Class 2 10.3 miles 4500 gain 4-6 hrs Loop Apr 9, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Summerlin Peaks Loop GPX Track

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This loop just near Summerlin is a really nice Las Vegas hike, with a fair amount of vertical gain and a pretty limestone ridgeline. It hits a few small peaks and gave me as much of an isolated feel as I could get being this close to the city. We did the canyons, Box Canyon and Hidden Canyon over a year ago, seeing the lows of this suburban-ish area, and now I got to see the high points.

Starting from Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park, I headed up the major wash until reaching the least intimidating-looking ridge that would take me up to Summerlin Peak. Alternatively, you could scramble up its southeast ridge on Class 5 if you're into that sort of thing. My ridge choice was pleasant Class 2 with lots of typical Vegas area limtstone sticky slab, and a few loose sections. There was one Class 2+ section to get around a cliff band, with some minor exposure. Once at the top of the ridge, I curved south and headed up Class 2 to Summerlin Peak. I continued along the ridgeline, passing over Mt. Woody, Little Red Rock Peak (Class 2+), and then up to Gottleib Peak. The views toward Damsel Peak and the La Madre Mountains was quite nice. I headed back down off Gottleib Peak and along the base of Red Rock Peak before descending to the north to a saddle. From the saddle, I continued descending to the east, noting Hidden Canyon's pretty narrows on the right. Keep left here. It might be temping to go into this canyon, but it has technical rappels. The route down I chose had some Class 2 boulder-hopping and a small section of minor route-finding around massive boulders. Once at the mouth of Hidden Canyon, I followed mountain bike trails for a bit, passing an old car, and then realized the trails were super inefficient since they switchback a ton to keep the steepness reasonable for bikers. I instead just headed up the ridge to Peak 3767 (Class 2) and then down its east side. I unfortunately couldn't use the trail system because the trails were a jumbled web and didn't seem to want to take me anywhere I wanted to go. I was now at the base of Peak 3767, where a Class 2 slope brought me to its minor summit. I continued south along the Cheyenne Mountain ridgeline to that peak, where the views of the Las Vega suburbs were sublime, lolz. A social trail (the standard route up Cheyenne Mountain) headed generally north down the ridge, but it wasn't clear what the true trail was, if there was one. It seems people go all sorts of ways. I wrapped around the ridge and headed south back to Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park, paralleling a road as I went.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Summerlin Peak
5082 ft
143 rise
2
Mount Woody
5356 ft
316 rise
3
Little Red Rock Peak
5185 ft
n/a rise
4
Gottlieb Peak
5835 ft
755 rise
5
Peak 3767
3767 ft
n/a rise
6
Peak 3763
3763 ft
n/a rise
7
Cheyenne Mountain
3833 ft
453 rise

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Starting from Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park, I headed into the wash visible ahead. Summerlin Peak visible ahead.
Starting from Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park, I headed into the wash visible ahead. Summerlin Peak visible ahead.
View toward Summerlin Peak (left). The route I would take heads up the ridge in the center of this photo, then traverse across the ridge to Summerlin Peak.
View toward Summerlin Peak (left). The route I would take heads up the ridge in the center of this photo, then traverse across the ridge to Summerlin Peak.
Starting up the ridge.
Starting up the ridge.
Looking back toward the wash I hiked in on. Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park is around Cheyenne Mountain, center.
Looking back toward the wash I hiked in on. Buckskin Cliff Shadows Park is around Cheyenne Mountain, center.
Class 2 ridge ascent. Summerlin Peak visible top left.
Class 2 ridge ascent. Summerlin Peak visible top left.
View back along the ridge. Cheyenne Mountain visible top right.
View back along the ridge. Cheyenne Mountain visible top right.
Class 2+ move with some exposure.
Class 2+ move with some exposure.
Continuing along the ridge. Summerlin Peak top left.
Continuing along the ridge. Summerlin Peak top left.
At the top of the ridge, I headed along the rim to Summerlin Peak, center.
At the top of the ridge, I headed along the rim to Summerlin Peak, center.
Summerlin Peak, view toward Las Vegas. The trailhead is visible left of center.
Summerlin Peak, view toward Las Vegas. The trailhead is visible left of center.
Summerlin Peak, view west toward the ridgeline I'll be traversing.
Summerlin Peak, view west toward the ridgeline I'll be traversing.
Along the ridgeline.
Along the ridgeline.
View back toward Summerlin Peak (left) on the way to Mount Woody.
View back toward Summerlin Peak (left) on the way to Mount Woody.
Mount Woody, view toward Little Red Rock Peak (center) and Gottlieb Peak (top left).
Mount Woody, view toward Little Red Rock Peak (center) and Gottlieb Peak (top left).
Little Red Rock Peak on the right, Class 2+.
Little Red Rock Peak on the right, Class 2+.
Gottlieb Peak ahead.
Gottlieb Peak ahead.
Looking back as I ascend Gottlieb Peak.
Looking back as I ascend Gottlieb Peak.
Mostly pretty straightforward terrain.
Mostly pretty straightforward terrain.
Gottlieb Peak ahead.
Gottlieb Peak ahead.
View toward Damsel Peak (left) and the La Madre Mountains top center.
View toward Damsel Peak (left) and the La Madre Mountains top center.
Back below Little Red Rock Peak, headed down to the saddle visible center.
Back below Little Red Rock Peak, headed down to the saddle visible center.
Headed east from the saddle, Hidden Canyon visible on the right. It's technical, so don't enter without gear. Instead, keep to the left and head down a side-drainage.
Headed east from the saddle, Hidden Canyon visible on the right. It's technical, so don't enter without gear. Instead, keep to the left and head down a side-drainage.
Class 2 side-drainage.
Class 2 side-drainage.
Boulder-hopping to avoid Hidden Canyon.
Boulder-hopping to avoid Hidden Canyon.
Looking back up toward the boulder-hopping route I took (right) and Hidden Canyon's mouth (left).
Looking back up toward the boulder-hopping route I took (right) and Hidden Canyon's mouth (left).
Passing an old car along the trail system.
Passing an old car along the trail system.
I left the trail since it didn't take me where I needed to go. View back toward Hidden Canyon, center.
I left the trail since it didn't take me where I needed to go. View back toward Hidden Canyon, center.
Peak 3767 ahead.
Peak 3767 ahead.
Peak 3767, view back toward Hidden Canyon.
Peak 3767, view back toward Hidden Canyon.
Peak 3763 and Cheyenne Mountain ahead.
Peak 3763 and Cheyenne Mountain ahead.
Ascending the slopes to Peak 3763.
Ascending the slopes to Peak 3763.
View from Peak 3763 back toward Peak 3767, and Hidden Canyon behind it. The traverse I did earlier visible top left, Summerlin Peak far left.
View from Peak 3763 back toward Peak 3767, and Hidden Canyon behind it. The traverse I did earlier visible top left, Summerlin Peak far left.
Traverse from Peak 3763 to Cheyenne Mountain.
Traverse from Peak 3763 to Cheyenne Mountain.
Cheyenne Mountain, view toward Summerlin. The route heads down to the left along the ridge. There are social trails leading a bunch of ways. Once down, I paralleled the road and got back to the trailhead.
Cheyenne Mountain, view toward Summerlin. The route heads down to the left along the ridge. There are social trails leading a bunch of ways. Once down, I paralleled the road and got back to the trailhead.

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!