Reveille Range

Flat Top and then Reveille Peak in the distance.

The best part of this range is the east side and it just so happens that highway 375 runs along it. Every 8000+ peak comes with a pj forest as standard equipment that's easy to walk thru. The lower elevations have thin sagebrush, also easy to walk. Horses are making a mess around Hyde Spring but not south of that, yet. Gas for this area is at Lund, Tonopah and Ash Springs. A Verizon tower is on the peak above Warm Springs. This turned out to be the best 8000 class range I've been in. Posted 2019.

• GOBLIN KNOBS - a smooth road goes into this area. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 15.2 and drive along the shore of Echo Canyon Reservoir and keep going nearly 5 miles to a fork. Right ends in a third mile on top of a steep hill el 6600 and would make for the easiest hike to Dark BM. The left fork goes 1.8 miles to a T and has a couple of steep but short downhill sections. Going left at the T goes back to 375 at mp 18.8, going right leads to Hyde Spring and the road over the pass at Lost Burro Mine. Posted 2019.
• HUMP BENCHMARK el 5841 is next to the highway. Park at mp NY 17.5 next to a gravel pit el 5000 then go up the easy ridge there to the BM at N38 07666, W116 06180. It's easiest to walk north from the pit into a canyon then get on the ridge. A million sheep beds are on the ridge and a small research balloon is at 07708, 05695. It had a vacuum tube. I hadn't seen one of those in decades. A herd of sheep walked up when I was at the summit. That takes 90 minutes with 800 gain. Posted 2019.
• HYDE PEAK el 6674 is what I call the easy one east of Hyde Spring. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 22 and go about 4.2 miles on easy 4wd to a main fork. Go right for a mile almost to the spring then hike up to a break in a cliff at N38 03589, W116 08378 el 6050. Walk on up the easy ridge to rough bedrock where an obvious pathway angles up to the right. When that ends, go up along the right side of a dark cliff then get on top of it then it's smooth walking to the summit at 03991, 07658. 90 minutes, 900 gain. This is too easy to pass up. The spring had a decent flow out of a pipe. ALTERNATE : drive in from mp 18.8 for 3 miles on easy 4wd then start up the easy north ridge at 05783, 07824 el 5600. This takes twice as long but still easy. DARK BENCHMARK el 7416 is another easy one. Keep driving NW past the spring for a mile and a quarter to a main fork. Go right and stay on the main road down to a wash at the base of the peak. Go left along the wash on a faint road and pick a route up. I went up the wash until I could see an easy route up to the west ridge then went up to it at 06503, 11101 el 6700 and on to the summit at 06856, 10537. 2 and a half hours, 1400 gain. The main road goes directly down to the highway at mp 18.8 and so would be an alternate approach. Use the Goblin Knobs road for the easiest hike up this peak if you're super lazy. Posted 2019.
• STREUBEN KNOB el 7532 sits north of the main road over the crest. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 22 and follow the main road for 5 miles to a fork at N38 02711, W116 09143 el 5900. Left goes to Reveille, but go right up a wash thru a narrows for a quarter mile to another fork. Left goes to the Gila Mine, but go right heading toward the pass            to  02918,  12008 and follow a faint road for half a mile to the end at 2 very old mine shafts el 6550. I aborted the hike due to a storm, but it looked easy. The main road tops out on the crest where juniper provide some shade. This is all easy 4wd. Posted 2019.
• LOST BURRO PEAK el 7554 has a lot of mine relics. I went north from Reveille on a road for nearly a mile to the mouth of the next canyon where the road is washed out el 6400. I walked on up canyon for half a mile to the Gila Mine at a fork in the canyon. The road goes up the left fork then over a low rim and back to the main fork where there is a log cabin. The road goes on up to the main saddle el 7000 at the end of the canyon. It goes north up from the saddle for a short way then ends at el 7150. I kept going up and saw mines to the left in a drainage. A dugout cabin is there at the mines. I went up the drainage to the end at a saddle el 7400 where the rest was in view. The summit is at 02765, 11229. I retraced back to the main saddle el 7000 then walked a road south from there spiraling up to peak 7443 then down to another road at 01720, 11492 el 7200 that took me back to the start. 3 and a half hours, 1600 gain. I used the road running NE from the mouth to get back down to the highway. Posted 2019.
