Overview | North Lonesome Peak | Eldorado Wilderness, Nevada

Adventure Slide Guide will appear November/December 2024

Strange, Otherworldly Terrain

When you travel South of Las Vegas, you’ll soon enter into a rugged, otherworldly terrain of volcanic rocks, hills, peaks and canyons with basalt flows on a base of metamorphic rock. The peaks have surprising views you could never have predicted from the highways that pass through the area. From the highways, the surroundings look like relatively flat terrain with a few small hills and ridges. Boring! However, once you leave your vehicle and wander into the terrain, you’re quickly drawn into successively deeper canyons and higher ridges and peaks. And when you top that first large peak where the view opens toward the Colorado River 40 miles away, you suddenly realize that you’ve only passed through a small sample of the rugged terrain. Ahead, you see a vast world of sharper peaks and deeper canyons, where nothing is flat!

Climate Changes with the Seasons

It’s an incredibly dry, dangerously hot landscape during the Summer months. But during the Winter canyon streams may be flowing between scattered oasis. Even during the summer the water continues to flow deep beneath the ground nourishing the scrub oak, creosote bushes and cacti through their long root systems. If you should slip on the loose rock on the steep slopes, just know that between the sharp volcanic rock and cactus and yucca spines, there will be “no soft landings”. However, there are many Big Horn Sheep pathways to help guide you safely from point to point. During late Fall through early Spring, adventures in this area are like being on a Winter vacation to your favorite climate.

Deceptive Distances and Directions

It’s easy to get turned around in this terrain. Distances and directions are deceptive. You walk in thinking the terrain is simple and wide-open. But after heading down a maze of canyons and crossing numerous ridges you may look up to find nothing familiar. As you head in a direction you’re sure you parked your car, you’re actually heading away from that point, deeper into the wilderness! During the hot Summer months this can quickly become a fatal situation! So be sure to have some kind of directional guidance system, along with a good supply of water (4-6 liters recommended). Some use GPS, others use compass, I most often guide myself by familiar surrounding peaks both near and distant.

North Lonesome Peak is a Great Introduction to the Eldorado Wilderness

North Lonesome Peak is a great introductory adventure that will give you a good sampling of the Eldorado Wilderness and everything just mentioned. This peak, actually unnamed, is the Northern sister of the 400ft-higher, larger Lonesome Peak, separated by a high saddle with a spectacular view toward the Colorado River Basin and points far beyond. From this peak you will receive a good sampling of the Eldorado Wilderness, terrain South of Las Vegas. You could also just top Lonesome Peak, but North Lonesome Peak will give you a more extensive education in navigating the Eldorado Wilderness.  

Trailhead Directions | North Lonesome Peak | 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 Eldorato 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 | North Lonesome Peak | Eldorado Wilderness, Nevada

Initial Bearing and Direction

From your starting point, head Northeast into the terrain that looked deceptively flat from your vehicle. You’ll almost immediately encounter a few washes to cross. Where did these come from? Surprise! The washes are not deep, but their loose rock, fairly steep sides will gently introduce you to what lies ahead! In the beginning, the large Lonesome Peak is a good reference guide. You want to head toward the left side of that peak.

First Target Saddle

Look ahead to the first low saddle where there is a distinctive cream-colored sandstone ridge to the left of the saddle. That saddle is your first target. On the way, observe the ancient geology of the area. Watch for basalt rock with crystal-lined cracks. The crystal is evidence of the presence of gold deep below. Imagine the volcanic explosion, volcanic bombs shooting up from the ground, clouds of dust and small rock settling into deep layers, magma oozing up from below and hardening. It’s not hard to re-imagine the scene as if it were yesterday. So little has changed during the intervening millions of years!

Route Along the Western Base of Lonesome Peak: The Big Horn Expressway! 

