Category: desert

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biking/hiking Red Rock Canyon, Vegas

My favourite attraction in Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon, perhaps the best hiking and scrambling destination in the world this close to a major city.

It’s super popular with road bikes, too. I was out-of-place on the 13mi (21km) scenic loop drive … on a mountain bike.

Rick cycling Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

There is no off trail biking allowed at Red Rock.

My first stop was the new Visitor’s Center. Impressive.

From there I road on to the Calico Tanks trailhead:

… fairly strenuous, 1.2-mile hike and scramble runs up a canyon and over sandstone slickrock to a large natural depression (a tank or tinaja) near the top of the Calico Hills ridge. The tank sometimes holds water. There are great views of Calico Basin and the Las Vegas valley from a saddle just beyond the tank. …

Bird and Hike

Calico Tanks hike - Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

The trail is not well signed nor defined. But at the Visitor Center it was explained to me …

Follow the obvious trail. When that runs out, look for stone steps.

stone steps - Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

When there is no trail and no steps, scramble up the easiest way you can find. Until the next section of trail. Or steps.

Finally you reach the largest “tank” itself.

Calico Tanks hike - Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

Five minutes higher and you just might be able to eye your Casino hotel in the distance.

Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

See the rest of my photos.

The hiking’s fine at Red Rock. But, for me, the best activity is rock scrambling.

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hiking the Grand Canyon today

by site editor Rick McCharles

Great news!

One of the toughest Backcountry Permits anywhere, early in the season I was able to grab 1-night at Bright Angel campground by getting on the wait list, 2-days in advance.

I’ll descend the South Kaibab Trail. Trudge up the Bright Angel Trail next day.

This is pretty much the most popular overnight hike in the Park.

I would have preferred one of the rim-to-rim adventures, but the North Rim does not open until May 15th. It’s still winter up there.

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Hole-in-the-Wall Loop, Mojave

Bird and Hike has a succinct webpage:

This easy, 1.5-mile loop trail starts at the Visitor Center, wanders east and south down a sandy wash, heads west around the south side of the Hole-in-the-Wall hills, climbs up through the Hole-in-the-Wall cleft on the Rings Trail, and then follows the road for 0.2 miles back …

Hole-in-the-Wall Loop Trail (4,252 ft)

Almost every tourists stops at Hole-in-the-Wall. But not all are willing to try the assisted scramble.

hiking Hole in the Wall, Mojave National Reserve

hiking Hole in the Wall, Mojave National Reserve

I’d call it a perfect little day hike for a confident walker. The scenery is desert classic.

hiking Hole in the Wall, Mojave National Reserve

hiking Hole in the Wall, Mojave National Reserve

Add on the “Nature Trail” to the campground. Desert vegetation is signed, … all the bushes looking somewhat similar. With unlikely names like: Paper Bag Bush, Hedgehog Cactus, Horsebrush, etc.

Tent caterpillars were everywhere when I was there.

caterpillars, Mojave

… Mojave National Preserve, at 1.6 million acres, is the third largest National Park Service managed area in the Lower 48; only Death Valley and Yellowstone are larger. …

It’s so close to Vegas, I’m surprised more tourists don’t visit. There’s no Park entrance fee. And “wild camping” is allowed almost everywhere.

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Teutonia Peak, Mojave

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Only 2 hikes in Mojave National Preserve are recommended by Moon Hiking California:

• Kelso Dunes
• Teutonia Peak

In the morning I did the Dunes. Then drove on to do a climb. A great hiking day in the desert.

Teutonia Peak, Mojave

Teutonia Peak, Mojave

The highlight for me were the Joshua Trees, but a different species than those in Joshua Tree National Park.

Teutonia Peak, Mojave

At 5,755 feet, Teutonia Peak offers great views of Cima and the surroundings. This four mile round-trip trail heads south from Cima Road and crosses the desert through part of the world’s largest Joshua tree forest. A half mile from the summit the ascent becomes more earnest as the maintained single track now tackles the bulk of the 700 feet in elevation between the trailhead and the peak.

Despite the minimal effort, the views from the top are splendid. …

read more – Hike Speak

Teutonia Peak, Mojave

Actually, to “summit” Teutonia is a class 3 scramble. Most people don’t do it.

No fees. No hassles. You can tent free nearly anywhere. Mojave National Preserve is a great destination for hikers.

see all my photos from this short day hike

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sliding down Kelso Dunes, Mojave

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Only 2 hikes in Mojave National Preserve are recommended by Moon Hiking California:

• Kelso Dunes
• Teutonia Peak

As also recommended, I arrived at Kelso Dunes at dawn. (Sunset is very popular, too.)

