Overview

The Jumbo Springs wilderness area was designated in 2002. The area includes sparsely vegetated granitic ridges and canyons that overlook the eastern end of Lake Mead. The geology of the general area is complex and includes a variety of oddly juxtaposed rock types. In the wilderness area, the lower strata seems to be metamorphic, and these are overlain by granitic rocks. There are granitic domes and smooth cliffs along the ridge tops, and the side slopes are strewn with coarse-grained granitic boulders and deeply cut by canyons. Carbonate and basalt rocks also occur in the region. The granitic boulders and cliffs in the wilderness area remind me of Joshua Tree National Park.

Link to map or elevation profile.

The side slopes are rocky and sparsely vegetated with a fair variety of Mojave Desert Scrub species that include creosote bush, catclaw acacia, yucca, Ephedra, buckwheat, a few cacti (e.g., Beavertail and mound cactus), and there are cryptobiotic crusts in some places. There are lots of barrel cactus on the more rocky slopes. In Cottonwood Canyon, the dominant shrubs include rabbitbrush, catclaw acacia, desert willow, mesquite, and buckhorn cholla.

Cottonwood Canyon makes for a nice route that leads into the heart of the Jumbo Springs Wilderness Area. The canyon runs up into granitic mountains, which is a nice change from the sandstone and limestone with which southern Nevada hikers are so familiar. The canyon starts out narrow and rocky, then gets narrower with several little water-polished waterfalls to climb, and finally opens into a wider desert canyon. From high in the canyon, you can hike northeast, pick up an old road, and follow it back to the trailhead. There are no trails.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a wild and remote area. I encountered no unusual hazards, but be careful climbing the waterfalls as a twisted ankle out there would be more serious than in less-remote areas. The access road is graded, but the lower canyon is sandy, rocky, and subject to wash out, so either drive carefully and stop early if you need to, or take a 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

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

This is a Federally designated Wilderness Area, so pay extra attention to respecting the land.

Trail Guide

Getting to the Trailhead

Cottonwood Canyon is located in the Jumbo Springs Wilderness Area, which is out in the Gold Butte region at the northeast end of Lake Mead. This hike is about 3 hours northeast of Las Vegas in a wild, remote, and scenic area.

From Whitney Pockets (Table 1, Site 462), drive south on Gold Butte Road for 16.2 miles to Devils Cove Road (Site 797). Turn left onto Devils Cove Road and drive southeast for an additional 11.6 miles (heading southeast over a ridge, down into a canyon, up over a saddle, and finally down a rocky canyon) to Cottonwood Canyon (Site 798). The lower portion of Devils Cove Road runs in a sandy, rocky canyon that is subject to wash out, so either drive carefully and stop early if you need to, or take a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. The turnoff (Site 798), a nondescript sandy road to the west, is the only side road in the vicinity. Turn right onto the side road and drive west for a short distance (400 feet) to the end of the road (Site 799). Stay out of the soft sand. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike