Long View Peak and White Owl Canyon Loop in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

Hike Long View Peak and White Owl Canyon Loop Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

Class 2 7.8 miles 1600 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Dec 2, 2019
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

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White Owl Canyon is such a mini hike that I couldn't justify driving out to just check it out without adding a nice loop or peak into the mix. Long View Peak looms to the south, and seemed to fit perfectly. Austin and Tara joined me for yet another remote desert adventure because they're lovely and put up with my peakbagging silliness and persistent inability to properly calculate how many miles a route will be.

We started south on the paved road from the Cliffs Trailhead, which is generally used for sightseeing and for accessing White Owl Canyon. Our plan was to get White Owl Canyon on the way out. We entered the desert and followed a wash for a while, passing through a tunnel that goes under the paved and popular River Mountains Loop Trail. The wash continues generally southwest as it slowly becomes more hilly than wash-like. In hindsight, the wash to the east of our route might have been a cleaner route that followed a wash the whole time, but ours was fine. After a couple of uops and downs over hills, we dropped into a major wash that led us southwest along the slopes of Long View Peak's east slopes. Our major wash forked at a certain point, the left fork seeming to head south and away from the peak, so we took the right fork. This drainage was pretty minor and soon dissolved into a slope. We were met with a talus field of Class 2/2+, which got progressively more steep as we ascended to a minor saddle just west of Long View Peak. We bagged the peak and took in the really nice views. The summit register read that the peak was actually called Bighorn Butte, but it seems more common to call it Long View Peak. We decided we'd try to descend on the northwest slopes rather than return the way we came. The obvious drainage did the trick until we hit a 15-foot dryall, avoidable by keeping to the right and out of the drainage, and heading down on more Class 2 safely to the wash below.

Once down our chosen descent route, the wash waved northwest before heading northeast. There were no scrambling surprises – just an easy wash walk. We started getting hints of White Owl Canyon's fomations in the shape of conglomerate rock walls. We passed under two more tunnels (once under River Mountains Loop Trail, and then again for Lakeshore Road) before getting the full beauty of White Owl Canyon. It was short and sweet and a nice finale to the hike. A trail continued back to the trailhead.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Long View Peak
2584 ft
344 rise

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Heading southwest under the River Mountains Trail loop.
Heading southwest under the River Mountains Trail loop.
Traversing the desert and entering a wash, Long View Peak visible center.
Traversing the desert and entering a wash, Long View Peak visible center.
Looking back down the drainage system we came up that became hills before dropping into the main wash.
Looking back down the drainage system we came up that became hills before dropping into the main wash.
Within the main wash just southeast of Long View Peak.
Within the main wash just southeast of Long View Peak.
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Some Class  obstacles and pretty canyon scenery.
Some Class obstacles and pretty canyon scenery.
A junction, Long View Peak visible on the right. We kept right up a minor drainage.
A junction, Long View Peak visible on the right. We kept right up a minor drainage.
Heading up the minor drainage, Long View Peak visible center right. The left hump looked taller, but it wasn't.
Heading up the minor drainage, Long View Peak visible center right. The left hump looked taller, but it wasn't.
Class 2+ as we ascend our drainage choice.
Class 2+ as we ascend our drainage choice.
Looking back down our drainage on the ascent to Long View Peak. Lake Mead visible in the distance.
Looking back down our drainage on the ascent to Long View Peak. Lake Mead visible in the distance.
Class 2 stuff up to the minor saddle to the west of the summit.
Class 2 stuff up to the minor saddle to the west of the summit.
Steep toward the top just before the saddle.
Steep toward the top just before the saddle.
At the saddle, looking back down the way we came.
At the saddle, looking back down the way we came.
Summit just ahead.
Summit just ahead.
Long View Peak summit, view northeast toward Lake Mead.
Long View Peak summit, view northeast toward Lake Mead.
We went back to the saddle and began descending this obvious northwest drainage.
We went back to the saddle and began descending this obvious northwest drainage.
It's steep and loose, but nothing crazy. If you stay in the main drainage you'll hit a dryfall. Just before it on the right is a better descent option.
It's steep and loose, but nothing crazy. If you stay in the main drainage you'll hit a dryfall. Just before it on the right is a better descent option.
Continuing down after avoiding the dryfall.
Continuing down after avoiding the dryfall.
Looking back up the way we came. The dryfall would have brought us down on the right, whereas our descent took us down on the left.
Looking back up the way we came. The dryfall would have brought us down on the right, whereas our descent took us down on the left.
Following a major wash for a while.
Following a major wash for a while.
Looking back toward Long View Peak and some interesting conglomerate rock features.
Looking back toward Long View Peak and some interesting conglomerate rock features.
Another shot within the wash looking back toward Long View Peak.
Another shot within the wash looking back toward Long View Peak.
Image 22 from gallery
A teaser for White Owl Canyon.
A teaser for White Owl Canyon.
Entering White Owl Canyon.
Entering White Owl Canyon.
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The narrows of White Owl Canyon.
The narrows of White Owl Canyon.
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Exiting White Owl Canyon on a well-beaten trail.
Exiting White Owl Canyon on a well-beaten trail.
Following the trail back to the trailhead.
Following the trail back to the trailhead.
Back at the trailhead, looking north along the White Owl Canyon Trail and the nice desert sunset.
Back at the trailhead, looking north along the White Owl Canyon Trail and the nice desert sunset.

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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!