Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
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35.99470°N / 115.0172°W |
County:
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Clark |
Activities:
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Hiking, Bouldering, Scrambling |
Season:
|
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
|
Elevation:
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3753 ft / 1144 m |
|
Overview
Tortoise Shell Peak - 3753 on the USGS topo map - is one of the smaller peaks in the area surrounding Las Vegas. It is accessed from the McCullough Hills Trailhead and has a trail all the way to the summit. It is slightly taller than it's neighbor, the heavily antennaed Henderson Benchmark, which can be accessed from the same trailhead, near the beginning of the trail.
While this summit can be climbed year round, it would be brutally hot to do so between late spring and early fall, so late fall throughout winter would be the best time to climb this one.
Getting There and Route Information
The mountain is reached primarily via the McCullough Hills Trailhead at 295 Mission Dr. Henderson, NV 89002. It is located about 11 miles southeast of the Las Vegas Strip.
The peak is easily viewable from just about anywhere in the Southern Las Vegas area in and around Henderson. It is also notable due to the heavily antennaed Henderson Benchmark 3,358' which lies about 1 mile to the NE.
The peak is easily reached off of Interestate 11.
Take the 601 Trail west from the trailhead. After a quarter mile, continue to the right following 601 as the trail narrows. After another third of a mile, the trail heads south. There's a trail heading west that also leads towards the peak and is a little shorter.
Both lead to the junction with the 601 Trail and a trail leading up the peak. Take that trail, which gains nearly 1,000' in less than a mile to the summit. The total elevation gain of the hike is about 1,250', with a round trip distance of a little over 3 1/2 miles.
Red Tape
There is no red tape. The trailhead is open 24 hours.
hgrapid - Nov 29, 2022 6:43 am - Hasn't voted
Updates neededThere's been a lot of updates in the past 15 years, including a dedicated trailhead and name of peak. There's also a trail to the summit and many trails in the area. I can help update.
T. White - Dec 12, 2022 12:23 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Updates neededFantastic. I read this page's previous form a few times and wondered what happened to the mountain with all the recent development. Looking forward to your updates!