Hike North Macks Peak and Macks Peak Traverse Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, NV

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The traverse from North Macks Peak to Macks Peak follows a mostly loose, sometimes quite fun limestone route in the Spring Mountains. Though it mostly doesn't follow the scary-looking crest, there are a couple of exposed sections on loose rock that require care. The views are great and the route-finding is reasonable and interesting. If you're looking for an easier ascent for Macks Peak (the high point) without doing too much scary scrambling, check out this route instead. Austin and I parked on the side of the road leading into Macks Canyon, about a mile before the official trailhead. We went up a wide gully that led to a slope leading west. A big, dark-colored rock pinnacle appeared on the right, and it would serve as our lighthouse to avoid the sheer cliffs of North Macks Peak's eastern side. We headed as directly as we could for this pinnacle, going up and down in small gullies along the slope. We kept to the right of the pinnacle and pulled a likely avoidable Class 3 move to get onto the northeast side of North Macks Peak, where we encountered a steep, loose slope that led around to the northwest side of North Macks Peak. We also had some snow to deal with that required care, and we did so by enjoying a few fun Class 3 moves on sticky limestone slabs, likely avoidable without snow around. We found ourselves just below North Macks Peak's summit, where a knife-edge led to the top. It was actually a really pretty, and fairly exposed little summit scramble.

From the summit of North Macks Peak, we inspected the gorgeous ridge crest leading to Macks Peak. Fortunately, there is a route just to the west, avoiding a likely Class 5 horrifying-looking fin. Immediately on the southwest side of North Macks, we got to some loose Class 3, and then a Class 4 downclimb. A static line was there, and we were really happy for it, because to the left was a sheer drop and the right wasn't much better. The holds are all there, but the rock quality was dubious. Note that on a second visit, the static line was gone and this was certainly a Class 4 move.

After the Class 4 section, we side-hilled along the base of the crest, just beneath large limestone slabs, slowly descending to avoid the cliffs. We descended a bit too far, avoiding the slabs, but then worked back up along base of the cliffs until we saw a rope dangling from a tree. This was only tricky because we had snow at its base. Without the rope, the climb would require some thought, but isn't harder than Class 3+. Otherwise, there isn't any exposure, but the slope is steep and a fall would likely be pretty bad.

Once we got over the second significant obstacle section, we pulled a couple more Class 3 moves marked by cairns, and then followed a steep Class 2 slope leading up to the ridge crest. Macks Peak became visible ahead to the south. We followed the crest pretty much directly to the summit, encountering on a few more Class 3 sections and some fun and easy slab. The views on Macks Peak are probably my favorite I've had in the Spring Mountains, mostly due to the perspective toward Mummy Mountain and Charleston Peak.

A heavily-worn and well-cairned social trail leads down some Class 2+ from Macks Peak's summit, then follows a ridge with great views in all directions. We lost the cairns about a quarter mile from the Macks Canyon Trail, and descended a gully. The trail is flat and pleasant and we made it back to the car in one piece.

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

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

North Macks Peak

9924 ft

98 rise

Macks Peak

10036 ft

1129 rise

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Starting up a drainage from where we parked.

North Macks Peak ahead. We headed for the far right rock outcropping.

Slopes leading up.

Black pinnacle that we chose to head toward, our route wrapping around the right side of it.

Side-hilling, gullies, and slopes to ascend to the black pinnacle.

We headed around the black pinnacles.

Looking back the way we came, The Sisters on the back right.

Working around the north side of the black pinnacle.

Looking back toward the black pinnacle. Austin visible on a Class 3 section to get to the northeast side of North Macks Peak.

Looking up the steep, loose slope to North Macks Peak (center).

The steep, loose slope.

North Macks Peak ahead.

Working around the northwest side of North Macks Peak.

Looking back down the slope, North Macks' sheer cliffs visible behind Austin on the right.

Some slabs and Class 2/3 stuff.

Avoidable slabs, but super fun. We took these because we wanted to avoid snow on the slopes.

Approaching North Macks Peak.

Starting up the small knife-edge to the summit of North Macks Peak.

Looking back along the knife edge.

North Macks Peak ahead. Charleston Peak in the distance.

Looking back along the ridge.

North Macks Peak summit, view southwest toward Macks Peak. McFarland Peak on the top right, Charleston Peak top left.

Close-up of the scary-looking crest. The route we would take heads down on the bottom left, then follows the treeline. To avoid snow and slabs, we hugged the cliff face on the right and worked our way back up until we found the route. The rope/Class 4 section is located just at the base of the really steep section, just right of center.

View of The Sisters, Mummy Mountain, and Charleston Peak.

View back up toward North Macks Peak after downclimbing some loose Class 3.

Austin carefully downclimbing to the Class 4 section.

Looking down at the Class 4 section, a static line in place.

Looking back up at Austin as he downclimbs the Class 4 section.

Following the treeline at the base of the slabs/crest.

Side-hilling.

Looking back toward North Macks Peak (top right).

Our second significant obstacle section, Class 3+ without a fixed line. The rope is hard to see, but it was tied around the tree in the center.

Looking back toward Austin as he gets up the Class 3+/4 section.

Class 3 stuff, cairns marking the way.

Approaching the ridge crest.

Looking back toward North Macks Peak.

View south toward Macks Peak.

A Class 3 downclimb to a small notch, then we climbed up the slab in the center. Alternatively, you could probably take the gully in shadow on the left to avoid an upcoming sketchy thing (two pics away).

View back toward the Class 3 and Austin on the slab.

Sketchy section. Likely avoidable if you had taken the gully instead of the slab. On a subsequent visit on this traverse, the knife edge was less serious, almost as if someone had removed the sketchiest loose rocks, but maybe I'm just not remembering correctly.

Austin on the sketchy thing, looking back toward North Macks Peak.

Macks Peak ahead, Charleston Peak in the distance.

Looking back at some Class 3 from just below the summit of Macks Peak. Austin visible in the center.

Fun section of slab just below Macks Peak summit.

Macks Peak ahead!

Macks Peak summit, view northeast toward North Macks Peak.

Macks Peak, view southeast toward The Sisters, Charleston Peak, and Mummy Mountain.

Macks Peak, view southwest toward McFarland and Bonanza.

Heading down Class 2+ stuff from Macks Peak along an obvious social trail.

Steep slope on the way down.

Fun Class 2 ledge.

Heading down a ridge.

Looking back up toward Macks Peak.

Gorgeous views along the ridge on the descent from Macks Peak.

View back toward Macks Peak.

The Sisters ahead.

Eventually we lost the cairns and just followed some gully down to the Macks Canyon Trail.

Macks Canyon Trail.

Macks Canyon Trail, view toward the Macks Traverse.

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