Coyotes - vs Wolves or Foxes

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This page last updated on 02/23/2020

(Fig. 01)

Picture Notes: The pictures in (Figs. 01-03) were taken on 01/29/2020 off Kingman Wash Road and Fortification Hill Road in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 2 miles over the bridge into Arizona. Here is the page for the place where we took these pictures ... Fortification Hill Road. Because I forgot my camera today, my friend Jim Herring, shot all of the pictures shown here. It is difficult to differentiate the difference between Coyotes and Wolves. You decide. In all of my hiking I have only seen coyotes on three occasions. The first time was while driving Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway Road. The last three pictures (Figs. 05-07) were the two coyotes we spotted near Bitter Spring. Here is the page for the place where I took these pictires ... Bitter Spring Backcountry Byway.

(Fig. 02)

Description: Coyotes vs wolves and foxes. It may be challenging to spot the difference between a coyote and a wolf or fox because of their similarities at a glance. But, looking closely, one would firstly notice that coyotes are much larger than the foxes. Coyotes are larger than foxes but are smaller than the wolves. Unlike a wolf, a coyote has a bushy, thick tail, which it holds low to the ground. Coyotes hunt primarily in pairs, while wolves hunt in packs. As a point of interest, the animals we observed today were three hunting food together. Based upon the descriptions below, I think these are wild Coyotes. 

Coyotes can weight from 20 to 46 pounds and have a long snout with triangular ears. They are larger than foxes but smaller than the wolves. Coyotes average 24 inches tall at the shoulder and, including the tail are approximately four feet in length. Coyotes in the desert average about 20 pounds, while those found in mountainous areas can average twice that. Females are slightly smaller than males. The coat is predominantly gray, changing to tan along the belly, legs, muzzle and ears. Some guard hairs, as well as the tail are tipped with black. The intensity and amount of coloring varies and individuals are usually lighter in the winter. The legs of a coyote are visibly thinner than those of a wolf. Coyotes can hunt during the day. Wolves generally have gray, black, or white fur and are bigger in size than the coyotes.

In general their habitat range from the low desert valleys to the alpine ridges. Coyotes are found in about any type of habitat where they can find food and a place to hide. They seem to show some preference for brush covered rolling hills and flats. Coyotes have perhaps the most varied habitat of any animal in Nevada. The coyote is an opportunistic feeder. In most areas of Nevada, rabbits, rodents and carrion make up the bulk of the coyote diet. Coyotes in urban areas forage at landfills and raid garbage cans and have been known to take domestic dogs and cats.

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(Fig. 05)

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(Fig. 07)

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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.

Fortification Hill Road

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This page last updated on 02/04/2019

(Fig. 01)

Directions: This road is located in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 50 minutes southeast of Las Vegas. From town, drive out towards Hoover Dam, then continue south on Hwy 93 over the bridge into Arizona for about 2 miles to Exit 2, Kingman Wash Road. Exit the highway, turn left, drive under the highway, and continue east and then north on Kingman Wash Road. At about 3.2 miles out, turn right at a pair of restrooms (no road sign) onto Fortification Hill Road. This is the beginning of Fortification Hill Road.

Description of Area: About three miles out you will be faced with what is called the Paint Pots area.  Turning right at the restroom, this intersection, is a less maintained dirt road runs ahead due east for about a mile to the mine itself. This quite rough road ends at an elevation of 2,431 feet, for a total climb from the trailhead of nearly 1,100 feet. 

01/29/2020 Trip Notes: Because we didn't realize that the start of this road was at the restroom, we drove ahead to the edge of Lake Mead. We then turned right and drove what looked like an old road that led into the Paint Pots area. Driving along we were confronted with some beautiful colorful views of the rocks in the Paint Pots (Figs 03 & 04). While driving up this road we came across what I think were three wild coyotes (Fig. 05) that appeared to be going from campsite to campsite foraging for food (Figs. 06 thru 08). For more on coyotes go to ... Coyotes vs Wolves or Foxes.  Coming to a dead end, we eventually turned around and went back to the restroom and found the beginning of Fortification Road. We only drove about a mile up this road and came to a road that turned left and headed to Fortification Hill. This was the trailhead for the trail. We followed ahead for about a quarter of a mile, and seeing nothing interesting we turned around and headed back to the trailhead.

SideNote: This is a moderately difficult, 4-mile round-trip hike that follows a use trail to the summit. The route starts in a wash southeast of Fortification Hill and follows washes and ridges to a basalt headwall, which is passed with a few feet of 3rd class climbing and a steep, rocky gully. From the top of the gully, the relatively flat trail runs west along the southern edge of the mesa for about 0.6 miles to the summit. The route climbs about 1,400 feet, but most of the elevation gain is in the middle-third of the hike. The views from the top of the mesa are spectacular and include much of Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and all of the surrounding mountains.

Seeing that none of us were interested in a strenuous 4 mile hike we headed back to the outhouse and over to the Kingman Wash Road and drove back to the highway.

(Fig. 02)

(Fig. 03)

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(Fig. 6) Click to Enlarge

(Fig. 07) Click to Enlarge

(Fig. 08) Click to Enlarge

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.

Go Back to the previous page ... Kingman Wash Road & Mine.