Overview

This is a moderately difficult hike that follows a use-trail 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 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 1,150 feet in about 2 miles, 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 and Hoover Dam.

This route is entirely within the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone with lots of low-growing Creosote Bush, White Bursage, Broom Snakeweed, and Burrobrush.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...there is about 10 feet of 3rd-class climbing at the base of the basalt headwall. The climbing is airy, but not hard, and if someone can get to that point, the climbing shouldn't dissuade them from reaching the summit. However, some hikers might want a safety rope just to be safe on the way down.

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 fairly long hike in a remote area, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

This hike is located on the Arizona side of Hoover Dam in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 1.5 hours southeast of Las Vegas.

On Road 70, drive north and east for 3.5 miles to the Paint Pots primitive camping area (Site 794) at the edge of Lake Mead. The best views of Fortification Hill are from the road before the Paint Pots. The only restroom facilities in the area are at the Paint Pots, so enjoy 'em if you need 'em.

From the Paint Pots, drive east on the unimproved two-track Road 70c that heads up Kingman Wash. The National Park Service recommends using a 4-wheel-drive vehicle here. The first time I drove up there, I ignored the warning and gave it a try in a 2-wheel-drive pickup, but I chickened out after about a mile because the gravel kept getting softer and deeper. The next time I was out there in a 4-wheel-drive, the road would have been fine in a carefully driven sedan.

In January 2006, the road probably isn't adequate for a sedan. The moral to the story: conditions change, inquire locally, and use your own good judgment. You don't have to drive all the way to the trailhead to enjoy this hike. Either way, drive or hike 2.7 miles up this road to the trailhead (Site 510), which is just a wide spot in the road.

The trailhead is located at the base of a small wash, the mouth of which is due south of the east edge of the Fortification Hill mesa top. The trailhead is signed with a small sign attached to a metal fence post that could be mistaken for one of the many "road closed" signs scattered throughout the Lake Mead area.

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 1), you can see the east edge of the mesa top, which is the immediate goal. You can also see a trail leading steeply up a ridge heading in the right direction, which appears to be the route. However, when you start walking towards the base of the ridge (a 2-3 minute walk), you realize that there is a trail in the wash on the west side of the ridge that also goes in the right direction. The wash is the easier route, but the ridgeline also gets you there.

Climbing the 3rd-class section will put you on a broad, but sloping, ledge that can be followed a little farther to the north and into a steep gully. The gully leads, quickly, to the top of the mesa (Wpt. 10). It takes about five minutes to ascend the entire headwall. From there, a gentle trail wanders westward along the south edge of the mesa to the summit (Wpt. 12).

There are great views of the route from the top of the mesa, and the views of Lake Mead and Las Vegas from the summit are spectacular.

Return to the trailhead by retracing your footsteps.