ POT FARM / WALLACE CANYON FALLS - this starts at Wallace Canyon at the same parking spot as the Charleston Peak hike. Go up canyon an air mile to a main fork. The falls are just inside the left fork and only run when snow is melting. Come back and get on a game trail at N36 16299, W115 42948 el 8600. Walk along at that level and the water line soon appears below. It goes to a farm area at 16882, 42954 then on to a camp at 17180, 43034 el 8300. The water line keeps running north past it then soon ends. A water holding tank is just up the line from camp. 2 hours, 700 gain, easy. Posted 2018.

⦁ WALLACE PEAK el 10160 is what I call the peak a mile and a half west of Charleston. Drive the route for Charleston but just before the end go right on FR 81F at N36 16691, W115 44958. Go a fifth mile to the end of the legal road el 7450 then walk the closed road for a half mile to the end in a piney canyon. Hike up the canyon to a saddle 16165, 43234 el 9500 then go left for a third mile to the top. It's obvious how to walk SW back down the rim of the canyon. I went down the rim to 16120, 43750 el 9600 then started curving to the right to go down steep slopes on soft dirt. 4 hrs, 2700 gain, not too steep. This would be a good warm up hike for Charleston with fab views of the west face. On May 2, 2017 the canyon had running water at el 8100 because of melting snow. I filled up at 15909, 43899 el 8800 where water was coming out of bedrock. There are other routes for this peak that start higher but are steeper. CARPENTER PEAK el 10187 is what I call the peak 3/4 mile to the south of Wallace Peak. The route up is the same as Wallace as far as the saddle el 9500 then the south rim of the canyon can be used for the return. From the saddle el 9500, go south up the ridge to the reg at 15813, 43114. I kept going on the main ridge another fifth mile where I could the see the whole south rim of the canyon. It was an easy stroll down that and I took a side trip to peak 2902 at 15498, 44192 where there is a view down into an abyss. I returned to the rim then had a couple of crags in the way. It was easy to walk left around those then there was a large cairn which was the only sign of humanity I saw on the rim. I went on down the rim then down scree in a wide, ultra steep drainage at 16155, 44714 el 8600. I stayed along the left side of that then it got easier as I descended to the mouth of the canyon. That took 5 hours with 2700 gain but would be closer to 4 without the side trip to peak 2902. Taking a side trip to Wallace Peak instead would be about 5 hours total. That descent drainage requires a long walking stick. The main attraction here is the easy rim and gorgeous forest. Posted 2019.

⦁ WALLACE RIDGE el 10100 is what I call the north rim of Wallace Canyon. A loop can be made using the scenic west canyon. Use Basin Road at the traffic light near Home Depot in Pahrump. Go east about 10 miles or more on the paved then graded road to where you dip into a big wash. Get on the easy 4wd road to Wallace Canyon at N36 16975, W115 49717 and drive to FR 081D at 16398, 47402. If you're hauling a mtn bike, keep going straight up into Wallace Canyon for nearly 4 miles and leave the bike. Come back to FR 081D and take that (stay right at forks) to the closure in a tenth mile. Hike the closed road a short way and when it makes a hard right get off and walk to a horse trail at 16879, 47177 el 6300. Take that up onto a low ridge and then head for the main canyon mouth at 17561, 46392 el 6800. There were no less than 4 wilderness signs here. I was already having a wilderness experience until I saw that mess. They must have been getting paid per sign. Go up canyon 2/3 mile to a main fork and go right. The canyon soon narrows up but no falls block the way. Stay in the main canyon to the 9200 level then go up the left slope and gain the ridge at 18445, 43728 el 9600. Then just walk the ridge to a high viewpoint at 18055, 43449 el 10100+. To make a loop, I went down the gully on the west side of the viewpoint. I angled left to a ridge at 17882, 43386 el 9300 and that was easy until it got dense then I hit a gully at 17678, 43315 el 8800. I stayed in that until I bottomed out on a horse trail on the floor of Wallace. Soon the trail merges with an old road and that goes on to the mtn bike. It's almost all downhill on the mtn bike back to the start. It takes 5 and a half hours with a shuttle, nearly 7 without. The gain is nearly 4000 but rarely steep. Some light brush is in the narrows but I could do it in shorts. There is a nice forest most of the way but the road in Wallace Canyon is sunny and boring. Horses have trashed part of this. Half of Nevada is already ravaged by horses. Do they need the Spring Mtns too? Posted 2015.

