Overview

The Birdspring Range runs north-south along the eastern flank of Mt. Potosi and forms a small part of the southwestern margin of the Las Vegas Valley. Birdspring Mountain is little more than a hill compared to the nearby mountains, but the 1-mile hike to a point overlooking the Las Vegas Valley makes for a very pleasant, easy, off-trail adventure in a scenic place.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...much of the easiest hiking is right along the crest of the ridge where the slope to the west is moderately steep and the slope to the east is near-vertical for hundreds of feet. This probably wouldn't be a good hike for young children or dogs.

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 is a short hike, it is a remote area, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

Trail Guide -- Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located on the southwestern edge of the Las Vegas valley, along the base of Mt. Potosi between Blue Diamond and Goodsprings, about 1.5 hours southwest of town.

From Las Vegas, drive west on Highway 160 (Pahrump Highway) to Blue Diamond Road (Table 1, Site 848). Continue west on Highway 160 for another 5.9 miles to Cottonwood Valley Road (Site 849), an unmarked dirt road that runs south (left) from the highway.

Turn right onto Cottonwood Valley Road and drive south for about 3 miles to Cottonwood Pass (Site 850). This is a popular road for mountain bikers, so watch for bicycles careening down the road. There are no cottonwood trees on Cottonwood Pass, and the last few hundred yards to the top of the pass is steep and rocky. Drive carefully and use your own good judgment. Stop early if necessary. Several side roads fork off, but stay on the main road heading south.

From Cottonwood Pass, continue south on Cottonwood Valley Road for about 0.3 miles to Birdspring Road (Site 851), the first dirt road to the left after the pass. Turn left onto Birdspring Road and drive east for about 0.7 miles to a parking area the end of the road (Site 852). If the road gets too rough, stop early and walk. Birdspring Road ends at a cliff overlooking the Las Vegas Valley, so don't drive too fast or too far. Park here; this is the trailhead.

Trail Guide -- The Hike

From the trailhead (Table 2, Waypoint 01), hike up the ridge to the north. The first five minutes or so of the hike are the steepest of the entire route. After you get to the top of the first little peaklet (Wpt. 02), about 0.25 miles out, the rest of the journey is a pleasant walk on the fairly level summit ridge.

Hike north along the crest, hiking up over little summits and down into little saddles (Wpt. 03). The elevation changes are slight and the grades are gentle. About 0.7 miles from the trailhead, there is a peaklet with a large cairn (Wpt 04).

I think the cairn marks the true summit. The point on the map that appears to be marked as the summit, Peak 5,298 (Wpt. 05), is about 0.3 miles north of this point. Peak 5,298 ft might just be where surveyors worked rather than the actual summit, as Peak 5,298 has a better view to the north. It doesn't really matter where the "true" summit is, so just walk the remaining few minutes to Peak 5,298, enjoying the view and the extra time in the desert.

After lunch, take a few photos and walk back down the ridge to the trailhead. There is no summit register.