Lovell Wash - Anniversary Mine & Narrows (Summary Page)

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This page last updated on 042/16/2018

Note: A private landowner has closed off access to a narrow slot canyon beloved by hikers at the northwestern edge of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Visitors to Anniversary Narrows used be able to turn off the main route through the recreation area, drive up a few miles of dirt road and park right at the mouth of the canyon, but no longer. A note on the Birdandhike site reads: "As of February 2019, the regular and alternate route routes into Anniversary Narrows remains closed."

In March of 2019, the Narrows was hit with a major flash flood. The recent flash flooding has washed out the road leading to the wash and the fencing that formerly blocked the canyon. A No Trespassing sign still remains in the formerly fenced area. It is also reported that boulders in the upper narrows make passage more difficult than before. Whether the mining company will go in and repair the fence blocking the wash, or leave it the way it is, is up to the mining company. As of yet, they have done nothing to repair it. This is totally subject to change without notice. Be aware that the flash flood has made it harder to get through, and will require a fair amount of scrambling.

(Fig. 01)

Wash Description: The Lovell Wash is a tributary of Callville Wash, as it cuts into a ridge in the Gale Hills at the south edge of the Muddy Mountains. The total distance between the point where the Lovell Wash passes under NV-167, refer to the map in (Fig.01), up to the point where the slot canyon begins, is approximately 2.5 miles. To view each of the three areas pinpointed on the map in (Fig. 01) depends upon the type of vehicle you are driving and how much hiking you are willing to do.  If one parks in the parking area at milepost 16 off North Shore Drive in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, it is about a 2.2 mile hike on Anniversary Mine Road (94A) to where it enters the bottom of the wash. From this point it is about 0.6 miles (north) to the start of the slot canyon or 1.4 miles (south) to and area of extreme color. If you walk to the narrows and then head back and walk the wash south to Northshore Road and back to mile marker 16 where you parked, it is about 2.6 miles, making a total hike of around 5.5 miles. Refer to the map in (Fig. 01). This is the best place to park if you want to hike the wash all the way back on the return. Though driving further in will cut more than two miles off of the distance to reach the narrows, it removes the option of returning via the wash, causing you to miss some of the beautiful colors found in the lower wash area. In general, hiking this area provides sweeping desert vistas, distant lake views, options for exploring some mine, finding historic artifacts, walking through a remarkable slot canyon, and seeing some of the most fascinating and colorful geological formations you will find anywhere. Obviously, if you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you can drive to each of these areas, eliminating nearly 4 miles of hiking.

01/23/2014 Trip Notes:  Today I went back for yet another visit to the Anniversary Mine and Lovell Wash with the rock-hounds from Henderson’s Heritage Park Senior Facility. As this was my fourth visit to this area, I was looking for some place new to hike. While the majority of the group hiked to Anniversary Narrows, four of us decided to hike up to a group of mine prospects that we spotted on the west side of Lovell Wash, about halfway between North Shore Road and where Anniversary Mine Road enters the wash. Link to: Lovell Wash - Trip Notes for 01/23/2014.

02/07/2013 & 01/01/2012 Trip Notes: On this latest visit, Buster and I decided to hike over to an area where it looked like there might be some new mining activity. On an earlier visit, 01/01/2012, with Harvey Smith, I toured the original mine adit located in Lovell Wash as well as the large tailing pile and building ruins that were part of the original mining camp. Link to: Anniversary Mine - Trip Notes for 02/07/2013

10/01/2012 & 12/08/2011 Trip Notes: Today Harvey and I drove up the wash, about a .6 miles to the beginning of the narrows. The hike through the narrows to its end is about .3 miles. While going up the wash you not only pass the main adit of the Anniversary Mine and some surrounding remains, evidence of the mining that took place here nearly 90-years ago, you also get to experience some amazing geology. It appears that this land may have once been layers of mud in the bottom of some vast playa lake where ancient animals once roamed. The mud turned to stone, and tectonic activity jumbled the area and turned the lake bed on edge. Today we are left with several mountain-sized ridges of sedimentary materials (sandstone, limestone, and mudstone of various colors including purple, red, green, yellow, and gray) that have been steeply tilted up. Link to: Anniversary Narrows (Slot Canyon) - Trip Notes for 10/01/2012

11/15/2012 Trip Notes:  There is a section in the southern portion of Lovell Wash, north of North Shore Road, that contains some of the best color you will find anywhere in Nevada. Walking up a tributary that feeds the wash at this location will also lead you to a small abandoned mine shaft as well as some more interesting geology. If you just want to visit this area by itself, the shortest route would be to park at MM16 and walk about 0.2 miles south on North Shore Road to where the Lovell Wash goes under the road and then walk about 0.3 miles up the wash. Link to: Lovell Wash Hike (Lower End) - Trip Notes

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Note: Every attempt is made to provide accurate information, but occasionally depictions are inaccurate by error of mapping, navigation or cataloging. The information on this site is provided without any warranty, express or implied, and is for informational and historical purposes only.