⦁ WALLACE RIDGE LOOP 2.0 - another loop can be done by hiking up Wallace Canyon to the main saddle on the crest then down the ridge and west canyon. Use Basin Road at the traffic light near Home Depot in Pahrump. Go east about 10 miles or more on the paved then graded road to where you dip into a big wash. Get on the easy 4wd road to Wallace Canyon at N36 16975, W115 49717 and drive to FR 081D at 16398, 47402 el 6400 and mark it on GPS . Leave a 4wd there then drive on up the road another 4 miles to a closed logging road on the left at  17129, 43753  el 7900. Walk up the canyon on that and it ends in dense trees in half a mile. Keep going on game trails to a trail in a left fork at 17777, 42361 el 8800. Follow that up on the left side of a creekbed to a saddle at 17823, 41947 el 9450. Keep going on the trail a little more to the main saddle on the crest el 9550. Then go north up the ridge on spotty trails and stay left on the rim of Wallace Canyon near the 10000 level and aim for the west canyon at 18205, 43605 el 9500. Stroll down that to the 6500 level where it opens up then cut over to the lower 4wd. It takes 5 or 6 hours and under 3000 gain. It's less gain than the other loop but steeper and longer and requires two 4wds. But I prefer it. It can be done in shorts. Horses are gone for now. Posted 2018.

⦁ PONDEROSA PEAK el 8163 is what I call peak 2488 on the rim of Carpenter Canyon. A loop can be done using the west ridge. Use Basin Road at the traffic light near Home Depot in Pahrump. Go east about 10 miles or more on a graded road to where you dip into a big wash. Get on the 4wd road to Wallace Canyon at N36 16975, W115 49717 and go about 3 miles to where it crosses the deep wash of the canyon. Keep going south about 2 miles to a fork then go left a third mile to the end at a sharp dip el 6150. Walk to N36 14547, W115 46248 el 6550 and follow the high ground thru a pleasant pj forest to the summit at 14683, 44622. I could see a ponderosa pine grove in a depression to the north below, so I retraced a tenth mile to get down to it. I was reading 14790, 44557 el 7900 there. Then I walked west into a drainage then down that to 14793, 45018 el 7700 where I went north a tenth mile to a grove el 7700 on the north side of peak 2381. A peculiar barren clearing is there. Then I walked west down a slope back to the start. That took 4 and a half hours with 2000 gain, not very steep. Brush was not an issue but I was weaving a lot thru the pj. Posted 2020.