• PEAK 8000+ is the northernmost 8000 footer in the range. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 22 and follow a 4wd road staying left at forks and it goes thru Reveille then over a saddle to a fork at N38 00953, W116 10278 el 6950. Go left down into a canyon for a mile or so then start walking up a wash at N38 00417, W116 09389 el 6500. Follow it over a divide el 6650 then on to a canyon at N37 59707, W116 09406 el 6700. Go down that for 2/3 air mile then go up the fork that runs under the peak and pick a route up. I went up at N37 58309, W116 10074 el 7150 where it goes parabolic and topped out at N37 58137, W116 10147 el 7750 on the NW ridge then turned left for an easy stroll to the summit. 4 and a half hours and all easy except for the 700 gain up the NW ridge. A lot of good pj forest here. It might be worth it to go around and climb the SW ridge and come down off the NW ridge. There is also an unmapped road coming in from the west but wouldn't be worth it for one peak. The spring at Reveille had a fast drip and shady camps start just past it.  PEAK 7911 is an easy one nearby. At the fork el 6950, take the other road for a mile to where it turns bad el 7300. Jeeps might still go on, but I walked on up the road in the canyon to the crest then followed it left toward the peak. For the last bit I climbed right of center to the summit. That took an hour with 600 gain. Posted 2019.
• BLOW BENCHMARK el 6584 is north of the  spring and routes are obvious. I went to the SW saddle then up to the high point at N37 57125, W116 06609 el 6617 where there is a witness BM . The main BM is .31 mile to the east. I came down a steep slope in the middle. 2 and a half hours, 1100 gain. Posted 2019.
• FLAT TOP el 8101 has routes up the east, north and west, the latter being the easiest.  This turned out to be the best hike in the range. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 30.3 and go 4 miles on easy 4wd to Pyramid Spring el 5800 and go right at a fork for a quarter mile to a saddle el 5900 at Fang Ridge. Don't try to drive past there and make a big eyesore. Walk to a wash at N37 56298, W116 07505 el 6000 and go up it for half an air mile into a forest then climb out on the right along a gully to a saddle el 6250 where the peak is in view. I went up the obvious steep east gully, but could see from the summit an easier gully on the west side. For that, get in a wash at 56146, 09002  el 6800 and follow it west up to the south saddle el 7300 then go around to the west saddle at 56451, 09963 el 7800 where the route up should be in view. That route should work. If not, every hike comes with a money back guarantee. Just send in the unused portion. I made a loop by going on north to peak 8300. On the north rim of Flat Top, I descended an easy class 3 chute at 56573, 09845 el 8050 and in less than 200 feet I was thru the cliffs and could move left to get to the north saddle el 7700. Then I walked right of center past crags until forced to left of center and stayed there until 57065, 09692 el 8000 where I could go straight up to the summit ridge. It was an easy walk on to the twin summit blocks at 57152, 09821. Then I walked back SE on the summit ridge for a quarter mile to the main saddle el 8000 and turned NE to another saddle with an Indian rock ring at 57108, 09383 el 7800. I soon found out where they got their water because I descended south down the canyon and came to a stream. It goes over a 30 foot fall but there is a gully on the right that drops down to the base. Another bypass is a drainage on the left that has small caves with burnt wood. Then there is one more smaller fall and after that it opened up and I cut over to the rim at 56801, 07855 el 6250 where I could see the start. That took me 7 hours, 15 minutes and would be about the same had I gone up the west gully of Flat Top, which is what I do from now