Overview – Rocky Gorge Loop Trail | Sawmill Trailhead Area | Lee Canyon, Nevada

Slide Guide to Appear Soon!

Like a Bonsai Garden

This intimate little gorge is like a desert bonsai garden! Though the loop trail is hidden away in Lee Canyon with no visible trailheads, it’s well worth the search!

Hidden Trailheads

The Rocky Gorge Trail is one of the most overlooked trails in Lee Canyon’s Sawmill Trails Network. Neither the clockwise nor the counterclockwise trailheads are marked. You have to know where this trail is or you’ll never find it!

Why is the Rocky Gorge Loop Trail Worth the Effort?

The Rocky Gorge itself is only around a half-mile in length, though the long loop shown in the video on this page is 12 miles and the short loop pointed out is about 6 miles. Either 6 or 12 miles is a long way to go for a half-mile gorge. Why do I believe it’s worth the effort?

Born and raised in Portland Oregon, when I hear the word “Gorge” I think of the spectacular world-famous Columbia River Gorge. When I think about spectacular limestone-walled canyons, the impressive heights of the Spring Mountains peaks and their approach routes come to mind. So what’s with this tiny “Rocky Gorge”?

Rocky Gorge is like an intimate desert bonsai garden. Here you will find plants nestled in the beautiful surrounding limestone walls creating a unique setting you will not experience in either the Columbia Gorge or the upper limestone heights of the Spring Mountains. It’s a peaceful environment where you may just want to sit and meditate as you’re soaking in the surroundings created by blue sky, gray limestone and green yucca, juniper, pinyon pine and cacti.

As I’ve previously stood on the Spring Mountain peaks observing the slopes below, I had no idea those slopes contained such gems, tucked away in the lower canyons. Today’s adventure was a surprising revelation. Standing on the upper heights will never be quite the same after having been immersed in this canyon on the lower slopes.

Dramatic Change in Terrain

Another additional feature of this adventure is the dramatic change in terrain from the taller pines and junipers around the Sawmill Trailhead and the expansive Joshua Tree yucca forest on the ridges and below the opening of Rocky Gorge. The terrain change is similar to what you’d experience traveling from Canada to the deserts of the U.S. Southwest.

Adventure Route Summary

Beginning at the upper Sawmill Trailhead start out on the Sawmill Loop counterclockwise, then take a left onto the Sawmill/Blue Tree overlapping loops, soon leaving the Sawmill Loop, now on the Blue Tree Loop only. Continue to a confusing intersection where you’ll take a left and almost immediate right turn onto the totally unmarked, hidden Pinyon Pine Eastern loop (counterclockwise). Continue along this Pinyon Pine hidden stretch to a “T” intersection where the Pinyon Pine Loop takes a left, but you continue straight onto the Rocky Gorge Loop. The “T” intersection is actually the clockwise trailhead to the Rocky Gorge Loop. 

Now, on the Rocky Gorge Loop, continue straight, crossing one intersecting road. This trail will take you through Rocky Gorge, out the lower end and around toward Lee Canyon Road, than parallel Lee Canyon Road as you ascend to Blue Tree Road. Where the trail intersects Blue Tree Road, you’re at the hidden counterclockwise Rocky Gorge Loop trailhead. Now turn right onto Blue Tree Road which is also the Blue Tree Loop. Take the Blue Tree Loop back up to the Sawmill Loop and finally return to your starting point at the Sawmill Trailhead.

Best Time of Year for This Adventure

The best temperature on the Sawmill Trails is April through mid-June and September through mid-October. Winter can bring snow that hides already obscure, sometimes confusing trails and Summer can bring dangerously high heat, especially on the lower Sawmill Trails, like the Rocky Gorge Loop. On the day of this adventure it was the 3rd week in July, with a cool breeze and surprisingly comfortable temperature in the mid-70’s. Don’t count on that during the mid-Summer months! Temperature in Las Vegas was under 100 degrees on this day. If the temperature in Las Vegas is predicted to exceed 100 degrees, the Sawmill Trails are not advised.   

Trailhead Directions – Rocky Gorge Loop Trail | Sawmill Trailhead Area | Lee Canyon, Nevada

Take Hwy 95 North from Las Vegas and take a left at the Lee Canyon Road exit (Hwy 156). Travel up Lee Canyon Road about 13 miles. Take a right onto the Sawmill Trailhead Access Road and proceed to the trailhead. Stay left to reach the upper trailhead parking area.

