Overview

Gass Peak is the highest summit in the Las Vegas Range, the long ridge that forms the north edge of the Las Vegas Valley. This hike is fairly stout. The route follows a series of side-ridges on the northeast side of the mountain to the summit ridge, and then follows the summit ridge to the peak. Views from the summit provide a striking contrast: the the north lies a vast and glorious wilderness, and the south lies a vast urban area.

Link to map.

For general information on camping, regulations, other issues, and the natural history of the Wildlife Refuge, see the Desert National Wildlife Range -- Area Overview page.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a pretty safe hike. Depending on road conditions, the trailhead might be accessible with a 2WD high-clearance vehicle, but inquire locally or use a 4WD vehicle just to be sure. There are some rocks to scramble over on the summit ridge, but if you can get that far, they shouldn't give you any trouble.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is fairly short, it is remote, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

This is a wildlife refuge, so pay extra attention to respecting the land. Please, don't bother the bighorn sheep. They have a hard enough time making a living in these desert lands; they don't need extra stress from people hanging around the spring.

This hike is located on the Desert National Wildlife Range, about 2.5 hours north of town.

From town, drive out to the Desert National Wildlife Range. From Corn Creek Field Station (Table 1, Site 106), continue east to a T-intersection a few yards beyond the parking area (Site 731). Turn right onto Mormon Well Road, driving south and then east up the bajada for 4.35 miles to Gass Peak Road (Site 884). Gass Peak Road cuts off to the south (right) just before Mormon Well Road gets to the mountains. Turn right onto Gass Peak Road and follow it south and then east for 8.1 miles to Gass Spring Road (Site 885). Watch for a "Service Road Only" sign on the south (right) side of the road. Park here; this is the trailhead.

In places, the road runs in the wash between Fossil Ridge and Gass Peak. There are several patches of soft gravel, but generally it is a good, graded road; don't stop in the soft parts. When passing Corn Creek Field Station, be sure to stop and sign the visitor register. Use a false name if you worry about the government tracking your movements, but they need all the visitor-use statistics they can get to argue for more funding.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), the route runs southwest on the service road heading towards Gass Spring. At a fork in the road before getting to the spring (Wpt. 2), the route turns left and continues to the end of the road (missing the spring). The road ends, for no apparent reason, at the base of a side ridge that serves as a route up the mountain (Wpt. 3).

As you hike out the road, you will notice the other road (the right fork) that heads out farther to the west and eventually climbs onto the steep side of the ridge that the route runs up. It never gets all the way to the top of the ridge, but keep an eye on it as you might want to descent via that road (Wpt. 4).

From the base of the side ridge, the route is obvious: just hike up the ridge. Pay attention, however, so that on the way down you will remember which ridges you climbed. Especially keep track of where you get onto the summit ridge (Wpt. 5) so you know where to start down.

From the crest of the summit ridge, the route turns and runs southwest up the summit ridge. After climbing a steep part to a little knob (Wpt. 6), the route is fairly easy to the summit.

There are use-trails on the summit ridge that can be followed, more or less, to the summit (Wpt. 7). Parts of the summit ridge are sharp and rocky, and dancing along the rocky crest on a knife-edge ridge is a bit airy, but the route is never more than 2nd-class. The views from the summit ridge and the summit are spectacular, especially when you get high enough to see over side ridges on the north side of Gass Peak and into the Las Vegas Valley.

To get down, retrace your steps along the summit ridge and down the side ridges that you climbed. As you get lower, consider cutting straight down the side of the ridge (Wpt. 4) to connect with with the right fork of the Gass Spring Service Road. The upper parts of this road are steep and slippery, and it might be harder than just walking off-trail down the ridge, but this old road runs past Gass Spring.

End of route description.