on. Strenous gain would be less than 1000 feet. This is a May hike when water is running. Pyramid Spring had a decent flow out of the ground but might be from a leaky pipe underground. Cattle had not polluted it, but that can change. The main road ends a half mile past the spring with some shady tent sites el 6000. Posted May, 2019. SHORT VERSION - the peaks can be skipped for a shorter loop to the falls. Follow the hike above as far as the saddle el 6250 then aim for a wash at 56446, 08736 el 6700 and follow that as it bends to the right then go up a fork at 56496, 09241 el 6900 and then up to the main saddle at 56726, 09201 el 7200. Peak 7393 is an easy tenth mile to the south with a good view. A long row of cairns on top may have been placed by Indians. Do not disturb. From the saddle, go east down canyon and merge back with the route above and on down to the falls. That took 3 and a half hours with about 500 gain that could be considered strenous. Posted May, 2019.
• PEAK 8135 has an easy east ridge. A good loop can be done. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 30.3 and go 4 miles on easy 4wd to Pyramid Spring el 5800 and park. Walk south to the next wash then go SE down that for a mile to the flats el 5500 then go south a mile to the east ridge and pick a route up. I went up at N37 54581, W116 06191 el 5750 to get on the point then it was a cakewalk to the summit at 54492, 08761. Then I dropped off the south side of the summit and circled under the west side of it to get into the north canyon at 54613, 08856 el 7650 and followed that down. I turned into a left fork at 55100, 07789 el 6300 and went up that toward crags and over a saddle el 6400 then down the left side of the drainage on the other side. Then it was a stroll back to the start. That took 5 hours, 12 minutes with about 2700 gain, none of it very steep. I'd rate this as the second best hike in the range. BLOW BENCHMARK el 6584 is north of the  spring and routes are obvious. I went to the SW saddle then up to the high point at N37 57125, W116 06609 el 6617 where there is a witness BM . The main BM is .31 mile to the east. I came down a steep slope in the middle. 2 and a half hours, 1100 gain. Posted 2019.
• PEAK 8265 is a triple summit. I went up the north canyon from near Pyramid Well then over the highest summit and down the east ridge. That's only a 5 or 6 hour hike with easy walking in a good forest. Posted 2019.
• BLACK TOP BENCHMARK el 6972 is a colorful one on the east side of highway 375. Turn off at mp NY 42.1 and go 3.7 miles on easy 4wd then walk nearly a mile along the east side to the SE saddle el 6350 then go up the ridge to the summit block at N37 47153, W115 55982. The west side of the block is the easiest route. I retraced 400 feet to a white saddle then went straight down. 90 minutes, 700 noticeable gain. The flat top el 7087 to the south is the highest peak around. Turn off at mp 45.7 and stay left at forks on easy 4wd for a mile then go right for a tenth mile to the end el 6250. Walk low along the west side of the SW ridge to 46085, 56350 el 6550 the go straight up to the ridge top then follow a steep sheep trail to the summit where there is a reg and DOD BM from 1985 when there were plans for missile sites in the area. 90 minutes, 800 gain. These peaks are interesting. Posted 2019.
• REVEILLE PEAK el 8812 is the high point of the range. The north slope offers the unsteepest route. Turn off highway 375 at mp NY 43.5 and go a bit over 8 miles on a paved road to a deserted ranch. Turn NW on a graded road and go 8 miles to Willow Witch Well. Turn toward the peak and go 3 and a half miles on easy 4wd to the end el 7100 with room to camp and some shade. The road is mtn bikeable. Walk NE into the main canyon then at el 7600 the north slope comes into view. I zigzagged up to N37 51393, W116 08327 el 8000 then directly up to 51355, 08363 el 8200 where I was on a ridge and soon merged with the main NW ridge then went on to the reg at 51220, 08149. My name was in it from 1996 but I couldn't recall the hike or the drive. I descended the steep direct route that most hikers come up. 3 hours, 1700 gain, 200 of it is steep. The well is at 50448, 12654 el 5900, the end of the road is at 51274, 09200 el 7100. Posted 2019.