⦁ MCFARLAND PEAK el 10745 - a dramatic loop can be done using the divide trail.  Take Basin Road east from Home Depot in Pahrump. It soon becomes graded dirt. Keep going east and turn left on rd #601 at N36 17163, W115 49617. Go about 2 and 3/4 miles on easy 4wd to rd #566 reading 19248, 49464. Turn right and go a mile to a main fork. Keep left on the Buck Spring road for nearly 3 miles and park 500 feet from a wash which is at 20429, 46354 el 7300. Go up that wash for .17 mile to a minor gully on the right. Go up that to the top of the rim then go left down to the ducked route at 20290, 46138 and into the creekbed of what I call Rosebud Canyon. Stay close to the left bank and go up the creekbed to 20375, 45528 where you go right to the main creekbed near the mouth at 20338, 45405. Now it's a smooth gravel creekbed under the big trees. About a half mile up from the mouth is a main fork. Keep right and follow the main canyon as it curves left and then the divide trail crosses at 20936, 44219 el 8500. But there's no need to go that far. Instead, go left at 20893, 44348 then keep going another tenth mile and hit the trail. Now the trail shortly goes to Wood Spring el 9000. It had a fast drip in May but dry in October. Leave the trail at a switchback reading 21271, 44570 el 9400 and walk south then east on very easy ground to get on the crest el 9550 at the south face of Bonanza Peak. Now walk up the center of the crest until a bright crag is in the way. Go left around it to a game trail and go down a little and it levels off. Stay at about that 9700 level to get into a major saddle. It reads 21168, 43952 el 9700 but it's obvious. This saddle can be reached by coming directly up from the trail, just steeper. Keep going south on the crest and stay on center. There are a couple of minor class 3 drops and some steep bedrock, but don't wander off center until 20772, 43624 el 10100. At this point, cut over to the right and walk along the right side of center at the base of cliffs. It's obvious how to walk on up and eventually merge into the main gully then stroll up to the summit at 20473, 43545.  There are 4 descent routes. Return the same way, return to the major saddle el 9700 and drop to the trail, use the steep SW gully that Vegas hikers come up or go down the class 2 NW slope. Forget the first 3 because the NW slope is the best by far. To get at it, walk to a gap in cliffs at 20566, 43728 el 10400 and go down on steep dirt.  A cliff band is on the right. Just follow that down. I went down to 20665, 43875 el 9900 and followed a shallow drainage. When that got harder, I cut left to an easy ridge at 20677, 44037 el 9400 and went down that at warp factor 8 to the creekbed of Rosebud and out.  6 and a half hours, 3500 gain, and very little is steep. I doubt anyone had ever been on the NW slope. Pahrump doesn't have any hikers. Posted 2017, 2019.                  

⦁ BONANZA PEAK el 10400 makes for a good loop in the pines. The plan is to go up the canyon ( which I call Rosebud Canyon) between McFarland and Bonanza and hit the divide trail then follow that to the summit, then come down the west ridge.  Take Basin Road east from Home Depot in Pahrump. It soon becomes graded dirt. Keep going east and turn left on rd #601 at N36 17163, W115 49617. Go about 2 and 3/4 miles on easy 4wd to rd #566 reading 19248, 49464. Turn right and go a mile to a main fork. Keep left on the Buck Spring road for nearly 3 miles and park 500 feet from a wash which is at 20429, 46354 el 7300. Go up that wash for .17 mile to a minor gully on the right. Go up that to the top of the rim then go left down to the ducked route at 20290, 46138 and into the creekbed of Rosebud Canyon. Stay close to the left bank and go up the creekbed to 20375, 45528 where you go right to the main creekbed near the mouth at 20338, 45405. Now it's a smooth gravel creekbed under the big trees. About a half mile up from the mouth is a main fork. Keep right and follow the main canyon as it curves left and then the divide trail crosses at 20936, 44219 el 8500.  But there's no need to go that far. Instead, go left at 20893, 44348 then keep going another tenth mile and hit the trail.  Now the trail shortly goes to Wood Spring el 9000. It had a fast drip in May one year, but on May 4, 2017 it was a gusher.  The trail is easy to follow all the way to a hiker spur trail at 21710, 44899 el 10200. Go right less than a fifth mile to the summit reading 21572, 44841. From the summit head west down the ridge on soft soil under the big trees. I hit the trail again and walked a segment. Keep going down the ridge below the trail to 21544, 45108 el 9950 to get thru a minor cliff then move back left to stay on center. Next, aim for 21493, 45429 el 9300 where a defined ridge forms. Walk that down staying close to center aiming for the end of  the Buck Spring road at 21334, 46172 el 8000. Now it's a mile back to the start. 5 and a half hours, 3100 gain. Rosebud Canyon is the prettiest I've seen in the range. I should have thought of this hike sooner. I'll never hike from the east side again. Posted 2017.

