Las Vegas in Mid-April?

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Tom Rankin

Tom Rankin

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I'm looking to do a 4-day trip to Las Vegas or thereabouts in Mid-April or thereabouts. Don't worry, we will not miss the wonderful food at the 4K Dinner this year! :rolleyes: (We need a sarcasm icon!)

Besides blowing a lot of money at the Blackjack tables, does anyone have any hiking suggestions? Anything from easy to tough could be considered, including a summary for Boundary if anyone has been there. (For my reference: "The dirt road that you are looking for is about 300 feet south of the 773/264 intersection.")

Also, what is the weather like, and how much snow can we expect to find?
 
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Tom - I'd suggest Corkscrew. It's doable as a dayhike to/from Vegas. Finding the "trailhead", and the first mile or so isn't obvious, but after that it's mostly a ducked route (cairns=ducks in the West) after you find the right canyon. You might find a bit of snow near the top, but unlikely you'd need to lug snowshoes.

Boundary is a different deal. It's a long haul from Vegas, while it's fairly easy to find the road leading to the trailhead - I doubt it will be passable that early. The TH is around 8,500' IIRC. Given your short timeframe, I doubt it's feasible.

PM me if you'd like specific info, especially a .gpx file, of Corkscrew.

Edit - here's a link to the Corkscrew hike on Wikiloc

You might also consider Wildrose. My hunch is you could get to the TH (a call to the DV VC would confirm it). You start near the charcoal kilns. It's not got the views of nearby Telescope, but they're not shabby, either. For that one you might need 'shoes - the Panamint Range (and Wildrose is near the northern end) creates lots of weather. Telescope is often covered in a cloudcap in winter while the rest of DV is often clear.
 
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Zion is about 3 hours away...excellent trip.

Cheap hotels are a plenty in Vegas.

Always double down on 11.

"Vegas baby....Vegas."
 
Corkscrew is a beauty, I agree, and the herd path we took one April was brilliant with flowers. I'd be happy to give you directions on the route we took.

Red Rocks is much closer and there are a few off-trail hikes we've done there that the rangers at the visitor center refused to talk with us about, probably figuring they would have to come rescue us.

The Mt Charleston area is only an hour outside the city and may still have some snow but that shouldn't be a problem. There are some gorgeous 10K and 11K peaks, and I can tell you where to find a 3000 year old bristlecone.

Valley of Fire has great opportunities for wandering off trail too.

Fortification Hill is a fascinating ancient volcano near the shore of Lake Mead that we enjoyed very much.
 
Years ago I did a day hike to the Summit of Mt Charleston while staying in Town. It was a good poke and lots of fun.
 
Red Rock Canyon is less than 20 miles from Vegas. I haven't hiked there but did it as a driving tour a few years ago, and it was nice. Temperature was around 105 in June, not sure what it would be like in April - hopefully a lot cooler. There's a fee to get in but I seem to remember it was just a few bucks. There's a web site here: http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/
 
I'll be there in July ... it'd never be on my list for mid summer but there's a karate convention going on ... so I'll be looking for a few local hikes to help me sweat Vegas out of my system. This is an interesting link:

http://www.localhikes.com/MSA/MSA_4120.asp
 
Another vote for Red Rock. And if you go there, Turtlehead Peak is a heckuva climb. 5 miles r/t, about 2200-2500 gain, awesome views at the summit. You can get trail info at the visitor center there. (link to my youtube vid of Turtlehead, March 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEpapC53FPI)

Audrey was right about Fortification Hill, a few miles beyond the dam. Link is here http://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/LAME/_LAME_Over/_LAME_Over.htm and the pic on that page is the view from the top of Fortification Hill. I'd recommend a 4WD to safely reach the trailhead, though. And Valley of Fire is awesome but it doesnt have any trails longer than a mile or two. It's also a great place to camp out.

