Mojave Nat'l Preserve & Spirit Mountain

Mojave National Preserve

This is the land of the Yuhaviatam/Maarenga’yam (Serrano) and Newe (Western Shoshone).

The preserve in California is only about 1-2 hours from Vegas depending on the area you intend to visit and a detour from the route between Vegas and L.A. We drove through over a year ago on our way to Joshua Tree and didn’t think much of it at the time but glad we gave it a chance.

First stop was Teutonia Peak, which is an easy out and back 3.2 (ish) mile hike through a burned joshua tree forest. A lightening strike started a grass fire in August 2020 which resulted in a 40,000 acre burn. Sadly, joshua trees are not adapted to fires and the non-native grasses plus climate change create an environment that makes the otherwise desert landscape more prone to fire. At least, that was the mini-lesson we were taught by a middle-aged, self-described desert activist that we met sitting in the middle of the trail. I think he was wearing one of those floppy tan hiking hats and probably an Earth First! t-shirt. I can’t be sure.

He also told us we were staring directly at Cima Dome from the trail and peak. It’s a volcano or something. There’s a pretty dry geology write-up about it on wikipedia. That’s all that needs be said about that.

Anyway. The hike is glorious either way, although feels a bit like a sunnier Mount Doom with all the plant skeletons. There isn’t an “end” to the trail, and there is some mild scrambling to the top of the cliffs for an expansive view of the preserve.

After the short hike (and our one educational human encounter) we drove through some sagebrush on a dirt-road in what appeared to be Eastern MT before arriving at Rings Loop Trail. We weren’t sure what to expect, but the trail is a 1.5 mile flat, kid-friendly easy loop and took us to petroglyphs and pretty horses. Then you arrive at Swiss cheese cliffs before climbing up metal rings through a slot canyon. You can also do it as part of the Barber Peak Loop if you want a similar but longer and potentially more boring hike (6-ish miles).

You can look down at Hole-in-the-Wall from a viewing platform, where Jesse James & other bandits hid out. The platform isn’t super obvious, but only a few yards from the parking lot.

Verdict: Long but worthwhile day trip from Vegas. We only visited a fraction of the preserve. Also, don’t be fooled, it looks hot (and I’m sure it is unbearable in summer), but even in March I wore a down-lined sweater all day.

Spirit Mountain

Also known as Avi Kwa' Ame in Mojave.

This is the land of the Nüwüwü (Chemehuevi), Pipa Aha Macav (Mojave), and Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) among others.

The first time we attempted this mountain we started way too late, the wind was bitingly harsh, and we just generally underestimated the difficulty of the hike. We also completely lost track of the not-so-obvious trail and ended up in a wash fully of stabby plants. At least we enjoyed the decorations along Christmas Tree Pass.

We returned for a second-time better prepared, but we were still destroyed by the end of the day. Ryan slipped and fell directly on a brutal little pincushion cactus which resulted in piercing screams and minor leatherman-style surgery trailside (culprit cactus included in photos below). There is blood spilled on any semi off-trail hiking in the desert. That said, once you find the path, this hike is significantly easier.

The summit of sharp granite spires and views of the Colorado River are unmatched by any other peak in the area. I like the challenge of strenuous uphill, although hiking poles and shoes/boots with decent tread are recommended on this one. Maybe we have just been spoiled with all these clearly marked, on-trail mountains.

Third time, we brought friends and about eleven different types of jerky between the four of us. They are still speaking with us, so it couldn’t have been too bad. This time I slipped on the way down and landed on granite instead of cactus. I nursed a gnarly palm gash for over a week. We’ve been on harder hikes, but this one just kicks our ass for some reason.

Verdict: One of my favorite peaks in Nevada. Bring a first-aid kit.