⦁ ROSEBUD CANYON LOOP - an easy loop can be done by going up canyon to the divide trail then walk that to the south rim then back down the rim. Take Basin Road east from Home Depot in Pahrump. It soon becomes graded dirt. Keep going east and turn left on rd #601 at N36 17163, W115 49617. Go about 2 and 3/4 miles on easy 4wd to road #566 reading 19248, 49464. Turn right and go a mile to a main fork. Keep left on the Buck Spring road for nearly 3 miles and park 500 feet from a wash which is at 20429, 46354 el 7300. Go up that wash for .17 mile to a minor gully on the right. Go up that to the top of the rim then go left down to the ducked route at 20290, 46138 and into the creekbed of what I call Rosebud Canyon. Stay close to the left bank and go up the creekbed to 20375, 45528 where you go right to the main creekbed near the mouth at 20338, 45405. Now it's a smooth gravel creekbed under the big trees. About a half mile up from the mouth is a main fork. Keep right and follow the main canyon as it curves left and on to the divide trail at 20906, 44224 el 8600. Go south on the trail to where it tops out on the south rim at el 9350, NOT lower as mistakenly shown on the topo. Leave the trail and walk down the rim on an old trail left of center. The trail soon fades and another one can be seen in a saddle below. That trail is the one on the topo but the topo shows it slightly higher. Get on it at 20151, 44349 and it goes level about 350 feet to a log then drops down along that then into a saddle el 9000 where there is a 5 foot crowbar. This is likely where they gave up on this trail route. Keep going to get back on the south rim at 20186, 44605 el 9000 and walk down that to a game trail at 20367, 45203 el 8050 that drops down to the mouth of the canyon then retrace from there. 4 or 5 hours, with a little over 2000 gain but all easy. This is the best forest in the range. Posted 2017.

⦁ SAWMILL PEAK el 9250 is what I call the jagged peak on the south rim of Clark Canyon right above the historic sawmill site. The NW ridge is class 2. I get to name everything because I'm the only one hiking the west side of the range. Take the graded road out of Pahrump to a canyon at N36 19292, W115 45439 el 7650. The best camp area is a half mile before that. Walk up the easy canyon under the pines for a quarter mile to a main fork el 7950. Go up the slope between the forks to about el 8400 then cut left to a saddle at 18777, 45420 el 8550. Then go up the ridge to the summit at 18629, 44917. It's a tricky knife edge beyond the summit, so I chickened out and returned to the saddle el 8550 and went down the creekbed. That hike took me 2 hours, 15 minutes with nearly 1700 gain. The steep parts can be zigzagged. It's a pleasant forest all the way up. If you're looking for a wuss peak, you've found it. And it's the only peak on this page that starts from a maintained road. The road ends in a third mile at the sawmill with artifacts from the 19th century. Posted 2017.

⦁ CARPENTER CANYON is the only west side canyon I know of with a perennial stream. Go south from town on 160 to the sign for Carpenter Cyn Rd reading N36 09286, W115 53932. It's 4 miles south of the Maverik gas station. There are 13 miles of bumpy road with a few easy 4wd spots. The road ends in big pines at 14547, 43892 el 6800. LEE SPRING CANYON - it's easy terrain on game trails for the hike up the south bank to Lee Spring el 8100. At nearly 10 miles in from 160 is where the road drops to the floor of Carpenter Canyon. But don't drop down, instead go right on FR 45544A  for .7 mile, staying left at a fork along the way, and park at a closed road with a shady camp el 6300. Walk the road along the bank of the canyon and it will fade. When the pj forest gets dense it's easier to move right onto a low ridge. At el 7400 the south bank gets steeper and minor drainages have to be crossed. I stayed high to N36 13000, W115 43464 el 7450 then 13195, 43270 el 7850 then 18265, 43129 el 7950 then 13297, 43074 el 7950 then 13362, 43024 el 8000 then 13415, 42937 el 8050 and finally at 13457, 42931 el 8100 I could see water 50 feet away. It was running for less than a tenth mile at a rate like a kitchen tap. 5 hours, 2000 gain, rarely steep. There is some light brush until el 7400 then it starts turning into a nice forest of big trees. This area is pristine and best done in May when there is more water. Nobody goes in there. I saw 3 agave pits along the way. Posted November, 2019. INDIAN PEAK el 8022 is what I call the one south of Lee Spring. The NE ridge is easy. I parked a short distance SW of the Lee Spring TH then walked .6 air mile to the NE ridge at 12040, 44803 el 6100. I went up to a rock ring at 11863, 44175 el 6850 then on up to the summit at 11554, 43425. Then I dropped down the north ridge to a ring at 11772, 43289 el 7800. I should have descended a ridge from there but stayed high along the left side of peak 7949 then down a creekbed but it's cluttered. At el 7000 it starts clearing up then I strolled back to the start. That took 4 hours, 10 minutes with over 2000 gain but rarely steep. Some light brush. Posted 2020.

