This is a placeholder page for a projected adventure to Rainbow Mountain Summit from Lovell Canyon. For now, see the adventure to Rainbow Wall via Pine Creek and Oak Creek Canyons. Also, view the maps on this page with a projected route. Rainbow Wall is actually a higher summit area, but getting from Rainbow Wall to Rainbow Mountain’s summit looks challenging! Lots of steep intervening Jurassic Era sandstone ledges to study.
My goal is to keep the entire adventure at a Class 3 or lower difficulty level. Navigate from upper Salt Grass Road to the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline above the Rainbow Mountain Saddle. Descend from the Limestone slopes of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline. Then cross the Rainbow Mountain Saddle to the Rainbow Wall area. Finally, make the traverse from Rainbow Wall to Rainbow Mountain Summit.
Curiously, Rainbow Mountain, itself, is the final Rainbow Mountain Peak in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness left to be documented. I’ve visited and documented all the other Rainbow Mountain Peaks. This summit appears to be the most complicated from all directions! But I guess they all were, until I reached them.
Take Hwy 160 from Las Vegas toward Pahrump. The highway ascends over a “hump” (the Potosi Mountain area). There’s a saying around here, “Over the hump to Pahrump”. Well, you’ve just traveled over that hump. Around 4-5 miles from the point where the highway begins to descend toward Pahrump there is a well-marked sign on the right for Lovell Canyon Road.
Proceed a couple miles up the well-paved road to Lovell Canyon Campground. You will park at the intersection of Lovell Canyon Road and Saltgrass Road which will be on the right. However, there is no sign that says “Saltgrass Road“. Your only indication that you are at the intersection of Lovell Canyon Road and Saltgrass Road is a small marker on the right indicating Road: #45540. If you’re going to proceed from this point on foot, find a place to park near that intersection. On the day I was there, there were two huge RVs camped at the opening of Saltgrass Road nearly blocking the road, making this a complicated starting point to find. However, Saltgrass Road, #45540. is the best starting point for this adventure.
This adventure will occur during an upcoming Spring or Fall season soon!