  

  Peek-a-boo. A herd of sheep spying on me at Hump BM.

  

  Cabin near the Gila Mine

  
  

  

  The east ridge of Peak 8135 and Fang Ridge

  
  

  

  Indian ring near Flat Top

  

  Residents at Pyramid Spring

Golden Gate Range

Indian ring on the highest peak in the range.

This range is in the Basin and Range National Monument.  Gas for this area is at Lund, Tonopah and Ash Springs. I used good dirt roads running south to north for nearly 80 miles that I call the Golden Gate route (GGR) for reference. It starts at mp LN 4.1 on highway 375 a few miles NW of Rachel. In a dozen miles there is a deserted ranch where I followed the main road as it bends to the right. At about mile 15 is a main fork, I went left there then right at the next main fork and the road goes to the northern tip of the Worthington Mtns at a main fork reading N37 59321, W115 35397, which is a fifth mile past where the Mail Summit Rd merges in. I took the right fork for 3 miles to a cattleguard then went right on a road that bends to Water Gap by way of Put Back Spring. I turned west thru the gap and crossed a bridge there over Cherry Creek (the Golden Gate bridge, of course) and took the next road forking to the right that runs along the east side of the range for 7 and a half miles to a tricky fork at N38 07676, W115 18479 el 5054. I took the right fork and had just one main road to follow all the way to highway 318 at mp NY 12.4, which is 6 miles south of Sunnyside. I could have drove a car or Class C motorhome on this route, but don't try that unless you have gas to make a U-turn at any point. If coming from Vegas, I woud use Mail Summit Rd off highway 318 and then there is an improved road in Garden Valley that runs north and meets the GGR near Put Back Spring, but I haven't been on all of that. Posted 2019.