⦁ HORSE BENCHMARK el 8480 is not in the wilderness but it towers a mile above Pahrump just daring you to climb it. The SE ridge is easy. Start at Home Depot and drive to the end of pavement on Basin Street. Go left along power lines for a tenth mile then take a right fork for about 4 and a half miles to another fork. Go right for 5 miles to a cabin then stay far right for half a mile to the end of the legal road then keep going 300 feet on an OHV trail to a saddle at N36 18912, W115 50017 el 6200. From there, go up the ridge to el 8200 then veer right under crags to a saddle at 19669, 52116 el 8350. Keep going another 400 feet to the reg. 4 hours, 2400 gain, rarely steep. All roads are easy 4wd. Another driving option is to take the Wheeler Pass Rd to el 6100 and hike up the SE ridge. That would only have 3 miles of ungraded road.  A cave on the SE ridge at 19505, 51357 el 7450 had some charred wood and a couple of tiny lizard pictographs. That's a lonesome place to live with a long walk to water. Posted 2017.

⦁ WHEELER BENCHMARK el 9168 is the northernmost 9000+ peak in the Spring Mtns.  Take Basin Road east from Home Depot in Pahrump. It soon becomes graded dirt. Keep going east and turn left on road #601 at N36 17163, W115 49617. Follow that to forks  at 21833, 49617 el 6500. Keep far right on road #510 and ignore road numbers and just keep going north to Wheeler Pass el 7700. Hike north up the main ridge to 23663, 48228 el 8200 where minor crags are in the way. Stay along the right side of them on a faint horse trail and soon it levels off and gets easy in a nice pj forest. Some minor crags are near the summit but it's easy to walk along the left side of them. The reg at 25295, 48629 was placed by M&L in 1986. 4 and a half hours and about 1700 gain. Long pants are needed for some light brush. This is a better hike now that horses are gone but they'll be back. All roads are easy 4wd. Posted 2018.

⦁ SANTA CRUZ PEAK el 8757 is what I call the high peak 3 miles NE of Santa Cruz Spring. The summit has a large stand of ponderosa pines. East ridges are simple. Take Basin Road east from Home Depot in Pahrump. It soon becomes graded dirt. Keep going east and turn left on road #601 at N36 17163, W115 49617. Stay on the main road past Wheeler Well for a mile and a half to road #556F reading 23058, 50572 el 6800. Go left on that for half a mile to the end el 7000. Walk to a ridge at 22947, 51085 el 7100 and go up to a viewpoint at 22502, 52245 el 8550 where the rest is in view. The reg is at 22223, 52316. For a loop, I descended down a ridge at 22264, 52171 el 8400 and into a canyon. I left the canyon at 22446, 50942 el 7200 and headed straight back. This return route has a lot of tree weaving. It took me 3 hours, 20 minutes with about 1800 gain. The main road goes on and ends at the guzzler shown on the topo. A 4wd branching off from there is closed but that only stops saps like me. It's easy to get around the barricade. All roads easy 4wd. Posted 2018.

