Mount Wilson via Oak Creek Canyon in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV

Hike Mount Wilson via Oak Creek Canyon Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, NV

Class 3 10.6 miles 3400 gain 5-7 hrs Out + Back Feb 22, 2016
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Mount Wilson via Oak Creek Canyon GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

The route described assumes the difficult Class 4/5 section has a static line in place (last major obstacle in Oak Creek Canyon). The route would be considerably more difficult due to this move if this line is not there. Go into this hike knowing there's a chance of that happening - static lines are no guarantee, and also might be in poor shape and shouldn't be used.

About a month before completing this hike with a couple of friends, I summited Mount Wilson via First Creek Canyon. That route was a bit less interesting, but still gorgeous. Oak Creek Canyon is stunning: a trickle of water follows you throughout most of the hike at certain times of the year, fun scrambles and rope placement make for some interesting obstacles, and the canyon's colors and lighting changes completely as the sun makes its way across the sky. Though not easy, the hike is pleasant and brings you to one of the major sandstone peaks in Red Rock Canyon. You could make the day extra fun and do the hike using both Oak Creek and First Creek canyons as a loop.

Many choose to enter Oak Creek Canyon from the northern Oak Creek Trail, which requires you drive through the entire 13-mile scenic drive. However, I recommend skipping the scenic drive and parking at the Middle Oak Creek Trailhead instead of the northern one. We followed the well-traveled trail into the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon, where we stopped seeing other hikers. From within the canyon, it's fairly obvious that you need to continue up the canyon, so getting lost likely shouldn't be an issue. When it forks for the first time keep left, but the second time keep right. The second might not be as obvious since Mount Wilson's cliffs are visible high up on the left, but taking the canyon to the left at the second fork would cliff you out. Other obstacles in the canyon include a couple of Class 3 sections that avoid waterfalls. There is one waterfall that had a rope in place on my first visit, but not on the second. This resulted in a set of Class 3 moves on the right to avoid the obstacle. The second major fall that has poorly placed cairns leading you to the right, avoiding the fall. It's a slightly precarious obstacle on the side of the canyon that eventually brings you back to the drainage above the obstacle. You have the option of staying low and pulling a somewhat exposed Class 3 move, or going higher up and route-finding to keep the route a bit easier.

Another third major obstacle that would likely require some gear, or at the very least a strong will, is found just before ascending out of Oak Creek Canyon. Luckily there was a static rope in place, making things significantly easier than climbing up around the waterfall. Not having this rope would require some Class 4/5 difficulty trying to route-find, and you might want to consider this as a day-ender if the rope isn't available. After this obstacle, we headed to the left out of Oak Creek Canyon and continued up a ridiculously beautiful amphitheater-like feature that leads up slickrock ledges to the base of a pinnacle. We passed this pinnacle on the left and continued in a small dry creekbed for a short time to its head. Mount Wilson appeared in the distance, requiring some light side-hilling and ascending to get to the peak's west ridge. Class 2 sandstone following ample cairns led to a false summit, followed by a small dip to get up to the true summit.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Mount Wilson
7070 ft
670 rise

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!

Enter the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon after a fairly long walk on the popular Oak Creek Trail.
Enter the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon after a fairly long walk on the popular Oak Creek Trail.
Water greeted us at the start of the canyon and was trickling for the entirety of the hike up.
Water greeted us at the start of the canyon and was trickling for the entirety of the hike up.
Image 2 from gallery
Nearing the first fork, keep right.
Nearing the first fork, keep right.
The second fork, if you go left rather than right (don't go this way if you want to summit).
The second fork, if you go left rather than right (don't go this way if you want to summit).
The first static rope to make climbing this waterfall easier. This rope is not guaranteed to be here. You may have to bypass this fall on the right using a set of Class 3 blocky moves.
The first static rope to make climbing this waterfall easier. This rope is not guaranteed to be here. You may have to bypass this fall on the right using a set of Class 3 blocky moves.
Brian intently getting pictures. We stopped way too many times, but it was ridiculously pretty in the canyon.
Brian intently getting pictures. We stopped way too many times, but it was ridiculously pretty in the canyon.
Colors, colors everywhere. Seen here is another fun slabby obstacle to get over.
Colors, colors everywhere. Seen here is another fun slabby obstacle to get over.
Image 8 from gallery
Another fun obstacle.
Another fun obstacle.
Image 10 from gallery
Lots of small waterfalls leading up the canyon.
Lots of small waterfalls leading up the canyon.
Image 12 from gallery
Image 13 from gallery
Seen below is a waterfall that would be a hassle to climb. A trail leads to the right up the side of the canyon, leading you back to the water above the fall safely. This photo is taken higher up, avoiding an alternative harder Class 3 set of moves. There are more than one way around the waterfall obstacle.
Seen below is a waterfall that would be a hassle to climb. A trail leads to the right up the side of the canyon, leading you back to the water above the fall safely. This photo is taken higher up, avoiding an alternative harder Class 3 set of moves. There are more than one way around the waterfall obstacle.
Image 15 from gallery
Looking back down Oak Creek Canyon.
Looking back down Oak Creek Canyon.
The final obstacle, a serious climb if the rope wasn't there. This could be a day-ender if so. There is a possibility that a Class 4/5 option exists to the right of the waterfall.
The final obstacle, a serious climb if the rope wasn't there. This could be a day-ender if so. There is a possibility that a Class 4/5 option exists to the right of the waterfall.
Looking down the static line obstacle.
Looking down the static line obstacle.
We headed left out of Oak Creek Canyon and into the amphitheater-like formation.
We headed left out of Oak Creek Canyon and into the amphitheater-like formation.
The amphitheater-like feature, wow.
The amphitheater-like feature, wow.
Looking down the feature as we ascend.
Looking down the feature as we ascend.
We ascended from the right in this photo within the amphitheater.
We ascended from the right in this photo within the amphitheater.
Another shot down the amphitheater.
Another shot down the amphitheater.
Close-up.
Close-up.
Looking down from the top of the amphitheater-like feature.
Looking down from the top of the amphitheater-like feature.
The pinnacle marking the end of the top. Go around it to the left to bypass a difficult little waterfall.
The pinnacle marking the end of the top. Go around it to the left to bypass a difficult little waterfall.
Looking back toward the pinnacle.
Looking back toward the pinnacle.
The small minor creekbed after the pinnacle. Follow this and then head out of it to the right.
The small minor creekbed after the pinnacle. Follow this and then head out of it to the right.
After ascending out of the creekbed, you can see Mt. Wilson in the distance. Head to the slope on the right to get to the Mt. Wilson west ridge.
After ascending out of the creekbed, you can see Mt. Wilson in the distance. Head to the slope on the right to get to the Mt. Wilson west ridge.
Looking back once we were along the west ridge of Mount Wilson, Mount Wilson behind me.
Looking back once we were along the west ridge of Mount Wilson, Mount Wilson behind me.
On the Mount Wilson false summit, view toward the true summit.
On the Mount Wilson false summit, view toward the true summit.
Image 32 from gallery
Las Vegas from the Mount Wilson summit.
Las Vegas from the Mount Wilson summit.
Looking toward Rainbow Mountain and Mount Charleston in the distance.
Looking toward Rainbow Mountain and Mount Charleston in the distance.

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!