By Saturday morning, we'd already had enough of the Strip and everything that comes with it, so we ran away for the day. Originally, we planned to hike Turtlehead Peak in Red Rocks Canyon, but this time of year you need a reservation to drive into the park and we didn't have one. So we pivoted and opted for Black Mountain near Henderson in the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
The most popular and obvious route to summit of Black is the 404 Trail that begins at the Shadow Canyon Access Point in the Henderson suburbs. The official parking area is tiny (like 6 spots) but there is ample and safe street parking. The first half mile or so follows a paved bike/walking path to a detention basin where the 404 branches away. Then you follow a nice single-track along the southeastern edge of the basin before the trail proper starts its gradual ascent toward Black Mountain.
The first 2+ miles or so involve a gentle climb as the trail switch-backs the western side of Black Mountain. Approximately half mile or so from the summit, the trail gets rocky and steepens considerably as you make the final push for the summit. I'm not good with classifications, but a good chunk of it is class 2 I think. Kinda fun and interesting.
Up top, you get really nice views of Vegas, Mt. Charleston, and peek-a=boo views of Lake Mead off the back side. There's a sizeable wind-break made of rocks, 2 benchmarks (that both say Black), and a flag pole flying the state flag of Nevada (Battle Born!). We sat for a spell while having a snack and taking in the views which were quite sublime.
Then it was back down the way we came. I expected the descent to be a bit more challenging than it was, but it all went smoothly. It was a great diversion from the typical drunken and indulgent Las Vegas scene.
FWIW, there was no tagging, no trash, no cut switch-backs, no dog poo bags, and no assholes carrying boom boxes. Wow! How pleasant.
My app says it was 7.9 miles with 2,096' of gain. Worth a go next time you're in the area. Viva Las Vegas!