⦁ TROUT BENCHMARK, PEAK 6959 - these two can be done as a loop from the east. Take highway 160 south from Pahrump to the graded Trout Canyon Rd at mp 0. Go 3.6 miles on that graded road then go left on easy 4wd for 2.2 miles to a fence. Walk along the east base and routes come into view. I went to a gap in cliffs at N36  10225, W115 45609 el 5550 then angled up to the right to get on a ridge. I went up that to where it leveled off at a drainage at el 6100 then followed along that in a good pj forest to a saddle on the main ridge at 10321, 45052 el 6400. Then it was easy to the summit at 10926, 45123 where the only sign of humanity is some cut trees nearby. Then I retraced to the saddle then stayed on the main ridge skirting the right side of the next bump and then the rest came into view. I dropped to a saddle el 5950 and then went halfway up the left side of a bump and leveled off to 09633, 45737 el 5750 where I dropped east and then south to a saddle el 5300. Next, I went gradually up staying left of center to the next saddle el 5400 then right around a bump to the last saddle el 5400 and then to the BM at 08824, 46048 el 5484. No reg.Then I retraced some and cut over to a rim at 09239, 46352 el 5150 and then down to the start. That took nearly 6 hours total. It took 3 hours to get to peak 6959 with 2600 gain. I had another 300 gain getting to the BM. Light brush requires long pants.  Posted 2019.

⦁ LEE BENCHMARK el 6220 sits on the west ridge of peak 6601 (2012 meters ). An easy loop can be done.  Take highway 160 south from Pahrump to the graded Trout Canyon Rd at mp 0. Go 7.3  miles on that then turn right on road #536. Go 3/4 mile on that good road to the west ridge at N36 08618, W115 43047 el 4750. Stay on the main road another 2.2 miles and stash a bike at a pullout el 5300 then come back and hike up the ridge to the BM at 08308, 41405. Then go on up the ridge another air mile to peak 6601 then go down the north ridge at 08135, 40295 el 6550. It soon levels off then bends left and goes down to the main road. I didn't have a bike there so I walked 2 miles back to the start. That took 3 and a half hours with nearly 2000 gain. It's an easy hike but the west ridge burned years ago. Posted 2019.

⦁ ROSE BENCHMARK el 7163 was in an Indian hotspot. Take highway 160 to mp 29.1 and follow a crude road, staying left at main forks, for a bit over 6 miles to the south canyon at N36 04836, W115 38779 el 4800. 2wd trucks might make it. There is only one main creekbed to follow until a tricky fork about an air mile before the peak. Stay right to 07657, 37285 el 6200 and start up a ridge on the left. A rock ring is at 07743, 37427 el 6550 and a bigger one is another tenth mile up.  The ridge tops out in a burn area then it's easy to weave left thru it to the BM at 07959, 37694. I stayed on the main ridge another .46 air mile to a saddle el 6800 with a large ring. I should have descended a ridge there but went on to a saddle at 07675, 38325 el 6750 and down the drainage but it's too brushy. That took 6 hours with about 1000 noticeable gain. A tiny intermittent stream was flowing at 07201, 37773 el 5850 as the map shows but I wouldn't trust it to be there all year. Be careful around rock art and rings in the area. Watch for ticks. Posted April, 2020.

⦁ ROSE BENCHMARK el 7163 had a good route up the west canyon but the last mile burned years ago. I scouted it. Take highway 160 south from Pahrump to the graded Trout Canyon Rd at mp 0. Go 7.3  miles on that then turn right on road #536. Go 3 miles on that good road to a pullout el 5300 then walk south a tenth mile into the main canyon and stroll up to a fork at N36 08507, W115 39456 el 5600. I went right to 08076, 38732 el 6000 at the edge of the burn. I saw light brush in the burn area that wouldn't be an issue with long pants. I retraced and cut thru a saddle at 08513, 38807 el 5950 and on down to the main canyon and back out. That took 3 hours with no strenuous gain. It's still a nice pj forest where I went but I saw no sign of the Indians but they had to be in there. Posted 2019.