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| - Gass Peak is the highest peak in the Las Vegas Range and is located in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. The peak is named after Octavius D. Gass, an early Vegas settler who lived at Las Vegas Ranch for a period of time. This is not an easy flat hike. You'll need to come prepared. Plenty of water, sunscreen and appropriate clothes. I recommend long pants because your legs will get scratched going up and coming back down. A hat is highly recommended too as the sun beats down on you and there's no shade. Poles or a walking stick might be helpful to you going up and down. I can't stress enough how important the right shoes are to have when doing this hike. Might not sound like fun huh? It is fun though! If you love hiking and taking in the great outdoors, you'll want to conquer this peak. I feel like Gass Peak has been in my backyard my whole life. I grew up on the north side of town and have always been able to see it right outside my house.
Getting to Gass Peak Road doesn't necessarily require a high clearance 4x4 vehicle, but I wouldn't recommend or do it without one. It will be one slow drive to the trailhead without it. You'll certainly need the proper vehicle if you decide to continue on Mormon Well Road as it gets rocky near Peek-A-Boo Canyon. Once you are headed down Gass Peak Road you'll need to look for the service road on the right, that's the trailhead where you'll park your vehicle and walk by foot from there. There's a small sign posted that says service road.
The hike is about 6 miles. At times the trail disappears and it's pretty narrow, but you can just look ahead and get an idea of where it picks back up. When you get to the fork, you can go left or right to get to the peak, but the right way takes a smidge longer. If you go right at the fork make sure to keep an eye out for Gass Spring, which is actually just a man-made spring for the animals it's nothing fancy. There's a lot of up and down action you'll be doing. Be careful as it gets slippery especially where there's broken shale. Yes, you can find fossils here! This doesn't mean load up your backpack with shale. Don't be that person. Another thing you'll see depending on the time of year are a variety of plants, some endemic, meaning that are found nowhere else on earth. If you are lucky you'll get a glimpse of a Desert Bighorn Sheep, our state animal. You can see amazing views on this hike the higher up you get! You can see mountains in Utah, Arizona and California, get a view of Lake Mead and even the Stratosphere still looks tall and noticeable up there lol. Antennas adorn the peak and were actually brought up by helicopter. There's a windsock up there to let workers know where they need to go do maintenance. Pack a lunch and enjoy it at the top with an unforgettable view. Some people have mentioned bringing their dog on this hike, I personally don't think it's the best hike for most dogs. Going back down is slipperier than going up, so keep that in mind. I don't recommend this hike during the summer it's just too hot. Try hiking in the early spring or fall. Happy hiking!
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