It was overcast, rain threatening.

Kelso Dunes, Mojave, California

Not nearly as impressive as Eureka Valley Sand Dunes, I still enjoyed this short hike.

Basically you climb up the spine of the highest dune, 650ft (200m) …

Kelso Dunes, Mojave, California

Plant a Summit Stone, painted by DSD … (The next hiker to the top would collect it. Or, … perhaps it will be covered by sand for ages.)

Kelso Dunes, Mojave, California

… and slide / run down as fast as possible.

No fees. No hassles. Mojave National Preserve is a great destination for hikers.

see the rest of my photos from this short day hike

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new attraction at Red Rock, Vegas

The must go hiking destination only a few miles from the strip in Las Vegas is Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

An attractive outdoor exhibition area just opened:

One of the walks leads to an observation deck where visitors can study a giant map of the parks trails etched into the floor with photo panels on a railing of what they’ll see on the trails and beyond the panoramic view.

… outdoor exhibits that bring sturdy replicas of some of the park’s most fragile features to the foreground: things such as American Indian rock art panels, desert tortoises in their natural habitat, and a life-size cougar that lurks atop one of the shade walls.

It’s all designed so people can touch, feel, see and understand the national conservation area from the perspective of earth, water, fire and air. …

Grand opening at Red Rock visitors center …

One exhibit has a desert tortoise. Visitors are taught what to do when this happens …

driving Mojave National Reserve

tortoise - driving Mojave National Reserve

I carefully, slowly lifted the tortoise far off the highway in the direction I thought he was trying to go. … Unfortunately he seemed to be walking the yellow line when I found him.

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hiking out of Needles, California

trip report by site editor, Rick McCharles

I awoke early and drove out of town about 10min towards Lake Haversu City.

This geology looked, from the highway, very interesting.

hiking near Needles, California

It’s easy to hike anywhere you wish here. Simply follow the jeep tracks and dry arroyos.

hiking near Needles, California

hiking near Needles, California

This was not an official hiking trail, but made for a very pleasant morning, none the less.

Here’s the view looking back towards Needles.

hiking near Needles, California

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best books on California desert hiking and climbing

I checked into the Needles California office of the Bureau of Land Management. They gave me some excellent advice on “best hikes” in the region.

Two books are recommended and sold there:

Hiking California’s Desert Parks, 2nd edition: A Guide to the Greatest Hiking Adventures in Anza-Borrego, Joshua Tree, Mojave, and Death Valley by Bill and Polly Cunningham

I’ll be using this one over the next couple of months.

Deserts Summits: A Climbing & Hiking Guide to California & Southern Nevada by Andy Zdon

Both are recommended.

Click on either book cover for more information and links to other available books on Amazon

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weird, wild Saguaro cactus

I feel lucky to have just finished a driving tour of the exact range of the crazy beautiful Saguaro cactus, definitely one of my favourite flora.

… a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. state of Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, a small part of Baja California in the San Felipe Desert and an extremely small area of California …

Harming a saguaro in any manner, including cactus plugging, is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected. …

Wikipedia

more interesting photos tagged Saguaro

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best hikes in Arizona

lucrativetravels.com posted a surprisingly good list:

Wet Beaver Loop
Picacho Peek
Kendrick Mountain
Paria Canyon

We name Paria Canyon the best hike in the entire S.W. USA.

The other three I’m currently researching. … Especially since I’ve just arrived in Arizona. We drove between Tuscon and Phoenix yesterday past impressive Picacho Peak.

Wet Beaver Loop

The Wet Beaver Loop is not a trail that should be hiked by a novice. The trail is a twenty-two mile loop so you should plan on taking a couple of days to complete it. …

Picacho Peak

The Picacho Peak is a hike that that will provide you with the opportunity to admire the Sonora desert. Although the trail is only a seven mile round trip, you need to be aware that much of it is extremely steep and that there are many switchbacks. …

Kendrick Mountain

If Picacho Peak is more than you feel comfortable handling, you might want to consider the Kendrick Mountain hike. This particular hike is 9.2 miles round trip. When you reach the summit you will find a cabin and have an amazing view of Mount Humphreys, Red Mountain, and Sycamore Canyon. On a clear day you will even be able to see the Grand Canyon’s north Rim. …

read more – lucrativetravels.com