Hike Hamblin Mountain and Hamblin Mountain West Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

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Hamblin Mountain is a more popular hike for Lake Mead's northshore, mostly due to the fact that it has a trail most of the way, but also because the views toward Lake Mead are among the best. Austin and I hiked this peak as a loop in order to include Hamblin Mountain West, the lower neighbor of Hamblin Mountain. The ridgeline connecting the two is really pretty, but the descent from Hamblin Mountain West is rocky and loose, so most will probably prefer just going back along the trail instead of doing the loop. Additionally, we hiked a minor peak called Jacal Peak to the east of Hamblin Mountain so I included that detour on my attached map, but I recommend just using the trail the whole way.

We parked along Northshore Road and started along a trail that leads from the parking area. This drops into Cottonwood Wash shortly after starting, so it's also fine to just walk along the road and enter Cottonwood Wash from the north. We continued up Cottonwood Wash through some colorful sections of dirt/rock. For the majority of the wash, it was easy to stay within the primary drainage since all other options were tiny runoffs, but then we reached a massive boulder that split the drainage. We kept left here and scrambled up a Class 2 minor dryfall and past some sandstone slickrock features. Keep right when the wash splits here (36.1981, -114.63802), and follow this for a bit as it leads through a short section of narrows. A bit past the colorful narrows bear right and enter a drainage, now hiking west.

Once in this smaller drainage, initially the trail is fragmented so it's easiest to just stick to the watercourse until the trail climbs out of the drainage and continues southwest. On our first visit to Hamblin Mountain, we headed up to Hamblin Mountain via its north ridge in order to get more ridge time and also to get Jacal Peak along the way. This route is not a trail, but I left it on my map for reference. I recommend keeping to main trail in order to stick to the most pleasant route, and I provided photos below of both options. The views were similar using both options, so you won't be missing out on much.

If you take the Hamblin Mountain Trail, you'll be led over a few lumps and down into another drainage, which ascends south. On the way back it could be easy to miss the trail that dropped you into the drainage, so pay attention or you'll be heading back the wrong way. This new drainage progressively steepens as it nears the ridge above, and along the way there's a Class 2 section through some loose rock.

If you leave the Hamblin Mountain Trail and ascend like we did to Jacal Peak, it's a more direct and steep ascent to the ridgeline. Either way you'll end up on Hamblin Mountain's east ridge, where the trail continues to the summit. The ridgeline has great views of the Muddy Mountains, Lake Mead, and the colorful badlands surrounding Razorback Ridge and Pinto Ridge.

Most stop at the summit of Hamblin Mountain, but we opted for a bit of desert wandering and loose rock, plus tacking on Hamblin Mountain West. The trail disappears along the ridge to Hamblin Mountain West, but it's all Class 2 stuff at max if you stay basically on the ridge crest. A steep section leads to just below the base of Hamblin Mountain West, where a Class 2+ section leads to the summit. We followed the north ridge down, dropping into a talus-filled gully. We headed north through the desert, up and over a minor saddle shared by two small peaks, and continued back to Northshore Road.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Jacal Peak

3172 ft

n/a rise

Hamblin Mountain

3310 ft

849 rise

West Hamblin Mountain

3294 ft

276 rise

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Starting up Cottonwood Wash.

A short Class 2 dryfall within Cottonwood Wash.

Interesting colors within Cottonwood Wash.

A short narrow section in Cottonwood Wash. Shortly past here is the turn-off on the right.

A colorful section.

The minor drainage that leads southwest away from Cottonwood Wash. The trail is difficult to follow here at first, but then it becomes easier as it leads into the hills.

If you stick to the trail, the next few photos show some of the terrain you'll encounter. There's a social trail much of the way. This is a view back along the trail.

Class 2 on a loose slope.

The trail drops into a minor wash.

Another Class 2 section before the trail continues up to the ridge.

Alternatively, if you want to tack on Jacal Peak (purple "not a trail" on my attached map) instead of following the social trail, this is looking up our chosen wash/slope we chose.

Views east along the ridge on the way to Jacal Peak. The views are similar from the Hamblin Mountain Trail, so you're not missing out if you choose to stick to the standard route. Muddy Mountains visible top left.

Last bit of the slope gets steep to Jacal Peak.

Some Class 2 to gain the ridgeline up to Jacal Peak.

Ridgeline leading to Jacal Peak.

Jacal Peak summit, looking south toward Lake Mead.

Along the ridgeline to Hamblin Mountain. Ahead we rejoin the standard trail route to Hamblin Mountain.

Headed toward Hamblin Mountain along the trail, Jacal Peak seen in the background.

Hamblin Mountain ahead.

Hamblin Mountain summit, looking west toward West Hamblin Mountain.

Class 2 to the Hamblin Mountain West ridge.

View looking back toward Hamblin Mountain on the ridgeline to Hamblin Mountain West.

Hamblin Mountain West summit, a Class 2 scramble away. Keeping to the ridge crest here makes you do a Class 3 move, so keep just to the left to keep it easier.

Approaching the Hamblin Mountain West summit, looking north toward the ridgeline we'd use to descend.

Hamblin Mountain West summit, looking south. Auxiliary Point visible in the center out there.

On the way down from Hamblin Mountain West. We chose to take the south ridge to make the day a loop.

Looking back up toward Hamblin Mountain West (top right).

Hamblin Mountain West south ridge.

Hamblin Mountain West top right, a sub-peak of Hamblin Mountain visible on the left.

Gully leading down from the ridge. We beelined to the saddle in the center of this photo. Hamblin Butte is the hill to the saddle's left.

Looking back up the Class 2 gully.

Approaching the saddle.

Top of the saddle, looking northeast toward the open desert we'd traverse to get back to the car. Muddy Mountains visible in the distance.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!