Monument Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada

Monument Peak summit in Nevada’s Rainbow Mountains is a commanding, yet rarely visited landmark. It’s the reason Hidden Peak is “Hidden”. Though the summit register has been in place over a quarter of a century, it has only a handful of signatures. Click the image or title above for details.

Gap Peak South of South Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada

Visit the Peak South of the One We Call “South Peak” in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada. See the botanical wonderland there!

Hollow Rock & South Peaks Loop | Rainbow Mts. Wilderness, Nevada

Summit the Southern two peaks in the Rainbow Mountains Wilderness. This is one of the most complete experiences of each peak. You’ll see each peak from below during the ascent. Then, you’ll see each peak and it’s entire upper ridgeline from across while on the other peak. By the time you’re finished, you’ll know you’ve had an unique,
immersive experience of the Southern tip of the colorful Rainbow Mountains range. Click the image or title above for details.

Hidden Peak Summit | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada

Hidden Peak is a great first summit adventure if you have not yet summited one of the Rainbow Mountains in Nevada. The route to the summit base is on a nice trail and the final summit approach is well-cairned with gradual inclines and just a few easy class 3 rock scrambles. This article, video and slides also include a quick orientation to the Southern Rainbow Mountains with all five main summits identified. Spring and Fall months are the best time of year to summit Hidden Peak. Click the image or title above for details.

South Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada

Explore South Peak, the rarely visited Southernmost peak in the colorful Jurassic Era sandstone Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada. South Peak offers unique and spectacular views of Potosi Mountain to the South and the Rainbow Mountains to the North. This adventure is challenging, though does not exceed the class 3 level of rock climbing. And, it can be accomplished in half a day. Click the image or title above for details.

Black Velvet Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada

You might have heard of the highly technical, imposing class 5+ vertical cliff route to Black Velvet Peak summit from below to the East. But here’s a much easier, little-known class 3 route descent to that same peak from the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline above to the West. Best time of year for this 8-mile round trip is Spring or Fall. Click the image or title above for details.

Ice Box Canyon | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada

Ice Box Canyon, located on the Eastern side of the Rainbow Mountains between Willow Spring and Pine Creek Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Red Rock Canyon. The brief 2.2-mile hike introduces the beauty and challenge of traversing the brush, boulders, ledges and streams in the canyons on the Eastern side of the Nevada’s Rainbow Mountains. This is a great 2nd canyon experience if you’ve never navigated such terrain. Easier, as a first experience is Lost Creek Canyon to the North. More difficult are Pine Creek, Oak Creek and First Creek Canyons to the South.

Rock Formations in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Entering Valley of Fire State Park is like entering into another world and the fiery red Azetc sandstone formations sharply contrasting against their gray and tan limestone mountain background create a fantasy-like atmosphere. Over countless years wind, water and sand have created a myriad of shapes and designs beyond all human artistic genius. And there is a spiritual feeling in the valley I have only experienced in few places on earth. This is a place you can touch, experience and even enter the very rock of the earth and feel an energy that is at times overpowering. Click image or title above for more…

Prospect Trail | Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

The Prospect Trail in Valley of Fire State Park spans much of the park from near the West entrance to the White Domes Loop at the end of the Mouse’s Tank Scenic Drive. Not only does it span much of the park, but it also offers one of the widest variety of rock formations and colors seen on any other trail in the park from the 200 million-year-old red Azetc sandstone formations also seen on Pinnacles Loop, Fire Canyon, Mouse’s Tank Trail the Bee Hives and Atlatl Rock to the white sandstone formations seen in locations such as White Domes and Silica Dome to the variety of colors seen on the Rainbow Vista Trail to the red and white striped display seen on Fire Wave Loop. Route details: 11 miles RT; **Good trail – a bit sketchy in places.** Click image or title above for more…

Southern Bowl of Fire | Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada

You can stand in the midst of the Bowl of Fire and see the entire Bowl of those beautiful Aztec formations in one of the most incredible 360 degree vistas available anywhere. And then proceed through a gentle valley to the North surrounded on both sides by more formations. Route details: 5-6mi | 1,965 > 1,905ft; ** Some Trail, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…