• GOLDEN GATE RANGE HIGH POINT  el 8160+ is covered with Indian rock rings. I counted 2 dozen and I know I didn't see them all. Be careful not to disturb them.  A 4wd road goes to el 6900 in the canyon south of Sharp Spring. Turn off the GGR at N37 59150, W115 35346 and go south on Mail Summit Rd for 10.7 miles to a 4-way at 51232, 30119. Go east for 1.7 miles on easy 4wd to a faint road on the right. A trough along the way is the water from the spring piped down. Follow the faint road around the point for a mile to the end at 51361, 27608 el 6900 in a pj forest. A tricky gully crossing is the only issue with these roads, about half a mile before the end. I went up canyon to a minor ridge at 51705, 27163 el 7450 and followed that up staying close to a gully on my left. That led me to the main saddle el 7800 on the NW ridge. It's easy from there but be careful not to disturb any rings. One of the more photogenic rock rings is at 51885, 26890 el 8000+. A duplex is nearby at 51903, 26841. More rings are north along the ridgetop nearly to the point. The NE ridge only has a few and they aren't very good. The last I saw is an overgrown one at 51938, 26301. I kept going to peak 8037 and had a good view. One ring is near the high point at 51481, 26554. The reg is 200 feet beyond. Placed by M&L in 1993, I was the next to sign it on May 12, 1993 and remembered the hike. I came up the east. The SW ridge goes to Kay BM, but it's a rough knife edge. I went as far as a ring at 51467, 26639 el 8100 then dropped north into the main canyon and it went without a hitch. At 51448, 27005 the canyon makes a bend to the right and I got on the right bank for the rest of the descent. A horseshoe was along there. At bottom I came to 2 more rings at 51442, 27448 el 7050. I spent 4 and a half hours, but just going to the peak and back would be 2 or 3 hours with 1300 gain. The spring has rock cabin ruins. Posted 2019.
• PUT BACK PEAK el 7280+ is what I call the one 5 miles south of Putback Spring (dry). Turn off the GGR at N37 59909, W115 26119 and go south on easy 4wd for 3 and a half miles to a fork. Left goes a mile into a wash then it's a short walk to a gorge. But go right at the fork for half a mile or so where the road dips into a wash. I parked there for a loop hike. I went up the smooth wash for 1.1 air miles then up a ridge at 55597, 25849 el 6150 and then up an easy shelf between 2 major cliff bands to the summit at 55064, 25585. I descended east into a pristine basin and found a minor rock ring at 54712, 25073 el 6600. I went down canyon in a smooth wash to a boulder jam near the mouth. A homemade ladder was there leading to an Indian cave at 56507, 23973 el 5800. I was able to get in the cave from the top with some tricky class 3. A 20 foot line would help. A hawk flew out of the cave and I found 2 chicken size eggs in the back on the ground, no nest. Another cave is downstream up on the left but it had nothing. It was an easy walk across the flats back to the start. That took 4 and a half hours and only the 1000 gain up to the peak required any effort. The basin is huge with a good forest and cattle can't get in. Posted 2019.
• CITY is the name of a mile long sculpture by Michael Heizer. It can be seen on the sat image west of Water Gap.
• CHERRY BENCHMARK el 6283 is north of Water Gap. Go west from the gap on a graded road to N38 02545, W115 23566 then go north on easy 4wd to a canyon el 5380. Go up the west rim to the summit at 03743, 22829. I descended the east rim and came to some crags but a secret passage at 03452, 22891 el 6050 got me thru. 95 minutes, 900 gain. Sheep tracks cover the area. Posted 2019.
• CAVE MOUNTAIN el 7162 is what I call the most dramatic peak in the range. Turn west off the GGR at N38 05698, W115 20040 and go 1.1 miles to a faint road on the right at 05970, 21221. If it's not posted closed, follow it until it fades then walk up canyon and go up a break in the cliffs at 06850, 20366 el 6400. Follow the scenic rim around the south side of the peak and a route up will come into view on the east side. But before going up, the huge east cave is easy to get at. Stay on the rim to a main sheep trail at 06851, 19887 el 6600 and in a fifth mile the cave comes into view. Retrace back to get to the  reg at 06843, 20154. For a loop back, a sheep route down thru the cliffs is in view to the west at 07059, 21067 el 6500. The whole route back is in view from the summit. The loop is a 5 or 6 hour hike with less than 2000 gain, hardly any of it steep. ALTERNATE : North ridges are easy but not as interesting. Circle around the east side of the peak on good roads to a 4-way on the north side. Turn south on a high clearance road then stay left at a fork then start up a north ridge on a sheep trail at 07663, 20453 el 5800 and keep going up it to the reg at 06843, 20154.  A saddle el 6550 along the way has a view of the huge east cave, but cliffs block access. 3 hours, 1400 gain. The cave in view on the next peak north is huge. From the 4-way, go north to the end at campsites used by climbers. They built a good trail from there to the high cave on the left. It has good stalagmites. Posted 2019.
• GATE BENCHMARK el 7265 is the northernmost peak along the GGR. Turn off at N38 09427, W115 16173 and go a mile and a half and the main road will bend left to weird crags with an arch that looks like a stargate. No sign of SG-1. Get on a road behind the arch at 11933, 15662 and follow it over a saddle and to a T. Left is another way out, but go right for a mile and a half to the end at the east canyon el 5950. I went up canyon to the south saddle and left my pack at 13166, 18230 el 6850 then up to the reg at 13452, 18249. I didn't see any Indian rock rings near the summit or a stargate. They named it Gate for a reason? But when I came back to my pack there was a rock ring right there. The Indians tried to hide it from me by planting a juniper in it. I went back via the south summit but didn't find anything. 3 hours, 1300 gain. These roads are easy 4wd but hard on paint. Posted 2019.

  

  Put Back Peak

  

  Chicken size eggs in the Indian cave

  

  Cave Mountain