02 North Upper Crest Ridgeline | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
Traverse the Northern Upper Crest Ridgeline between Willow Spring in Red Rock Canyon NCA and North Peak in the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada. This ridgeline runs parallel just above to the West of the Rainbow Mountains bordering the West side of Red Rock Canyon. Discover the unmarked trail that takes you all the way. Return by Rock Gap Road.
03 Rainbow Mountains South Upper Crest Ridgeline | Rainbow Mountain Wilderness, Nevada
The Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline stretches above the Rainbow Mountains summits from its Southern point at Mountain Springs Trailhead on Highway 160 to its Northern point around the Willow Springs area of Red Rock Park. Here we focus on the Southern half of the Rainbow Mountains Upper Crest Ridgeline from Mountain Springs to Hidden Peak. Route details: 12 mi/ 5,900 > 7,000ft (approx.); Some Trails, Some Wilderness. 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…
