| rev:text
| - This is a difficult five mile round trip hike within the Scenic Drive at Red Rock Canyon. There is a 2,000 foot elevation gain over 2.5 miles. This hike should only be attempted by experienced hikers. You need hiking boots and a backpack with water and perhaps a snack or some protein bars. All that being said, the payoff of the view when you get to the peak is worth the work and pain of getting there.
The trailhead is at the Sandstone Quarry parking area, the 3rd parking area along the Scenic Drive. From the west end of the parking lot, walk past the red and white sandstone that was left when the quarry closed in 1913, I think. There's evidence of their activity, and there are some interpretive markers to explain how they cut the stone and why they went bankrupt.
The trail goes through a wash and then continues west. You come to a junction. To the right is the Calico Tanks trail. You need to go straight. Both trails are marked at the junction, about the last trail marker for Turtlehead. From then you start gaining elevation, slowly at first, and then more extreme.
Eventually you reach the end of the sandstone formation and the trail cuts north. Now the going gets tougher. There are switchbacks to help with the elevation gain. In places, the gravel is quite loose--an excellent reason for wearing hiking boots.
At this point, take a look up to the saddle to the left of Turtlehead. That's your first goal. There are two large boulders near the saddle and you should aim for them. There are a number of spider trails, but if you stay to the middle trails or slightly right, and keep going up, you're doing the right thing. The area gets very steep in places. The first time I hiked this, I stopped to catch my breath, and I started sliding backwards standing still. I never thought I'd make it, but I pressed on after a break.
Eventually, you reach the saddle, and you have payoff number one. The view into Brownstone Canyon is simply awesome. The sandstone colors are truly beautiful and you feel almost on top of the world. But you're not--that's about to come. At the saddle, the trail goes right. This is the route up the back slope of Turtlehead that leads to the summit. Just like coming up the chute to the saddle, there are a number of trails that hikers have made. If you stay to the right, nearer to the edge, you will be taking the faster route, but I think it's a bit harder.
Finally, you get to the summit and you are on top of your world. The 360 degree view is tremendous. Far off, you can see the Las Vegas Strip, and as you pivot, you look across Red Rock Canyon and see the tiny Scenic Drive. You can also see all the washes that run through the NCA. To the west, you have views of the Spring Mountains and Griffith Peak at Mount Charleston. Take the time to relax, sign the log book in an ammo box in some rocks near the highest point, have a snack, and take lots of photos. The peak is very large, so there's plenty of room there.
To get back to the car, go down one of the trails from the summit keeping your eye out for those large boulders near the saddle. When you get there, you'll see where the trail descends. Take the downward part of the hike easy. This is very difficult, and sliding and falling is a distinct possibility. At the base of the chute, start breathing again, and get ready to have a big smile because you're almost done with your conquering of Turtlehead. Just over a mile to go the the parking area! Congratulations!!
Happy hiking!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)