McCullough via Pine Spring

Overview

This route is a nice long is totally off trail. It runs up long and gentle sandy washes and steep rugged ridges to McCullough Mountain.

From the trailhead, this route runs north over some low ridges into a sandy wash. This wash then heads NW through a sandy wash. You then gain a ridge line and contour around where you can take the ridgeline all the way to the summit. Alternatively, one could take a wash and angle your way to the summit, cutting off about 0.63 miles on the trip to the summit. The total distance for this trip if you do the entire loop is about 8.83 miles with 2,970 feet or so of net elevation gain.

Getting There

Drive South from Las Vegas on Highway 95 to Searchlight.

Turn right (West) onto HWY 164 (Nipton Road) and drive west for 8.1
miles to a stop sign at a dirt road (The turnoff is 1.2 miles west of
Walking Box Ranch Road, which has a road sign).

Turn right onto this dirt road and drive north for 4.4 miles to a
fork in the road.

Take the left fork. Drive another 1.1 miles to an intersection with a
power line road.

Cross the power line road and go straight west for 1.4 miles to a
fork in the road.

Turn right and drive north and down off the ridge; this part is a bit
steep and rocky (a high clearance vehicle with 4WD is recommended for
this).

Follow this road as it curves running down a wash. Pass an obvious
left turn that just goes to a campsite in the wash.

The road continues down the sandy wash, eventually bends to the left,
and starts up another sandy wash heading west.

About 0.1 miles past an old corral, the road ends at Pine Spring This
is the trailhead.

Route Description

NOTE

You can cut about 0.63 miles off the trip to the summit by going down into the wash and taking the wash to the summit instead of the ridge. To go down into the wash, it will be to your left at about WPT 17 on this route. From here hike NW to the summit.

Refer to the Waypoints section below and the descriptions for details.

GPS Trace of Route

Waypoints

Waypoint	Latitude	Longitude	Elevation (feet)	Distance from Trailhead (miles)
WPT 1	35° 34’ 23.7 N	115° 9’ 20.7 W	5,376’	0.00
WPT 2	35° 34’ 25.3 N	115° 9’ 20.7 W	5,540'	0.12
WPT 3	35° 34’ 26.4 N	115° 9’ 29.8 W	5,482'	0.14
WPT 4	35° 34’ 31.7 N	115° 9’ 35.4 W	5,500'	0.33
WPT 5	35° 34’ 34.6 N	115° 9’ 36 W	5'538'	0.39
WPT 6	35° 34’ 46.7 N	115° 9’ 55.8 W	5,674’	0.85
WPT 7	35°34'46.1"N	115°10'05.0"W	5,764’	1.06
WPT 8	35° 34’ 48.1 N	115° 10’ 7.6 W	5,830'	1.11
WPT 9	35° 34’ 53.5 N	115° 10’ 5.7 W	6,077'	1.24
WPT 10	35° 34’ 57.5 N	115° 10’ 13.7 W	6,218’	1.39
WPT 11	35° 35’ 0.6 N	115° 10’ 19.3 W	6,260'	1.51
WPT 12	35° 35’ 6.0 N	115° 10’ 28.5 W	6,399’	1.74
WPT 13	35° 35’ 11.1 N	115° 10’ 23.0 W	6,472’	1.91
WPT 14	35° 35’ 20.3 N	115° 10’ 10.2 W	6,291’	2.22
WPT 15	35° 35’ 25.3 N	115° 10’ 0.3 W	6,414’	2.44
WPT 16	35° 35’ 26.1 N	115° 9’ 56.3 W	6,393’	2.52
WPT 17	35° 35’ 31.4 N	115° 9’ 56.2 W	6,250’	2.63
WPT 18	35° 35’ 42.4 N	115° 9’ 55.2 W	6,314’	2.88
WPT 19	35° 36’ 16.7 N	115° 10’ 16.6 W	6,870’	4.03
WPT 20	35° 36’ 15.1 N	115° 10’ 37 W	6’775'	4.41
WPT 21	Summit	Summit	7,026’	4.63

To return taking the wash follow these Waypoints

Waypoint	Latitude	Longitude	Elevation (feet)	Distance from Summimt (miles)	Total Trip Distance (miles)
WPT 22	35° 36’10.5 N	115° 10' 38.3 W	6,723’	0.20	4.83
WPT 23	35° 36’ 36.3 N	115° 9’58.3 W	6,113'	1.37	6.07
WPT 24	35° 36’ 33.6 N	115° 9’56.4 W	6,230’	1.44	6.14

There is a class 3 section in the wash. 0.86 miles from summit. (5.49 miles total), between WPTs 22 and 23.

To return from here, follow WPTS 17 and down and return back.

Descriptions of Waypoints

Waypoint	Description
1	Hike North up the Ridge past the Water Tank
2	On the ridge and go down into a Valley
3	Cross a wash, continue North
4	Cross a big wash, go North over a small ridge. Over this ridge cross into another wash, turn left and head NW
5	In wash heading NW
6	Rocky Outcrops in wash where it narrows
7	Turn Right off main wash to a side wash
8	Turn right out of wash and up the little ridge
9	On the ridge, continue NW
10	The next sub peak is to your North On the ridge. Contour on the ridge ahead around to the right.
11	Turn left on ridge and follow around to avoid going down ridge into the wash. Contour around the ridge to WPT 12.
12	Hike North up the Ridge past the Water Tank.
13	Almost due south of the summit. Continue East to WPT 13.
14	Rocks at a saddle, continue east over this.
15	Rocky Outcrop.
16	Start going North down ridge
17	Rocky Outcrop, go around the right side. Start going down the ridge to a saddle area and go up a little ways. You’ll be below a rocky outcrop, hike up to this outcrop.
18	Continue going North along the ridge. It eventually contours and turns West towards the summit.
19	On the ridge heading west. McCullough Mountain comes into view here.
20	Saddle just below the summit.
21	Summit

To return taking the wash follow these Waypoints

Waypoint	Description
22	Start entering the wash.
23	Turn left up the ridge and exit the wash.
24	Back on the ridge, head south along ridge.

To return from here, follow WPTS 17 and down and return back

Essential Gear

The big concern on this hike is the loose footing among the dense yucca and pricklypear cactus. Make sure you have good hiking boots with thick soles. Long pants to avoid bush wacking on your legs would be a great idea too.

External Links

Route from Pine Spring Jim Boone's page on this route

Images

View McCullough via Pine Spring Image Gallery - 10 Images