Overview

This is a delightfully easy, 1.2-mile hike up a wash in a canyon that runs through a beautiful, geologically jumbled area. The route ends at Cottonwood Spring, but the easy walking continues up the canyon for another mile or so. The canyon runs up through volcanic mountains, red sandstone crags, layered carbonate mountains, conglomerate cliffs where blue-gray limestone cobbles are set in a matrix of red sandstone, plus mudstones and siltstones that record ancient lake beds with myriad Cenozoic fossils and ripple marks. The colors in the mudstones and siltstones include grays, tans, reds, yellows, and greens, plus the area has lots of glittery gypsum mixed in. This is a great route for less adventuresome people and families.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...except for crossing the highway, this route is about as safe as they get. There is a low and easy-to-climb pour-over behind the spring, but always be careful when you are high enough to fall and hurt yourself. Always be aware of the potential for flashfloods.

When you get into the red and white mud hills, you may see two species of rare plants (Silverleaf Sunray and California Bearpaw Poppies) that are species of concern in Nevada. Please help protect these plants by staying off the mud hills.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even thought this hike is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along Northshore Road in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 1 hour northeast of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to Lake Mead. From the intersection of Northshore Road and Lakeshore Road (Table 1, Site 654), drive north on Northshore Road for 18.2 miles to a pullout on the north side of the road (0.2 miles east of Mile Marker 18) (Site 804). The pullout is on a bend in the road with limited visibility in both directions, so be careful pulling in and turning around. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), a use-trail runs south from the western end of the parking area. Carefully cross the highway and walk south on the well-marked use-trail across some nice desert pavement and scattered, stunted creosote bush and white bursage.

After about 0.2 almost-level miles, the use-trail reaches the edge of Cottonwood Wash. From here, you can look northwest to see Northshore Road crossing the wash, and you can look southeast and up the canyon.

At the narrows, there is a southwest-facing wall this some nice specimens of barrel cactus, pygmy cedar, Mormon tea, and mesquite growing on sunny side. It is hard to believe that these plants can grow on this sunny rock face, but it makes for a very pretty rock garden. On the north end of this wall, about 10-15 feet above the wash, there is a set of ripple marks that are larger (wide but shallow) than any I have ever seen. They are so wide (perhaps 18-24 inches) that they don't look like ripple marks until you see the difference between the surface of that layer of stone and the one that lies above it.

Continuing up the wash for another 0.2 miles (Wpt. 4), which is still running at the same gentle angle, you get your first view of the cottonwood trees at the spring. From there, it still is another 0.2 miles to the spring. Just below the spring, there is a fork in the wash. The route goes up the eastern (left) fork, which is obvious because you can see the cottonwood trees.

Wander on up to the spring (Wpt. 5), which is marked by two cottonwood trees against a cliff that is red on the west side (right) and blue-gray conglomerate on the east side (left). There is one small palm tree here, lots of honey mesquite, arrowweed, and saltbush, plus several desert willows. The ground must often be moist here because there is a lot of salt built up on the surface of the soil. If there is no water on the surface, look around to see if animals dug into the sand to find water.

After resting and enjoying the shade of the cottonwood trees, either wander farther up the wash, which is an easy walk for another mile or so (Wpt. 6), or follow your footprints back to the trailhead. Above Cottonwood Spring, the canyon continues to run through the same colorful volcanic landscape as was below the spring. For details of the canyon above Cottonwood spring, see the Hamblin Mountain route.