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| (Fig. 01) Click to Enlarge |
Daytrips Along NV-160 and the Death Valley Area: There are several hiking and birding opportunities along this route (Fig. 01) offering a wide diversity; from the mid-range desert plateau of Cottonwood Valley, to high elevation hikes in the Potosi Mountain Range and western ridges of the Spring Mountain range to the below sea level desert locations found in the Death Valley National Park. Each of these areas provide unique geologic opportunities, historical links with the past, and numerous endemic plants and species, many that are threatened or endangered and cannot be found anywhere else in the entire United States.
 Cottonwood Valley and Mountain Springs Pass. Divided by NV-160, Cottonwood Valley is almost ten miles long and nearly a mile wide, with the majority of valley located inside the boundaries of the vast Red Rock National Conservation Area. This area encompasses a myriad of hiking and biking opportunities. The biking trails here are the best in Los Vegas. There are over 125 miles of interconnecting single-track and an 11 mile NORBA race loop here. Portions of these trails are thought to have been originally created by the many wild burros in the area. The Wilson Cliff's, located immediately to the west of the trail system, offer amazing views. Portions of this area were once part of the Old Spanish Trail system. Cottonwood Valley Road on the south side of NV-160 goes all the way to Goodsprings, NV and leads to several abandoned mine sites. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Photography |
 Ref - Wilson Cliffs - Cottonwood Valley. The area called The Wilson Cliffs form the southern portion of the Spring Mountain Range. It is approximately 10 miles long and forms the western edge of Cottonwood Valley inside the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, north of NV-160. Starting on the northern end with Bridge Mountain and running south, the area of the Wilson Cliffs includes more than twenty mountain peaks and ranges including Mescalito, Magic Mountain, Juniper Peak, Rainbow Mountain, Cactus Flower Tower, Mount Wilson, Indecision Peak, Monument Mountain, Mountain Spring Peak, Black Velvet Peak and Windy Peak and Hollow Rock Peak, just to name a few. These cliffs are made up of red, pink, and yellow/tan sandstone mountains that rise abruptly off the valley floor. While Mount Wilson, at an elevation of 7,420 feet is the highest peak, the majority of the surrounding cliff and peaks top out at over 6,000 feet. The yellow and red Jurassic Aztec Sandstone that makes up the Wilson Cliffs Thrust Fault is more than 170 million years old and is part of the world famous Keystone Thrust system; a famous geological curiosity which has it's strata turned upside down. Hiking and Photography
 Black Velvet Canyon - RRNCA. Black Velvet Canyon is found between Black Velvet Peak and Monument Peak along the escarpment of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The hike to this popular free climbing location crosses Cottonwood Valley, behind Red Rock Canyon's Late Night Trailhead, and provides absolutely stunning mountain and cliff-side views of the famous Wilson Cliffs to the west and Red Rocks’ Calico Cliffs and Turtle Mountain to the north. This valley is, in my opinion, the most beautiful hiking areas in all of Nevada. Hiking and Photography
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 Old Spanish Trail - The Armijo Route. The Cottonwood Valley area that boarders NV-160 as it heads west and over the Mountain Springs Pass towards Pahrump was once part of the Old Spanish Trail that extended from New Mexico to California. It was discovered in January, 1830, by Antonio Armijo during his first trip from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. The spring at what is now Spring Mountain Ranch, just north of the highway provided excellent water and fed meadows of luxuriant grass for draft animals, before their trek over the mountains and on into California. Hiking the valley here on the south side of the highway takes you south along the east face of the Potosi Mountain Range. Hiking, Rock-hounding, Photography
 Dawn and Ninetynine Mines. The Cottonwood Valley was explored, in part, by Spanish explorers as early as the late 1500s. The historical trade route, known as the Old Spanish Trail, ran through this area from about 1830 until the mid-1850s. Pack trains carried woolen goods west and returned eastward with California mules and horses for the New Mexico and Missouri markets. I have been unable to find out much about these two mines. This area was once called the Potosi Mining District and was a part of the Goodsprings Mining District, and included the following mines; Christmas Mine, Dawn Mine, Green Monster Mine, Kirby Mine, New Year Mine, Shenandoah Mine and the Ninetynine Mine. Discovered in 1894, this underground mine’s main product was Copper along with smaller amounts of Silver, Lead, Vanadium, Zinc, Gold. I can only assume that the Dawn mine produced similar ores.Hiking, Rock-hounding, Photography |
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 Late Night Trail in RRCNCA - Summary Page. The Late Night Trailhead is part of the extensive Cottonwood Valley Trail system located within Red Rock Canyon Recreation Lands. Though most of the trails here were designed as mountain biking trails, they provide some excellent hiking opportunities. The Late Night loop trail around the hill from the trailhead in the parking area is a relatively easy 3.5 mile hike that provides some spectacular views of the Wilson Cliffs along the west side of Cottonwood Valley. Hikes into the valley itself lead to several canyon hikes at the base of the Wilson Cliffs. Hiking and Photography
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 Mount Potosi Canyon Road - Summary Page. With an elevation of around 8,500 feet above sea level, Potosi Mountain, or Mount Potosi as it's generally referred to, is the last large mountain stemming from the southern end of Nevada’s Spring Mountain range. Its northeast face is a maze of complex ridges and rugged cliffs. Once one reaches the first parking area, the rugged west-side cliffs of Potosi Mountain are to the east. At the very top are a series of broadcast transmitters. There is another impressive unnamed peak is to the west. Climbing up to the west in this area you are presented with a variety of views in every direction. Continuing on for a couple more miles will take you to the Potosi (Lead) Mine, the oldest mine in Nevada. Hiking, Rock-hounding and Photography