Personally, I'd take Zion over Death Valley any day, YMMV. They're both easy rides - about 2.5 hrs -/+ - and both worth a visit but after being in the deserts of Nevada for a few days, the scenery/greenery at Zion is a nice contrast. (And yes, I know that technicaly Zion is a desert too.)

Weatherwise, Vegas is nice in April. Daytime temps in the 70s/80s, and it's not typically a busy month for the casinos. Death Valley temps will be in the 90s, however, so try to get back to your car by 2pm if you do Corkscrew. Obviously, bring sunscreen, plenty of water, etc.


bob
 
I've only been out there to climb, not hike. But here's what I like:

Blueberry Hill diner for breakfast. Lots of the usual good diner food, 24 hours to support an early start.

http://www.blueberryhillrestaurants.com/

Rum Jungle (in the Mandalay Bay) for rum drinks.

http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/rumjunglelounge.aspx

And last but not least, pick up a cheap disposable cooler (yes I know, not "green") for the car, and make a daily ritual of filling it with beverages and ice on the way out in the morning. You'll thank yourself when you get back to the car!

TCD
 
dentonfabrics said:
Another vote for Red Rock. And if you go there, Turtlehead Peak is a heckuva climb. 5 miles r/t, about 2200-2500 gain, awesome views at the summit. You can get trail info at the visitor center there. (link to my youtube vid of Turtlehead, March 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEpapC53FPI)
Click to expand...

I concur on Turtlehead Peak for a nice day hike with excellent summit views around the canyon. I have pix but unfortunately they are before the digital revolution.........

Be careful on the drive out- the local wildlife doesn't have any qualms about taking a peak in your open windows if you get too close and casual around them....:eek:
 
In mid-April, expect temps outside Lost Wages to be in the mid-70's during the day, and mid-50's at night. It may be a bit warmer in town, and of course cooler as you gain elevation.

It may seem warm compared to a New England spring, but you're not exactly in danger of heat-stroke either.
 
Kevin Rooney said:
In mid-April, expect temps outside Lost Wages to be in the mid-70's during the day, and mid-50's at night. It may be a bit warmer in town, and of course cooler as you gain elevation.

It may seem warm compared to a New England spring, but you're not exactly in danger of heat-stroke either.
Click to expand...

Pack a warm hat and gloves. In late April at 8000' (Mt. Charleston Wilderness) it was 33 degrees in the morning, colder as we climbed, and warmed up to about 45 in the afternoon. The next day, in Mosaic Canyon, DV, it was 93. So pack a wide brimmed hat for the sun too.

The dry air wreaks havoc on my nasal membranes. I found saline nasal spray, used constantly, to be a life saver. Also, my fingertips dried and cracked. Liquid Bandage or Crazy Glue is great for that. A pair of light cotton gloves would have been good to have, for scrambling.
 
I've been to Red Rocks a couple times and also hiked up Turtlehead Peak once. While nice, it is nothing compared to Zion. I'd figure at least 3 hours to drive from Vegas to Zion. There was a lot of Interstate construction on the outskirts of Vegas when I was there in October that slowed me down. If you go to Zion, be advised that you cannot drive throughout the park. You must take the shuttle. I did not find it to be inconvenient though. Angel's Landing is the high point (literally!) of any hiking you would do in Zion. I plan to go back and spend a couple more days there. Valley of Fire State Park is about an hour and a half north of Vegas as another alternative.

JohnL
 
Corkscrew

A fine peak! If you in the same area and short on time, the short scramble up the Death Valley Buttes ( very near Corkscrew) is also a lot of fun. The aroma of the wildflowers can be pretty amazing!

Here's Corkscrew from down in the valley:
CorkscrewPeak.jpg
 
JohnL said:
If you go to Zion, be advised that you cannot drive throughout the park. You must take the shuttle. I did not find it to be inconvenient though.
JohnL
Click to expand...

That's a good point. And the shuttle does not operate 12 mos/yr. Pretty safe bet that it'll be running in April though.
 
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