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Northshore Summit Trail
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Northshore Summit Trail
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers departing the trailhead (view NW)

Overview

This is a nice, 0.6-mile loop trail that runs to the top of a bluff (Northshore Summit) with surprisingly grand views of everything except Lake Mead. This truly is a land where the geology is laid bare.

Starting out, the trail forks before the slope becomes too steep. The shorter left fork climbs the steep ridgeline directly to the summit, while the longer right fork traverses the hillsides at more gentle grades to the ridgeline beyond the peak, then comes back to the summit. Described here is a loop hiking up the steep ridgeline and back down the gentler trail. Hikers can do it either way. This is also one way to start the hike to Bowl of Fire North.

Link to map.

Northshore Summit Trail

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a safe hike, but there are places along the upper part of the trail and at the summit where a slip could result in serious injury or death if you get too close to the edge of the cliff, so be careful and watch your kids.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this hike is short, so just 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 50 minutes northeast of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to Lake Mead, then drive north on Northshore Road for about 20.6 miles to the Mile 20.6 (Northshore Summit) Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Northshore Summit Trail

The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), the well-defined trail runs northward at a gentle incline that gradually gets steeper. About five minutes out, the trail forks (Wpt. 02) to form a loop. Both forks lead to the summit; the left fork is a short (0.10 miles), steep use-trail, while the right fork is a longer (0.22 miles), gentler, constructed trail.

It makes sense to turn right and hike up the gentler trail, but it seems that most hikers take the left fork and climb steeply and directly towards the peak.

Staying left (straight), the trail quickly steepens. Heading up during warm weather, keep an eye out for Chuckwallas basking on the crags and boulders strewn across the hillside on the left.

Before long, the trail steepens and then arrives at the crest of the ridge. Views west from here stretch across the eroded desert landscape to desert peaks in the far distance.

Northshore Summit Trail
The trail forks to form a loop: left = steep; right= less steep

Turning north, the use-trail climbs steeply along the spine of the ridge to the summit (Wpt. 04).

The views from the summit are spectacular, but little of the body of Lake Mead is visible. To the north is Muddy Mountain, to the east is Bitter Springs Valley and the Overton Arm of Lake Mead, to the south is Northshore Peak, and to the west is the Bowl of Fire and a bit of Lake Mead in the distance.

Immediately west of the summit, hikers can look down on a geologic formation were layered sediments were bowed up in the middle (i.e., an anticline). The upper layers have cracked and eroded away, revealing a dome of whitish rock (gypsum) in the middle. Along the edges of the anticline, rocks on both sides are tilted up.

The summit rocks are interesting too. They are composed of thin layers of red sandstone and a hard gray conglomerate (like gravely concrete).

Northshore Summit Trail
The gentler right fork (view N from trail junction)

From the summit, hikers can turn around and hike south back down the steep ridgeline, or they can continue north on the loop and descend the gentler trail.

Continuing north along the ridgeline, the views remain grand, and before long the trail forks (Wpt. 03). Here, the loop turns right to head down the slope, but hikers going to Bowl of Fire North would continue north along the ridgeline.

Turning down across the slope, the trail runs south and now provides some nice views to the east. The trail gently angles down across the slopes, and at a low saddle, the trailhead comes into view. Continuing, the trail reaches the trail junction (Wpt. 02) that was passes on the way up. Turning left, the trail runs back down to the trailhead (Wpt. 01), which is still visible.

Northshore Summit Trail
Staying left, trail climbs steeply to the ridgeline (view NW)
Northshore Summit Trail
On the ridgeline, grand scenery (view W)
Northshore Summit Trail
On the ridgeline, grand scenery (view NW)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers turning up the steep, narrow ridgeline (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers on steep trail (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers on steep trail with loose gravel (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers approaching the summit (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
A nice place to stop and catch your breath (view NW)
Northshore Summit Trail
Arriving at the summit (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Happy hikers on the summit (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view NE)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view SE)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view S)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view SW)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view NW)
Northshore Summit Trail
Summit (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers arriving at trail junction (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers at trail junction turning down towards trailhead (view N)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers traversing sideslopes below summit (view SE)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers on low saddle; trailhead becomes visible (view SE)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers descending sideslopes below summit (view SW)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers arriving at trail junction (view S)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers departing trail junction (view S)
Northshore Summit Trail
Hikers arriving at trailhead (view SE)

Table 2. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Highway GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Easting Northing Elevation (ft) Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi) Verified
01 Trailhead 713865 4011569 2,383 0.00 0.00 GPS
02 Fork in the trail 713701 4011719 2,463 0.16 0.16 GPS
03 Saddle 713616 4011900 2,540 0.15 0.31 GPS
04 Summit 713627 4011801 2,573 0.07 0.37 GPS
02 Fork in the trail on the way back 713701 4011719 2,463 0.10 0.47 GPS
01 Trailhead on the way back 713865 4011569 2,383 0.16 0.63 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240326

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