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