Narrative Guide – Rocky Gorge Loop Trail | Sawmill Trailhead Area | Lee Canyon, Nevada

Getting Your Initial Bearings

At the upper Sawmill Trailhead, look across Lee Canyon Road to see the impressive limestone heights of Mummy’s Head. This reference point will always point you back to the trailhead. No matter where you are on the outer Sawmill Trails, most any high point will reveal the position of Mummy’s Head. The outer Sawmill Trails can become faint, sometimes disappearing, unmarked pathways with unmarked off-branching paths. It’s possible to get disoriented. If that happens, head for Mummy’s Head. You’ll cross one or more trails on the way, and eventually reach Lee Canyon Road near the Sawmill Trailhead.

Sawmill Trailhead to the Big, Somewhat Confusing Intersection 

Notice the beautiful pinyon pine and juniper forest around the Sawmill Trailhead. This terrain is going to dramatically change as you descend Lee Canyon. You’ll see the vegetation gradually becoming smaller, pines and junipers beginning to thin out and die as you approach the lower elevations where cacti, yucca and Joshua Trees thrive. See how plants gradually adjust to lower their exposure to the scorching sunlight and rising heat of the lower elevations. To conserve scarce moisture, they don’t grow as tall. Leaves and needles are smaller, often curved to limit exposure to the sun. Ultimately, the cacti, yucca and Joshua Trees take over. Finally, they too give out to more barren landscapes blanketed with totally barren saltpans.

From the Sawmill Trailhead, take a right onto the Sawmill Loop (counterclockwise direction). Take the loop less than a quarter mile to its intersection with the Blue Tree Loop. At this intersection a right turn would take you to the Lower Sawmill Equestrian Trailhead. Instead, turn left onto the Blue Tree Loop which also overlaps the Sawmill Loop. Continue on these overlapping loops until the Blue Tree Loop splits off to the right, leaving the Sawmill Loop.

Continue on the Blue Tree Loop as it winds around upper ridgelines overlooking Lee Canyon Road. Keep to the main trail, avoiding a couple unmarked off-branching trails heading down toward Lee Canyon Road. Eventually, you’ll arrive at a big, somewhat confusing intersection with 5 options, not all clearly marked! 

Big, Somewhat Confusing Intersection to Rocky Gorge Clockwise (Western) Hidden Trailhead

You’ll know when you’ve arrived at the big, somewhat confusing intersection. The Blue Tree Loop continues straight, but as a road. There’s an intersecting road. A right turn takes you down toward Lee Canyon Road. A left turn takes you up to the ridgeline summit where you would find the counterclockwise Mud Springs trailhead and clockwise Pinyon Pine Trailhead. And there is a totally unmarked trail opening ahead and just a little to the left.

Here’s what you need to do at this intersection: Take a quick jog to the left, then immediately turn right onto that obscure, totally unmarked trail opening. That’s the Pinyon Pine counterclockwise trailhead to the Eastern side of its loop. Continue along the Pinyon Pine Eastern loop. You’re now in a long gully with low ridgelines above on either side. Notice the vegetation gradually becoming thinner and dryer. In less than a mile you’ll arrive at a “T” intersection which is the clockwise Western hidden trailhead to the Rocky Gorge Loop!

Rocky Gorge Clockwise (Western) Hidden Trailhead to Rocky Gorge Upper Opening

At the “T” intersection notice a sign post with two pieces of colored tape: One red for Pinyon Pine and one yellow for Rocky Gorge. I imagine there were originally arrows pointing which direction each colored trail went, but all pointers are worn off and only the two colored pieces of tape remain.

Continue straight at the “T” intersection signpost. A left turn here would send you off course, continuing on the red-coded Pinyon Pine’s hidden Eastern loop.

Congratulations! You’re now on the hidden Rocky Gorge Loop in the clockwise direction! Since few people know where this trail is, expect it to become fainter and in some places a bit confusing or even briefly disappear. Just know you’re continuing to descend the same gully between the low ridges to your right and left. If you lose the trail, just stop and study the ground for any sign of use. Walk a few widening circles and the trail will reappear ahead.

At one point you will cross an unmarked road. Continue straight across the road, eventually discovering where the trail continues on the other side.

A little later, the trail will ascend the low ridge to your right (East) and descend into the next gully to the East. Then it will ascend the right (East) side of that gully, descending into yet another gully. Now, in the third parallel gully, you’ll ascend it’s right (East) side, descending into a much larger, fourth parallel gully. This fourth gully is the gully that will eventually become Rocky Gorge. Plants are now dramatically thinning and you can see Joshua Trees lining the ridgelines above. They’re gradually taking over!

