Silver Peak in Mojave National Preserve, CA

Hike Silver Peak Mojave National Preserve, CA

Class 2 8.5 miles 2600 gain 3-5 hrs Out + Back Jan 25, 2016
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Silver Peak GPX Track

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Though not the most fun hike, the views at the top of Silver Peak offer great views of the surrounding Mojave Desert, Kelso Dunes, and the surrounding small mountain ranges. The hike follows an old, completely overgrown dirt road. It's a slow start, with a couple of miles through open desert and Silver Peak not even in your view at the trailhead. Granite Peak can be seen first, and although I was inspired to hike tat after completing Silver, I decided that the rugged, rocky ridgeline was too much of a hassle and made this a one-peak day (womp). After you start to ascend, you'll first curve south away from Silver Peak to summit a smaller hump before circling north and summiting Silver Peak from the north. The southern face is too steep otherwise. Once you get to the point where the road ends, about 0.1 mile from the summit, follow the poorly-cairned steep and dusty ascent (really, just make your own trail) to reach the top.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Silver Peak
6365 ft
690 rise

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Shortly after leaving the trailhead, you'll see an abandoned whatever this is.
Shortly after leaving the trailhead, you'll see an abandoned whatever this is.
Image 1 from gallery
Granite Peak on the left, Silver Peak on the right.
Granite Peak on the left, Silver Peak on the right.
Keeping slogging through the desert and you'll finally get to these random boulders before beginning the ascent.
Keeping slogging through the desert and you'll finally get to these random boulders before beginning the ascent.
Still an obvious dirt road for a little longer, follow the trail toward Silver Peak.
Still an obvious dirt road for a little longer, follow the trail toward Silver Peak.
Image 5 from gallery
Silver Peak in the center. If you lose the trail, there may be cairns to guide you toward the left. If not, head toward the hump to the south of Silver Peak, not up toward Granite Peak.
Silver Peak in the center. If you lose the trail, there may be cairns to guide you toward the left. If not, head toward the hump to the south of Silver Peak, not up toward Granite Peak.
The trail gets narrower for a little bit after the road starts to fade.
The trail gets narrower for a little bit after the road starts to fade.
On top of the hump before the final bit up toward Silver Peak.
On top of the hump before the final bit up toward Silver Peak.
Granite Peak in the distance.
Granite Peak in the distance.
Overlooking Kelso Dunes.
Overlooking Kelso Dunes.
The crumbly untrailed section before the summit.
The crumbly untrailed section before the summit.
Silver Peak summit looking north toward Kelso Dunes.
Silver Peak summit looking north toward Kelso Dunes.
Image 13 from gallery
This is looking south toward the trailhead. That big pile of rocks on the left is where my car is hanging out. It looks really far from here.
This is looking south toward the trailhead. That big pile of rocks on the left is where my car is hanging out. It looks really far from here.

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!