Juniper Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
If you’re looking to climb your first peak in the Rainbow Mountains, Juniper Peak is a good start. Many of the surrounding peaks dwarf it in comparison: Mt. Wilson; Rainbow Mountain; Bridge Mountain. Experience all the beauty and challenge of a Jurassic Era Aztec red rock peak in the Rainbow Mountains of Nevada. When you are facing Juniper Peak there appear to be 3 routes from the Red Rock Park side: Two narrow chutes to the left and what looks like a more gradual approach to the right. I ended up selecting the middle of these routes – the right chute of the two chutes to the left. Hindsight says that the easier, and likely the more traditional route is the more gradual climb up the slope on the right (just before Pine Creek Canyon). Route Description: 8.7 mi/ 3,909 > 6,109ft; **Some Trails, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Middle Oak Creek Trail in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
The videos on this page are an example of rains and flash floods in the desert. I recorded water cascading down canyon walls in the Rainbow Mountains of Nevada. It wasn’t a major life-threatening flash flood, but enough to get an idea how quickly things can change in the desert during a storm. Route Details: 4 miles RT; 300ft elevation gain; **Mostly wilderness, few trails.** Click image or title above for more…
Mt. Wilson, Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Mt. Wilson, Nevada, at 7070ft elevation is the highest mountain in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness to the West. It’s one of the more challenging Rainbow Mountains to climb due to thick brush at its base and the cliffs above. I’ve seen countless hikers staring at their smart phones trying to follow granular directions (turn this way at this rock or tree…etc.) and totally lost in an elaborate maze of rabbit trails. I myself did this in the beginning, until I finally put my smart phone down and focused on the big picture. Route details: 12 mi/ 3,757 > 7070ft; Some Trails, Mostly Wilderness. Click image or title above for more…
Pine Creek Canyon, Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Pine Creek Canyon is definitely worth a day or two. It is more wild, untouched and the plant life more varied and abundant than in many other areas around Red Rock Park. It’s the second to the last trailhead parking area on the Red Rock Park Scenic Loop Drive. This entire side of Red Rock Park is often overlooked by those who spent their time at the more popular Red Rock Park Visitor Center, the Calico Hills, Turtlehead Peak, upper viewpoint, Willow Springs and Ice Box Canyon. But be prepared for a maze of trails! Route details: 3 mi/ 4000 > 4,500ft; **Some Trails, Some Wilderness** Click image or title above for more…
Rainbow Mountain, Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Rainbow Mountain is one of the most difficult mountains to summit in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness. Its beauty is in part due to the distinct Rainbow effect of reds and browns along with the massive vertical conical shaped cliff feature to the right: Rainbow Wall. Click image or title above for more…
Bonnie Springs Ranch | Red Rock Canyon
In mid-March of 2019, after about 45 years of operation, Bonnie Springs Ranch and it’s Old Nevada replica mining town, just West of Red Rock National Park, closed down. We feature Bonnie Springs Ranch here not because it is a hiking destination, but rather a long-time fixture in Red Rock Canyon. Click image or title above for more…
Windy Peak | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Windy Peak in Nevada is the third peak from the South end of the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness and a good jumping off point to explore the Wilson Ridge which borders Red Rock Canyon NCA to the East and Lovell Canyon to the West. It’s one of the Rainbow Mountains beautiful Jurassic Era Aztec red rock frozen sand dunes similar to the famous formations in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. To stand in that place is to be surrounded by the artistic beauty of red and white rock with occasional bonsai-like pine trees. Route details: 5.2 mi RT/ 5,470ft > 6,238ft; **Mostly Good Trails, Some Class 3 Climbing** Click image or title above for more…
01 Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada Overview
The Rainbow Mountain Wilderness is composed of majestic colorful Aztec Red Rock Jurassic Era Peaks. It stretches from the Keystone Thrust above Red Rock Park to the beginning of Potosi Mountain in the Southern portion of the Spring Mountains of Nevada. The most customary way of experiencing these peaks is to approach them from their base from Red Rock Park to Potosi Mountain. Once you’ve navigated through the thick brush at the base of the peaks, you are faced with vertical and near vertical cliffs in order to reach the summit. For this reason, the Rainbow Mountains are a popular destination for rock climbers of all levels. My non-traditional approach involves discovery “from the top down”. The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline sits above the Rainbow Mountains and parallels its entire wilderness stretch. Most of the peaks can be reached from this ridgeline above with a class 2 and 3 climbing difficulty level. Best time of year for adventures in the higher elevations here: Fall through Spring. When Las Vegas Valley temperatures rise above 85 degrees, the higher elevations can become uncomfortably hot and even dangerous. The higher elevations can drop below 30 degrees during the Winter months. Follow thumbnail images to view the details you will need to plan your adventures here. Click image or title above for more…