Through Rocky Gorge

As you proceed down this fourth gully to the East, the ridgelines to your right and left will begin to rise and become more limestone rocky, vertical in places. You’re now in Rocky Gorge for the next half-mile. Enjoy the desert bonsai environment. It’s like its own little unique world. The surface you are on is also more rocky and you’ll need to step down a few rocky steps, nothing difficult. It never exceeds the difficulty level of walking. The trail itself often disappears in the rocky surface, but the gorge is more narrow. Finding the trail again is just a matter of continuing downward on the path of least resistance between the walls to your right and left until the trail reappears.

It’s  pretty obvious when you’ve passed through the lower end of Rocky Gorge. The surrounding rock walls disappear and become ridges, the gully widens, the surface you’re on is a wider, fine gravel wash and the Sheep Range is visible ahead in the distance to the East.

Exiting the Gorge Toward Lee Canyon & Blue Tree Roads

As you emerge from the lower open of Rocky Gorge watch carefully for the path that will ascend the ridge to your right (East) toward Lee Canyon Road. You may not actually see a path. I noticed a small cairn (stack of rocks) to the right and thought, this just may be marking where the Rocky Gorge Loop begins to circle around to the right. I could not see a trail or even a pathway at first. But after exploring around above the cairn, a pathway eventually appeared. This was the continuation of the Rocky Gorge Loop. Note that cairns can be temporary, and in the future, if this cairn is missing you’ll have a very hard time finding the continuation of the trail. If you miss the trail, just head up the ridge to your right by the time you top that ridge, you’ll likely come across the trail. If not, just aim for Angel Peak, visible from the top of the ridge and you’ll eventually find the trail, or at least reach Lee Canyon Road. Angle upward toward Mummy’s Head once that becomes visible.

Let’s assume you locate the pathway ascending the ridge. At first it’s angling diagonally up the ridge a bit toward the Sheep Range. Then it rounds the ridgeline summit, turning toward Mummy’s Head, now visible. At this point, notice an incredible Joshua Tree forest in the ridges and gullies immediately below (toward the Sheep Range). Very impressive and beautiful!

The upper ridgeline surface becomes rocky and windswept, the trail at times disappearing. Just stay on the upper ridgeline, noting that you will angle toward and over the next two ridgelines to the East (toward Lee Canyon Road) before topping the final ridgeline from which you can see Lee Canyon Road below.

The trail now switchbacks down this final high ridgeline toward Lee Canyon Road. Cross the wash at the base of the ridgeline where the trail continues toward Lee Canyon Road, gradually angling to the right and upward until it eventually parallels Lee Canyon Road, now just a hundred yards or so to the East. You can’t see Lee Canyon Road, but it’s there off to your left.

The trail eventually winds up a shallow gully, reaching a camp spot on Blue Tree Road about 50 yards from Lee Canyon Road. This camp spot on Blue Tree Road is actually the unmarked counterclockwise entrance to the Rocky Gorge Loop! There is a reference point here. There’s a large stone with an American flag painted on it. So, by now, you’ve seen both the unmarked, hidden trailheads to the Rocky Gorge loop. You’ll never find them without a map!

Alternate Shorter Rocky Gorge Loop from the Lower Blue Tree Loop Trailhead

Blue Tree Road is a short road branching off perpendicularly from Lee Canyon Road. A left turn at the American flag stone would take you to Lee Canyon Road. The lower Blue Tree Loop Trailhead is a right turn across Lee Canyon Road and about a hundred yards up. 

Returning to the Sawmill Trailhead

But let’s assume you’re at the American flag stone on Blue Tree Road and wanting to return to the Sawmill Trailhead. In that case, turn right on Blue Tree Road. You’re now on the fairly well-marked Blue Tree Loop. Blue Tree Road will soon angle to the left. You’ll need to cross a low unmarked gully to continue on the Blue Tree Loop Trail/Road at this point. Basically, it’s running parallel to Lee Canyon Road and heading toward Mummy’s Head. Follow the signs and cairns across multiple crossing paths and roads, always continuing up Lee Canyon above and parallel to Lee Canyon Road. Where there are intersections, avoid off-branching roads and paths that lead down toward Lee Canyon Road or upward in the other direction. Watch for cairns and signs to verify you’re continuing on the Blue Tree Loop.

Eventually, you’ll reach that “Somewhat Confusing Intersection” I pointed out above where you first entered the hidden, unmarked Pinyon Pine Eastern Loop near the beginning of today’s adventure. From there, just retrace you way back to the Sawmill Loop and the Sawmill Trailhead. What a day! You’ve traversed a route few people have been able to find!