Hike Tortoise Shell Peak Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, NV

Directions

Route Map

Download GPX

Tortoise Shell Peak 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.

Add to Cart

View Cart

The McCullough Hills Trailhead serves as a portal for a local trail system at the foothills of the McCullough Range. Mountain bikers and families seem to use the trails quite a bit, but this route leaves the main trail system in order to access a minor summit called Tortoise Shell Peak. This being a favorite trail hike close to the city, I figured I'd finally write up a little report. For a longer outing to the higher reaches of the range, check out Black Mountain nearby.

I started on the well-labeled Trail 601, which points the way when rogue trails lead in the wrong direction. The trail begins quite wide, slowly narrowing as it leads through a drainage and up to a slope on the peak's southeast side. I reached a junction at around 2800' where Trail 601 leads west (left) to ultimately form a loop in the foothills, but I continued to the right up a steeper and unmarked trail. This trail seems to also get quite a bit of traffic, so it's quite easy to follow. At 3100' another unmarked junction marked the spot where I'd end my mini summit loop. Past here expect some boulders on the trail and even some light scrambling. I chose to ascend to the right first, which leads to Tortoise Shell Peak's eastern ridge. Still easy to follow, the trail gains elevation much more steeply and then becomes much more rocky along the ridgeline as it makes its way to the radio towers on the summit.

The views from Tortoise Shell Peak are actually surprisingly nice to the south, plus it's a cool experience to see Las Vegas below to the north. I continued to the west side of the peak where a social trail leads down a short spurt of Class 2 on large volcanic boulders and onto the sweeping ridgeline below. The trail then continues to the top of some tight switchbacks and ultimately joins back up with the unmarked trail I was on earlier.

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!

McCullough Hills Trailhead. Tortoise Shell Peak seen top right.

Following signs for Trail 601.

The trail heads through a drainage and up to a slope ahead.

On a slope on the southeastern side of Tortoise Shell Peak, which is visible top right.

View back. I came from the left.

Junction, where Trail 601 heads left. I kept to the right.

Along the nice slope.

Junction with what will later form my little mini summit loop. I kept right for the ascent. The trail gets rockier from here.

View back at my progress. The trailhead is somewhere on the far left in this photo.

Approaching the east ridge of Tortoise Shell Peak.

Steeper trail.

Rocky east ridge.

Light Class 2 up to Tortoise Shell Peak.

Close-up back the way I came. Trailhead top left, the unmarked trail I came up on is seen far right.

Tortoise Shell Peak ahead.

Tortoise Shell Peak summit, view back.

Tortoise Shell Peak summit, view north into Las Vegas.

Tortoise Shell Peak summit, view south toward Black Mountain.

Close-up of the switchbacks I'll be using shortly.

Class 2 down the west side of Tortoise Shell Peak.

The trail leads over to the left.

Some nice views on the sweeping ridge.

View back up toward Tortoise Shell Peak.

Starting down the switchbacks, ultimately leading back to the unmarked trail and completing the mini summit loop.

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!