Once at the summit of that first saddle just mentioned, the next stretch of your adventure becomes clear: Head along the Western base of Lonesome Peak to the saddle you can now see between Lonesome Peak and North Lonesome Peak. You want to navigate fairly low along the base of Lonesome Peak to avoid crossing descending gullies that quickly deepen the closer they get to the peak. This stretch is where we discovered Big Horn Sheep pathways we called “The Big Horn Express”. This is Big Horn land, and they are experts at finding the most level and direct pathways from one point to the other.

To the Saddle Between Lonesome and North Lonesome Peaks

Aim for the middle of the high saddle between Lonesome Peak and North Lonesome Peak. That last stretch up the steep slope to the saddle on a loose rock base can be challenging, but the rewarding view from the saddle makes up for any difficulty. From the saddle you can see the deep blue line of the Mojave Lake area in the Colorado River Basin about 30 miles below. The terrain between is an incredible maze of deep canyons and sharp ridges and peaks.

Navigating to North Lonesome Peak

Above the saddle to your right (South) is Lonesome Peak; to your left (North) is North Lonesome Peak. Turn left and begin to navigate along the upper right side of the ridgeline toward North Lonesome Peak. There is a faint, though good Big Horn Sheep trail to guide you and help stablize you along the terrain with a few frightening drop-offs below to your right.

Summit Approach Gully and View from North Lonesome Peak Summit

As you reach the base of North Lonesome Peak, you’ll discover a large gully leading upward to the peak. The protected sides of this gully are a welcome relief after the exposure of the slope you’ve just navigated. However, the gully is steep! At the top of the gully is the summit with the most spectacular view yet. This, being my first experience of the region, makes it hard to identify all the surrounding peaks and canyons. However, I’ll soon become more familiar with the landscape. I did recognize such landmarks as Fortification Hill, Arizona’s Mt. Wilson, Boulder City and even the Mt. Charleston Wilderness and surroundings. A few other landmarks looked familiar as well as new reference points like Lake Mojave far below. I confess I became a bit disoriented as I at first mis-identified Fortification Hill and Mt. Wilson, mistaking similar formations far to the South as these reference points. It shows how easy it is to become disoriented in the strange new world of the Eldorado Wilderness.

Descent to the Main Wash Along the Western Base of North Lonesome Peak

Now, begin to descend the summit ridgeline of North Lonesome Peak, staying on the more gradual ridgeline extending downward to the Northeast. To your left (Northwest) below note a mustard-colored ridge and gully extending downward to the main canyon wash below. Aim for this gully and take it downward to the canyon wash along the Western base of North Lonesome Peak. Getting to the summit of the gully is fairly gradual. However the gully itself is very steep and challenging with its loose-rock surface. You don’t want to take the descent gully all the way down as there is a vertical drop about mid-way in the gully. Rather, as you approach that mid-point in your descent, navigate a couple gullies to your left to safely descend to the main wash along the base of North Lonesome Peak.

Navigating the Main Wash and Choosing Between the Left and Right Fork

The main wash along the Western base of North Lonesome Peak can be tricky in places. There are some narrow, brush-choked sections with huge boulders you will either need to bypass to the right or left or tackle with some moderate class 3 bouldering. Soon you will come to a fork in the wash. The left fork is longer, soon putting you back on your original approach to the saddle between Lonesome Peak and North Lonesome Peak. The right fork is shorter, but more rugged with some steeper boulder sections. I found the right fork interesting, adding the variety of a loop route to this adventure. But if you take the right fork, prepare for its more challenging terrain. You’re in a wild canyon! 

Return to Highway 165

Both the left and right forks will bring you to the original saddle with the cream-colored hills and a view downward across the terrain to highway 165 where you originally began. Now simply retrace your way back to highway 165. I was surprised by what appeared to be “extra” additional washes to cross on that last stretch. Who added in all those additional washes when we were not looking! So much was packed into this adventure that it seemed like it had been a week since the adventure began–a week of sheer wonder!