 Mount Potosi and the SMNRA. Potosi Mountain, a.k.a. Mount Potosi is a notable peak located about 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas in the Spring Mountains, in Clark County of southern Nevada. Its peak, home to 7 full power FM broadcasting stations, can be seen from NV-160, just west of Cottonwood Valley. It is best known as the site of the TWA Flight 3 air crash that killed 22 passengers, most notably the actress Carole Lombard, on January 16, 1942. At 8,515 feet it is one of the larger peaks in the Spring Mountain Range bordering the Las Vegas metro area on the west. Though some have climbed it from the Cottonwood Valley side, it is best reached by an access road north of Goodsprings, NV. Hiking, Rock-hounding and Photography |
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 Mountain Springs Saloon - Summary Page: The “World Famous” Mountain Springs Saloon is one of only two public buildings in the small community of Mountain Springs located in the pass that crosses over the Spring Mountains. Just 15 minutes west of I-15 and Blue Diamond (Silverton Casino), it is on Highway 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump. At an elevation of 5,490 feet, the temperature at the bar is nearly 20 degrees cooler than the Vegas. Great place to stop after a day of hiking. |
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 Lovell Canyon and the SMNRA - Summary Page: The Lovell Canyon Road is a little-used, paved backcountry road that runs north from Highway 160 (the road to Pahrump) into the wild backcountry of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (BLM land) and the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (USFS land). The area in general is kind of a high desert, Joshua Tree environment. This 11 mile long road runs along the west edge of the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area and the La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area and provides access to the Torino Ranch (a summer camp for critically ill and at-risk children) and the Lovell Canyon Trailhead. Taking the Lovell Summit Road takes you over to the town of Trout Canyon. Hiking, Rock-hounding, and Photography
 China Ranch - Date Farm - Summary Page: China Ranch is approximately 77 miles from Las Vegas. Head west onto Tecopa Highway off NV-160 east of Pahrump. China Ranch is a family owned and operated small date farm on a lush piece of greenery amidst the forbidding Mojave Desert near Southern Death Valley. Surrounded by mines, there are acres of cultivated date palms; the grounds of the ranch contain towering cottonwoods and willows along a wandering stream. Due to the abundance of water, the area is filled with abundant wildlife. In addition to 4-5 great hikes, their famous fresh baked date nut bread or a cool date shakes are items alone are worth the trip. Hiking, Birding, and Photography
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 Wheeler Pass Road - Summary Page: Thirty minutes NE of Pahrump off NV-160 is a very beautiful high mountain desert environment, some of which is located inside the boundaries of Toiyabe National Forest and the Wheeler Pass Herd Management Area (HMA) covering more than 273,260 acres. The landscape in this area boasts of north-south mountain ranges up to 13,000 feet in elevation, separated by long narrow valleys ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 feet in elevation. Two areas of interest here are the Tecopa Charcoal Kilns (built in 1875) that produced charcoal for the Osborne Tecopa smelter near Death Valley and the Younts (Clarks ) Saw Mill which probably provided the wood. Hiking, Rock-hounding, and Photography
 Trout Canyon and Lovell Summit Road: From NV-160, Trout Canyon Road is a well graded dirt road that runs northeast for about 8 miles up and across the desert before finally reaching the small village of Trout Canyon, at the base of the Spring Mountains. This village has no utilities, and its only water supply is from a natural mountain spring high in the mountains behind the village. In July of 2013, the “Carpenter I Fire” which burned more than 28,000 acres, came within 40 feet of the properties on the northwestern side of the village. Note: All of the mountains behind the house in the accompanying picture (click to enlarge) were completely burned. Hiking and Photography
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 Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge - Summary Page. Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a 22,117 acre Mojave Desert and wetlands area with more than 30 seeps and springs that, when all sources are combined together, produces more than 10,000 gallons of water per minute. The springs provide water for wetlands, creeks, lakes, trees, meadows and salt flats, all of which are surrounded by a Mojave Desert Scrub habitat. These wetlands in the desert support the greatest local-area concentration of endemic species in the US, with 24 species of endemic plants and animals. There are 13 threatened or endangered species on the refuge, including 4 endangered fish and 1 endangered plant. Hiking and Photography
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 Death Valley National Park - Summary Page. Death Valley National Park is generally divided into four main recognized areas; Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Scotty's Castle and Panamint Springs. Entering the park from NV-160 in Pahrump brings one into the Furnace Creek Area, which is probably the most popular and most visited. At 3,099,770 acres, it has the largest area of designated national park wilderness in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park is a desolate land of extremes. It can claim being the hottest, driest and lowest spot in America and is home to many plants and animals that are unique to one of the harshest deserts in the world. . A superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, multicolored rock layers and water-fluted canyons, it provide numerous hiking opportunities. Hiking and Photography
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