Mount Houghton sits on the Relay Ridge almost directly parallel to Mount Rose. The trailhead is a 30 minute drive or less from Reno, Nevada, making it a very accessible summit. However, it is often overshadowed by Mount Rose, which is why it doesn't see nearly as many hikers on its slopes. It is one of the highest mountains in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and can be hiked in 4 to 6 hours via two routes that have well defined trails for most of the way. From the summit you will find exquisite views, particularly to the west, the north, and the south. Views towards Reno are mostly blocked by Mount Rose.

Getting There

Getting to the trailhead for Mount Houghton is easy. From Reno take 395 to the Mount Rose Highway (431). Take 431 until you reach the Mount Rose Summit Parking Area (8,911'). There are two main routes to the summit, both which will take up a large chunk of your day.

1) From Mount Rose Summit parking area to the Relay Peak Service Road
Round Trip Distance: 12 miles
Elevation Gain: 1800 feet
Difficulty: Walk up

This is a day hike up from the Mount Rose Summit parking area. The trail to Mount Houghton is the same as the trail to Relay Peak. The trail to Relay Peak is marked at the entry to the trail. From the trailhead, you take the trail southwest for 0.8 miles until it reaches the service road. Take a right and follow the service road for just over 2 miles and you will see a sign for the trail to Mount Rose. At this point, you will also see a sign saying it is two miles to Relay Peak. Now you head towards Relay Peak and after another 1 1/2 miles you reach the Tahoe Rim Trail. Instead of taking the TRT to Relay Peak, you take the ridge towards the electrical towers. Pass the electrical towers and follow the ridge for about 1 1/2 miles to the summit with minimal elevation gain (under 400 feet). The total elevation gain is roughly 1800 feet or so due to some slight ups and downs each way along the trail and the ridge.

The route to the summit from the Relay Peak Ridge - Click to enlarge

2) From Mount Rose Trail to the summit ridge
Round Trip Distance: 9 miles
Elevation Gain: 1600 feet
Difficulty: Involves Class 2, Possibly Class 3

A second way to climb Mount Houghton is by taking the Mount Rose trail. From the Mount Rose Summit parking area, take the trail for the first 3.6 miles until you reach a sign pointing to the final leg of the Mount Rose trail at around 9,400 feet. Rather than heading up to Mount Rose, you cross over to the base of Mount Houghton. You climb up some loose scree up a steep, but reasonable grade to the ridge. From the ridge, the hike to the summit is self-explanatory.

Head towards the ridge to the left to get to the summit off the Mount Rose Trail

Red Tape

No red tape, but watch for fire danger signs during high fire season.

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