| via Oak Creek Canyon Route |
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| via Oak Creek Canyon   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Nevada, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 36.10810°N / 115.4894°W Route Type: Hike / Scramble Time Required: Half a day Difficulty: Class 4
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| Page By: cp0915 Created/Edited: Mar 4, 2005 / Nov 18, 2005 Object ID: 164186 Hits: 1747 Loading... Page Score: 85.87% - 1 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Approach
There are a couple of starting points for this route:
1) Get on the Red Rock NCA Scenic Loop and follow it for approx. 11 miles to the signed Oak Creek Canyon dirt road turn-off. Follow the well-maintained dirt road for a mile or two to a well-marked parking area. The parking area is spacious and even has a restroom. The trailhead, which is at the south end of the parking area, is signed for Oak Creek Canyon.
2) While heading to Red Rock NCA on highway 159 from Las Vegas, continue past the entrance to the NCA and follow the highway for a few miles, looking for the signed dirt turn-out for Oak Creek Canyon. The turn-out is a short distance past the exit to the NCA and immediately in front of Mt. Wilson. The view from the turn-out should be similar to this, though if you see this view, you're at the First Creek Canyon turn-out. Turn around and backtrack a mile or so to the Oak Creek Canyon turn-out. Once you find it, park. The trailhead is pretty obvious.
Route Description
In my opinion, as a well-traveled veteran of the Red Rock backcountry, this is one of the most aesthetic and enjoyable non-technical standard routes to any of the peaks in the NCA.
Oak Creek Canyon is absolutely gorgeous, particularly in spring and in the depths of the back canyon, when the melting snows from the mountains above send their waters down into the deep sandstone canyon. The result is spectacular cascades, the constant sound of rushing water, and even the occasional waterfall. Oak Creek runs year-round, but spring is undoubtably the best time of year to be in the canyon. The appeal of this route is not just the creek - the remainder of the route covers some beautiful ground with stunning views of the Red Rock backcountry ... and there's a small hidden forest, a nice ridge to cross, and even some fun class 4 stuff at the very end.
Here's how to get started -
From either of the trailheads, follow the well-marked trail to the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon.
Now, I'm not going to try to over-complicate things by going into too much detail. The beginning of the route from the mouth of the canyon is rather simple, actually. Once the mouth of the canyon is gained, continue into the canyon, seeking out the path of least resistance, which is generally class 2-3, hopping up and around and over and sometimes even under massive boulders, sometimes crossing over little streamlets or working your way around cascades and small waterfalls, taking right forks in the canyon as they come, and ultimately work your way to the end of the main canyon where the yellow sandstone meets the gray limestone of the peaks in the rear. You can't miss the geologic transition. It's painfully obvious.
Once this area is reached, start at any point and head north up the yellow sandstone talus slope above. It's tedious at times but generally easy and sometimes even enjoyable scrambling.
The slope starts out a little steep but mellows out in a short time. As the slope levels off, look for a faint use trail heading easterly. Follow it.
The next part of the route is hard to explain, and while on the mountain, a little hard to follow, but good route-finding skills and a little trial and error will get you there nonetheless.
The use trail will continue easterly for a hundred yards or more and then start traversing northward around the edge of a steepening slope on your left. Follow the trail northward a couple hundred feet to the bottom of an obvious ramp slab. Leave the trail and head up the ramp.
From the top of the ramp, you will be able to see Bridge Mountain and the other awesome crags of the northern Red Rock backcountry for the first time on the route.
From this point, you may be tempted to continue east and up a ledge system to higher ground, but don't. Instead, start traversing northeasterly along the north side of the ledge system over class 2-3 terrain (note the route for your return, as it's amazing how class 4-5 terrain seems to materialize out of nowhere) and aim for the base of a prominent cliff that is 1/4 mile or so ahead of you.
From the base of the prominent cliff, follow a use trail north for a 1/4 mile or so to the end of the cliff. Just past the cliff, the use trail starts to spiderweb and becomes harder to follow. About this time, you will notice a large rock tower to your right. This is a semi-important landmark. Angle eastward and toward the north side of the tower on one of the faint use trails. (note - If you take one of the faint use trails spiderwebbing away from the tower and more northerly, you will be heading toward Rainbow Wall, another fine feature of the Red Rock NCA backcountry)
As you head up, the use trail becomes easier to follow. Do so. If you stay on the use trail and head generally eastward, following the occasional cairn, you will soon find yourself heading down a slight slope into a sort of basin housing a small grove of ponderosa pines. Very nice. Sometimes there's some water there. Don't count on it.
Cross through the grove and shoot for an easy way up to the terrain above and to the right. Class 2 should be plenty easy to find. This terrain above is the summit ridge.
Once on the ridge, head east/northeast over easy terrain toward the summit, which is a little over 1/4 mile away, only a tad higher, and presumably simple to reach. Guess again - you've got a big (fun) surprise coming.
Although not apparent from the beginning of the summit ridge, just short of the actual summit you will come to an abrupt and steep notch in the ridge. The notch is 150-200 feet deep and two sections of class 4 terrain, one of them exposed, must be negotiated in order to reach the saddle at the base of the notch.
Negotiation of the notch is challenging, but not as challenging as describing it, so I'm not gonna try that hard. Fortunately, common sense, good route-finding skills, and the ability to see cairns here and there will set you in the right direction.
From the ridge just before the notch, drop down on the right side over class 2-3 terrain and look for a short (12-15 foot) class 4 wall to scramble down. The exposure is close to 1000 feet (if memory serves me correctly) but the scramble down is easy.
From the bottom of the wall, work your way over whatever terrain you find comfortable along the cliffs and traverse to the other side of the ridge (still on the far side of the notch away from the summit). You are already about halfway down to the saddle. (Remember, cairns are there to serve you - look for them)
When you get to the other side of the ridge, you should find yourself standing at the top of a 20 foot class 4 chimney. The exposure is minimal but the chimney has northern exposure and tends to be moist, and therefore, slick. From the bottom of the chimney, follow class 2-3 terrain down the remaining 40-50 feet or so to the saddle in the notch.
From the saddle, head up the left side on class 2-3 terrain and ultimately work your way to the summit. It's less than 10 minutes from the saddle and difficult to miss.
To descend, do the obvious - retrace your steps.
Roundtrip stats for this route are in the ballpark of 14 miles and 2800-3000 feet of gain.
You won't be disappointed.
Essential Gear
Standard desert hiking gear.
Although water is generally plentiful in the canyon, it's hard to come by on the upper reaches of the mountain. Intend to haul your own from the car.
For those uncomfortable with short stretches of exposed class 4, bring a rope and a couple of slings.
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Red Rock Climbing
