Overview | Lonesome Peak West Canyon Loop | Eldorado Wilderness, Nevada

Slide Guide will appear mid to late January, 2026.

This is an amazing wilderness loop in a little-known area around 20 miles South of Las Vegas. In fact, from points in this loop you can see Boulder City.

Lonesome Peak forms a long ridgeline with Lonesome Peak, elevation 3858ft, on the South end of the ridge, high point in the Eldorado Wilderness. On the North end of the ridgeline is another high point I call North Lonesome Peak, elevation about 3,600ft. There’s a saddle between. There are canyons on both the West and East side of the ridgeline, and to the North is Lonesome Wash, a long canyon wash leading East and downward to the Colorado River. The area is volcanic with a rare, rugged beauty, fascinating geological features and total solitude. I’ve never seen anyone else on this adventure route. 

Adventure Route Summary

This adventure begins on Highway 165 and descends into the Western canyon. The route follows the Western canyon downward to its base where progress is interrupted by a deep vertical shaft I call “Satan’s Shaft”. This is a narrow point in the canyon with cliffs on either side of the shaft. The route then ascends the slope above the West (right) side of the canyon, then navigates high ridgelines with spectacular views and valleys above the West side of the canyon as it circles around and back to the starting point on highway 165.

The adventure route is mostly a class 2 walk with steep loose rock slopes in places, but still class 2. There is only one class 3 scramble down a very steep slope descending from the ridgeline near the end. Hindsight indicates that final steep descent might have been avoided by continuing a little further South along the ridgeline until its more gentle Southern edge.

What Will You See Along the Lonesome Peak West Canyon Loop?

You’ll pass through a canyon with majestic towering walls on either side, encounter a curious vertical shaft, then ascend to spectacular views of the surrounding Eldorado Wilderness and distant points beyond. Here’s a short list of beautiful reference points:

• Lonesome Peak’s Tall Ridgeline: Lonesome Peak, saddle, North Lonesome Peak
• Lonesome Wash
• The Mohave Overlook Plateau
• Sweeping views of the Eldorado Wilderness
• Arizona Mt Wilson Wilderness
• Black Canyon Wilderness
• Boulder City
• River Mountains
• Railroad Mountains
• Black Mountain in the North McCullough Wilderness
• McCullough Mountain in the South McCullough Wilderness
• Many distant points high points beyond

Best Time of Year for This Adventure

Late Fall through early Spring will bring the most moderate temperatures, often feeling like Summer during the mid-day! Winter mornings can be pretty cold, down to the low 30’s, so bring clothing layers. Avoid late Spring through early Fall. Mid-day Summer temperatures can reach dangerously high levels exceeding 120 degrees! Be familiar with the wilderness and/or have a good GPS device or app. You don’t want to end up going off-course on the return route and end up on a high ridgeline in the dark on a short Winter day. But, with proper directional guidance either from familiarity or directional instruments (compass, GPS), this mostly class 2 route with only a few short class 3 rock scrambles is interesting and fun!  

Trailhead Directions | Lonesome Peak West Canyon Loop | Eldorado Wilderness, Nevada

The Eldorado Wilderness is South of Las Vegas. Take Interstate 11 South toward Hoover Dam. Just after the Railroad Pass exit, take a right onto exit 14 to Hwy 95 toward Searchlight. Then, take a left onto Hwy 165. You’ll soon see well-placed, attractive interpretive signs for the Eldorado Wilderness and Nelson Hills. There is an Eldorado Trailhead, but you want to park at a wide spot by the road a couple thousand feet before the trailhead.

Narrative Guide | Lonesome Peak West Canyon Loop | Eldorado Wilderness, Nevada

Getting Your Initial Bearings

Looking to the East from the starting point on Highway 165, it looks like you’re on flatland with a few high points in the background. The high points you can see include Pigs in Zen Peak directly to the East and some rocky high points to the North of that. You may be able to see Lonesome Peak to the North of Pigs in Zen Peak. To the Northeast is the long Archback Peak and Ridgeline. You’re going to head toward Pigs in Zen Peak, take a left at it’s Northern base, descend from flatland into a surprisingly wild, rugged canyonland to descend the deep canyon along the Wester base of Lonesome Peak, then circle back through the wilderness to emerge from the tall ridgeline to the right (South) of Archback Peak. Be aware that there is an unofficial, live gun range at the South base of Archback Peak, but it’s easy to give that a wide berth.

Highway 165 Starting Point to Pigs in Zen Peak

What looked like flatland between the highway and the North edge of Pigs in Zen Peak is not so very flat. There are a few gully washes with high walls. It won’t be hard to find descent and ascent points on either side of the gullies, enabling an easy crossing. At the base of Pigs in Zen Peak, take a left, heading downward into a deep canyon. By now you can see Lonesome Peak on the right (East) side of the canyon and a beautiful sandstone formation on the left (West) side of the canyon.

Pigs in Zen Peak to the West Slopes of the Lonesome Peak Ridgeline

Now head through the narrowing canyon between the sandstone formation on the left and Lonesome Peak on the right. Soon you’ll be navigating a canyon wash. You could stay in that wash through the entire Western canyon if you like navigating the brush, boulders and ledges of a canyon wash. I prefer to leave the narrow wash early on and angle upward along the West slopes of the Lonesome Peak ridgeline (to the right). The view there is better and there are fewer obstacles.

