Hike Manganese Peaks Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

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The Manganese Peaks have stayed on my backburner for years because the approach road, Boathouse Cove Road, is in quite poor condition. However after getting a Jeep, I was feeling all macho-like in my new ride (lolz) and headed out to attempt the drive with Jon Avery. This was Jon's 100th peak with 300 prominence – congrats, friend! The road ended up being in very good shape except for two key spots that would have shut me down in my previous Subaru Crosstrek. Not being able to get past this would add about 3 miles to the hike, which isn't really that much and I felt silly for putting the Manganese Peaks off for this long just because I'd have to hike a little more.

We headed into a canyon on the left from where we parked and followed it for only a short time, leaving it on the right at the first fork to enter a side-drainage. We followed this (Class 2) to the northwest ridge of Manganese Peak – Southwest. The ridgeline had some Class 2 and maybe a Class 2+ move, but mostly everything tricky can be avoided. The views of Lake Mead were amazing, as expected. Jon and I traced the surrounding peaks for a long time, sort of reflecting on our year's peaks surrounding Lake Mead. This would be my last hike for 2020, my most fruitful hiking year to date.

We headed back into the main canyon and followed it until we located a side-drainage on the left. We'd use this to access Manganese Peak, the taller of the two Manganese Peaks. We headed up this drainage, encountering some more Class 2 boulder-hopping and enjoying the views back toward Manganese Peak – Southwest. We left the drainage when the slope on the right was no longer cliffy and ascended the mostly mellow ridgeline to Manganese Peak. Yet again we enjoyed the views toward Lake Mead and fantasized about routes in the very remote Gold Butte area.

On our descent, we decided to stay along the ridgeline and drop down a somewhat loose Class 2 slope to get back to the car.

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

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Manganese Peak - Southwest

2740 ft

493 rise

Manganese Peak

3025 ft

778 rise

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From our parking spot, we headed into the canyon on the left.

Within the canyon.

Manganese Peak ahead. First we headed to the right (out of frame) up a side-drainage to get up Manganese Peak - Southwest.

Side-drainage leading to the northwest ridge of Manganese Peak - Southwest.

Looking back as we ascend the side-drainage, Manganese Peak visible top right.

Along the northwest ridge of Manganese Peak - Southwest, Manganese Peak visible top left.

A Class 2+ obstacle along the ridge.

Manganese Peak - Southwest visible on the left.

Class 2 stuff along the way.

Summit of Manganese Peak - Southwest, view toward Lake Mead.

View toward Manganese Peak, our next objective.

We got back into the main canyon and headed farther in.

We turned left into another side-drainage to head up to Manganese Peak.

Class 2/2+ up this drainage.

View back as we ascend.

Manganese Peak - Southwest visible in the distance.

Class 2 mostly mellow ridge leading to Manganese Peak.

Looking back from just below the summit.

Manganese Peak summit, view toward Lake Mead.

Cathedral Peaks in the foreground and Virgin Peak in the distance.

View southwest toward the Lake Mead northshore area.

Close-up of Manganese Peak - Southwest.

On our descent, we followed the ridgeline instead of retracing back through the drainage we ascended. Manganese Peak visible up top.

Class 2 loose slope to get back to the car.

Hire me or show me some love!

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!