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Lovell Wash & Anniversary Narrows (Summary Page)

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This page last updated on 04/16/2018

(Fig. 01)

10/01/2012 Trip Notes: Today Harvey Smith and I hiked the Lovell Wash and Anniversary Narrows. The view looking west of the wash above (Fig. 01), shows it running (L to R) south to north, is looking down from Anniversary Mine Road just before it winds it way down into the wash. Below (Figs. 02 & 03) show us winding our way up the wash until we reached our final stopping point (Fig. 04), just 50 feet shy of the narrows’ entrance (Fig. 05). Though this was my second visit to this area, it was Harvey’s first and he was truly impressed by the well worn walls of these slots (Figs. 06 thru 11), hewed over the course of millions of years by the rushing waters of this vast wash.

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

(Fig. 04

(Fig. 05)

(Fig. 06)	(Fig. 07)
(Fig. 08)	(Fig. 09)
(Fig. 10)	(Fig. 11)

Reaching the end of the slots, we were confronted with a wide open wash (Fig. 12) that lead us deeper into the Muddy Mountain range. As you hike north up the wash you will encounter several places where it divides and splits off into smaller washes. We stayed to the east, following the main ridgeline, hoping to find a place where we could find a passage over the ridge for a view of the Bowl of Fire. (see the map above)  Unfortunately, the further we hiked, the more the wash led us away from the ridgeline. Even when we diverted from the wash towards the ridge, it appeared much too steep to attempt without some rather heavy scrambling. In spite of some nice views, we were somewhat disappointed and finally turned around and headed back.

(Fig. 12)

12/08/2011 Trip Notes: I visited the Lovell Wash and Anniversary Narrows, located at mile marker 16 on Lake Mead's North Shore Road, for the second time this year with the rock-hounds from the Henderson Heritage Park's Senior Facility. Though this area is also home of the now defunct Anniversary Mine, the wash's main attraction is the Anniversary Narrows, one of Nevada's only slot canyons. On this visit we were actually able to drive in much further than the last time, cutting the hiking time and distance to slot canyon in half, resulting in some really nice pictures on this trip. The view of the wash,  running (L to R) south to north, in (Fig. 01) below is looking down from the Anniversary Mine Road just before it runs down into the wash.

There is some amazing geology here. It appears that this land may have once been layers of mud in the bottom of some vast playa lake where ancient animals once roamed. The mud turned to stone, and tectonic activity jumbled the area and turned the lake bed on edge. Today we are left with several mountain-sized ridges of sedimentary materials (sandstone, limestone, and mudstone of various colors including purple, red, green, yellow, and gray) that have been steeply tilted up; some nearly vertical as seen in the picture on the left below. (Click to view full-size)







The Anniversary Narrows: As the hike continues around the bend of the wash the trail is mostly sand and loose gravel. The narrows are an exciting section of canyon with walls extending 100 feet above the canyon floor. A couple of sections require large steps or scrambles to get beyond some large boulder. The narrows extend for more than a quarter mile, with each twist and turn offering new beauty in the rocks and the patterns of the grooves, as well as the colors and the way the light plays on both.  The top picture is a view upstream into the narrows.The entrance to the narrows (shown below) can be seen at the very center of the above picture. (Click to view full-size)





The sculpted and water-polished sandstone and sedimentary rocks inside this slot canyon are spectacular. We were here during the early morning. I’m sure that the late afternoon sun would provide much more ‘color’ for picture taking. View of the Lovell Wash looking south as you leave the slot canyon and narrows, heading back to the trail-head.

01/20/2011 Trip Notes: I first visited the Lovell Wash on 01/20/2011 on a daytrip with the rock hounds from the Henderson Heritage Park Senior Facility.  Though the wash winds past the old Anniversary Mine on the way to a small slot canyon, I chose a different route and headed more east. Next trip I plan on going to the mine and into the slot canyon.

Click here for a slideshow of the Anniversary Mine and Slot Canyon ... http://silverstateghosttowns.com/anniversarymine.html

Veering off to the right of the main road, about a third of the hike in are a series of rises and hills that make for easy climbing. Very near the top of the highest hill I found this river of stone that appears to have been a layer of mud, turned stone, that then at some point was broken like a smashed pane of glass, leaving thousands of shards that look like small pieces of Italian mosaic tile.

Walking in the wash pictured above, a tributary to the Lovell Wash, I found these lone tracks that appeared to be those of either a mountain lion or coyote. You be the judge.

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Slideshow Description:The slideshow above contains 67 pictures that were taken in the Lovell Wash and the slot canyon at the Anniversary Narrows. [Click here to Return to the Lovell Wash Summary Page]