Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 39.31990°N / 119.61583°W
Additional Information County: Storey
Activities Activities: Hiking
Seasons Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 6581 ft / 2006 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Flowery Peak is a summit in the Flowery Range, and offshoot of the Virginia Range of Northwest Nevada. The appeal of Flowery Peak is its accessibility, and location in a great hiking and climbing location near Virginia City, Nevada. Hidden behind the hills of Virginia City, it is only a 30 minute drive from downtown Reno to the start of the hike.

In an area with lots of private land...and no trespassing signs...Flowery Peak is situated on federal land, in one of the few entry ways to the hills surrounding the old mining town. Although unmarked, the trailhead is a good one, with plenty of spots to park, and routes to explore.

A steep jeep road leads to within about 1/3rd of a mile from the summit; although the summit is 420 feet higher than the road. Thus, it is a steep walk up to get there; though not too bad.

Flowery Peak can be hiked in less than two hours, which offers plenty of time for additional hiking. Several nearby summits can be hiked around Flowery Peak, including Long BM 6,861' to the north, Peak 7036 to the northeast, and the spectacular Sugarloaf rock formation to the south.

The best time to hike up Flowery Peak is probably late fall (November, December) and late winter/early spring (February, March, April). During summer, temperatures are far too high.

Getting There

From Reno, Nevada take 395 to exit 57B, or take exit 61 (Virginia Street) and drive south. Either way leads to Highway 341, the Geiger Grade. The Geiger Grade is a mountain pass road from Reno to Virginia City. It winds through the hills of the Virginia Range for about 15 miles after leaving Virginia Street in south Reno. Once in Virginia City, look for signs to Six Mile Canyon Road. This is a narrow paved road that leads from Highway 341 to US Highway 50 in the Dayton Valley. The parking area is a dirt road about 1 ½ miles down the road from Virginia City. The dirt road is located on the north side of the Six Mile Canyon road (left side of the road if coming from Virginia City). Find a place to park on the dirt road, just past the pavement.

Flowery Peak from the parking areaFlowery Peak from the parking area

Route Description

Follow the dirt road as it heads straight north. About 1/3rd of a mile up the road, several dirt roads cut to the right and up the slope. Follow these roads as they wind northeast up the hillside. After a little less than a mile the road crests next to a series of power poles. From the top of the road, the summit is just it is a short, steep walk. The summit is partly tree covered, but there are open views. Flowery Peak also has two lower summits worth a visit if there is time. Round trip distance is 3 miles. One-way elevation gain is about 1200 feet.

To continue on to Long BM and Peak 7,036’ descend Flowery Peak down a connecting ridge to the north. Long BM is a little over a mile, and Peak 7,036’ is another mile and a half past Long BM. Hiking all three of these in one trip involves about 3,000 feet of elevation gain one way (a few hundred feet of elevation gain on the way back) and over 8 miles of round trip hiking distance.

Lizard on the slopes of Flowery PeakLizard on Flowery Peak

Red Tape

There is no red tape to hike Flowery Peak. Drive slowly down Six Mile Canyon Road, because the speed limit is 20 MPH for the first ½ mile or so. The road is also pretty windy. The parking area described above is on public lands. There is a sign warning people not to target shoot in the area; and interestingly enough, there are plenty of empty shells not far from the sign.