West Slopes of the Lonesome Peak Ridgeline to the Canyon Wash Descent Point

As you traverse the West slopes of the Lonesome Peak Ridgeline, you’ll cross a number of descending gullies. Find the mid altitude where the gullies are more shallow, making those crossings easier. You can see the canyon wash winding below to your left and the Lonesome Peak Ridgeline towering above to your right. You could descend into the lower wash at any point. I prefer to wait until the last descent point possible, which occurs after you’ve passed below the saddle and reached the point below North Lonesome Peak. At that point it’s obvious that you need to descend the slope to the canyon wash below. The slope becomes blocked by vertical cliffs.

Western Canyon Wash to the Lower Barrier

The Western Canyon Wash at this point is wider and easier to traverse, with passageways between brush and boulders. There are only two or three narrow points with small vertical dry washes, and these are easy to bypass above on the left. There’s an interesting stretch that looks at first like a frozen light-colored stream in sharp contrast to the surrounding terrain. The light layer is calcite, formed by the past action of water passing over the calcium-laden rock surface. It’s the same process that causes that white band around the base of Lake Mead. You’ll notice fine white lines in the rock walls surrounding the wash. They may look at first like human-drawn petroglyphs. But these are also natural calcite, caused by the process of water leaking through cracks in the rocks. Notice where many of the rock walls are not solid rock, but composed of a composite of smaller rocks and gravel. There’s a lot to see in the wash if you take time to observe.

Lower Barrier: “Satan’s Shaft”

At the base of the Western Canyon Wash, you’ll encounter the barrier that turned me around. It’s a 20-30ft vertical shaft with smooth walls and a pool of water at its base. If you tried to descend into the base of that shaft, you’d be in near-freezing water with no way out other than a rope assist! This would be a career-ending move were you alone, so steer clear of “Satan’s Shaft”! I attempted to find a bypass on the ridge above to the right. I got to the upper edge of that ridge, but there’s a vertical drop-off on the other side. Perhaps more extensive exploration could produce a bypass to the right or left of “Satan’s Shaft”. It seems there might be a route, but prepare to spend a little time trying to find it. Just stay away from the shaft!

Satan’s Shaft to the Western Ridgeline

Backtrack about 1-200ft up the Western Canyon to a slope that is a way to the high Western ridgeline of the canyon. It’s possible to weave upward through the steep loose rock surface without exceeding a class 2 walk, no class 3 rock scrambling needed. While ascending, views open of the wash below, the Lonesome Wash beyond, descending toward the Colorado River, and the massive Mohave Overlook plateau on the far side of the Lonesome Wash. As you look at the Lonesome Peak Ridgeline from above, you might see other potential ways to round the North end of that ridgeline to reach the Lonesome Wash below. I haven’t tested any of these yet. There may or may not be a pathway to the Lonesome Wash that doesn’t involve advanced rock climbing.

Western Ridgeline to the Final Descent Toward Highway 165

Views from the summit of the Western Ridgeline are spectacular (reference points listed above)! Now you really get a good look at a large swath of the Eldorado Wilderness and distant points beyond. The route on the map guides you through some beautiful rolling wilderness ridges, then back up to a spectacular view of the Western Canyon and Lonesome Peak Ridgeline from the cliffs above. An easier return route would take you around the South end of Archback peak, but I avoided that due to a live gun range there. Instead, I stuck to the high West ridge of the Western Canyon. Here are the best aerial views on the entire adventure route!

Descent Back to the Highway 165 Starting Point

As you reach a point on the high Western ridgeline across from the Lonesome Ridgeline saddle, where Pigs in Zen Peak comes into view, you can look down to see Highway 165 and your starting point below. Now it’s just a matter of descending from the ridgeline to the valley and highway below. The challenge is to find a non-vertical descent point. You’re on a ridgeline with cliffs on either side. It’s not hard to find a path along the upper ridgeline, but where’s the descent point? I found a weakness in the cliff face…a steep rocky slope that got me down to the valley below. Later, looking back, it seemed it might have been possible to continue on the high ridgeline to its more gently slope down the South end of the ridge. But I did not test that.

Once at the base of the Western Ridgeline, it’s an easy traverse back to the highway 165 starting point. However, there are those few deep gullies to cross. You’ll find easy crossing points. Just be aware, it’s not a straight walk across a valley! As you go, you’ll be angling Southwest toward your starting point on the highway. Once you’re off the Western ridgeline and in the valley below, you may not be able to see your parking spot, so it will be good to have identified that spot and high points beyond in relation to the position of the sun while you’re still up on the Western ridgeline.         

Conclusion

This entire adventure is a magical wilderness immersion, most likely in complete solitude. You can pick your level of difficulty along the way, never needing to exceed a class 2 walk, but optionally tackling more advanced class 3 rock scrambles or class 4 or higher vertical terrain. It’s all an incredible variety of Southwestern desert terrain at its best!