Point 3942

Overview

Point 3942 (North Frenchman Mountain) rises about 2,000 feet from the eastern edge of Las Vegas. It is the second highest summit in the Frenchman Mountains. The summit of Point 3942 offers excellent views of Las Vegas to the west, nearby Point 3858 to the east, and its better-known neighbor Frenchman Mountain to the south. UN 3858 may be classified as a subpeak if a cutoff of 300 feet of elevation gain from the saddle with Point 3942 is used. If a cutoff of 200 feet is used, Point 3858 is a peak in its own right.

A dry wash that runs up the side of the mountain has served other purposes for locals as well. There are four vehicles whose broken and bullet-riddled bodies can be found in the wash. They were dumped from the 4WD road into the wash and were later used for target practice.

Getting There

From the junction with I-15, drive about 8.2 miles east on Lake Mead Boulevard (Route 147). At this point, there will be a parking area on your right. Park your car here and find the 4WD road on this side of Route 147 near the parking area.

Hike south up the 4WD road. The road becomes very steep and rocky and makes several switchbacks as you approach the saddle between Point 3942 and Point 3858. After about 1.2 miles, you will reach the saddle, which offers spectacular views of Frenchman Mountain ahead of you. The road continues to Frenchman Mountain at this point. Behind you there are views of the hills on the north side of Route 147.

Point 3858 is on your left, and Point 3942 is on your right. Leave the saddle and start scrambling up the side of Point 3942. Start angling towards the right, and you will find yourself on the summit ridge. From here, it’s mostly a walkup to the summit.

Round trip: Nearly 3 miles with an elevation gain of about 1,500 feet. The scramble up the side of Point 3942 is Class 3.

Red Tape

Point 3942 is on Bureau of Land Management land; no permits are required for hiking. However, the BLM is quite humorless about drive-ups. Recent signs warn of fines up to $100,000 for driving on the 4WD road.

Camping

Camping is not permitted on the BLM land on or near Point 3942.

When to Climb

Winter is the best time of year to climb Point 3942 and avoid the scorching heat. The best time of day to hike during other seasons is early in the morning, when the steeper parts of the 4WD road are well shaded and relatively comfortable. Shade is much harder to find once you start climbing up from the saddle.

Images

View Point 3942 Image Gallery - 19 Images