Gass Peak is located immediately north of Las Vegas and is the highpoint of the Las Vegas Range, a small subsidiary range of the mighty Sheep Range. From most vantage points in the Las Vegas area, Gass Peak (and the Las Vegas Range) seem to meld in with the gigantic Sheep Range behind it, so that it is nearly indistinguishable especially if the day is hazy for any reason. The peak is much better viewed from points along US-95 north of town, near the turn-offs to the Mt. Charleston Ski Areas. Nevertheless it is a highly prominent mountain and a popular day hike for Las Vegas locals. Located in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge—the biggest such refuge in the country—Gass Peak is a classic desert peak: not high enough for any forest growth, the range features low scrub and plenty of cactus. Its location near Vegas means the tower builders have planted a few towers atop the summit, but these towers are served by helicopter. The views, I had read, were some of the best for the city and of the surrounding ranges. I had a chance to visit my folks in town and hike this peak before things got too hot, so I took advantage of this window of opportunity. I drove up the day before without any notable events and crashed at my folks’ place in Henderson, and started my Gass hike early today.

Driving northbound along US-95, I found the Corn Creek turn-off, located a few miles north of the Paiute Reservation signs. The turn-off is not the usual freeway exit with ramps or bridges, but just a dirt road coming right off the highway. From here it’s 4 miles to the Desert NWR buildings. I stopped to sign in; already there was some cars parked here and a few names signed into the register. The refuge was established in 1939 and covers about 1.4 million acres, including almost all of the Sheep Range (so named for its herds of bighorn sheep). The highpoint of the Sheep Range is giant Hayford Peak: this is what people see when looking due north from Vegas, all the while poor Gass blending into the foreground. Hayford’s on my list, but not today. Immediately past the NWR buildings is a T-junction with two huge signs with all sorts of destinations and mileages listed (see photo at left). I went right, then left about a half-mile later onto Mormon Well Road. On Mormon Well I went east about 4 miles to Gass Peak Road (photo at left), then on Gass another 8 miles to a pullout near some old roads leading up toward Gass Peak. Mormon Well Road was pretty beat up due to the amount of travel it gets, while Gass Peak Road was actually fairly decent by comparison. I did not use 4-wheel drive at all for the entire drive off of US-95, although high-clearance is a minimum requirement. I arrived just before 8 a.m. in gorgeous clear weather, temperatures in the 50s. I was the only one here!

The route to Gass Peak follows an old road (which is not shown on the topographic maps) for about the first third of the trek. The trailhead is roughly 4,900 feet elevation, high enough to support a healthy colony of Joshua trees. The rest of the vegetation is mainly low scrub and cactus, giving Gass Peak a strong "Mojave Desert" quality to it (if one considers the might Sheep and Spring ranges to be the southern termini of the Great Basin). From the trailhead the peak is plainly visible along the ridgeline, the highest of a series of bumps with a tall tower visible atop the summit. I started the hike at about 8:10 a.m., following the road south a few hundred yards to a split. I took the right fork, which I could see eventually wiggling up some ridges to top out on a foothill not far ahead. Walking the road went quickly, although the road got quite steep at the end. It simply ends on top of an unnamed foothill; what the purpose of this road may have been is not clear. No hint of mines, and not high enough for the towers. I stopped here to take a break, my GPS had me about 5,550 feet. I figured about 30 minutes to here, covering about a mile, maybe a little more just by eyeballing my truck from this vantage point.

The remainder of the hike follows a series of ridges to the summit from here. Enough people have come here over the years to have beaten in a pretty solid path for nearly the entire way up. After my break I started on a southwesterly tack along the lower ridge, following the fine path and making good time. In general terms the route goes southwest, then kind of bears left up another ridge to top out on the major range crest, high enough to start getting some views down the south side of the range into Vegas. I made good time (for me ) and not bad given I hadn’t hiked much in the past month. The route reaches a saddle along this main range crest, and I took another break here. The summit was probably another mile away and maybe 700 feet higher. All looked well from here. The day was warming up: when it was still I was actually kind of warm, but mostly I had a steady breeze that would cool me off pretty good. Just gorgeous all the way around. The humidity was probably in the single digits.

From this crest saddle, the route continues up more hills, but now they are more steep and abrupt, and for the most part the scant trail sidehills these points. I just kept trudging forward and upward, eventually coming to a point where the route was on the main spine of the range, the false summits now hiding Gass Peak. The path was still pretty solid, though, and easy to follow. It generally stays right (north) below the various false summits and gets a little thin and sloppy for a few hundred feet, the only time I had a teeny bit of concern about what a fall might do to me. Finally the trail meets up with some rocky outcrops in the saddle just below the summit, its towers and buildings now visible again. And in short time, I made the top. No last-minute scrambles or 5th class sections, just a nice slope to the rocky top. I sat down near the cairn and checked my time: 10:30 a.m., a 2 hour, 15 minute hike up for me. The towers and buildings and banks of solar panels are actually set below the top a few yards, which was nice. The views were tremendous! Given the near-zero humidity, I had 150-mile views in all directions. The giant Spring Range with Charleston Peak in snow was directly across the way to the west. North of me was the Sheep Range and Hayford Peak, itself still covered in snow. To the south was sprawling Las Vegas, with numerous peaks visible off to the horizons. I could even see Gass Peak Road and the road junction where I parked, although by now I could not make out my truck at all. I spent about 20 minutes here, in total peace and quiet, the best views in Vegas to myself for a few minutes!

Ah, but all good things must end: I started the trek down. The dicey bits coming up were no issue going down, and I made excellent time, stopping periodically to look back for photographs. I took another break back where the road had topped out on the lower foothill. The walk down the road proved to be the most trouble, ironically: its steepness meant I slipped and scooted more than I would have liked. I was back to my truck a bit after noon, a 4-hour hike including breaks. I took some time to relax back at my truck, changing into more comfortable clothes before starting my drive out. I stopped back at the Refuge headquarters to walk around a bit. The drive back to my parents’ place took a bit over an hour. I felt great, and after a shower and brief rest, celebrated Las Vegas-style: a buffet meal for three (with my ma and pa) at the Fiesta for $25. I got my month’s worth of cholesterol all at once, I think.

Overall, Gass Peak was a nice outing, an easy half-day hike for a fairly major summit, with reasonably easy road access (no passenger vehicles, mind you). The views down onto Vegas are outstanding, probably better than those from Charleston (too far up) or Potosi (too far away). I had a thoroughly pleasant hike and agree with the consensus that it is a hidden little gem amid the giants that surround little Gass and hog all the attention.