Wilson’s Pimple Peak, the Trail You’ve Never Heard of at Red Rocks Canyon in Las Vegas
wilson’s pimple peak. The trail you’ve never heard of
The best view of Mt. Wilson is from a lesser known mound which sits right in front of it. When I climbed Solar Slab over the summer I saw this “little” bump from above, (which is actually huge) and wondered, “hmmm what is that? I had never noticed it before.” Even though you can see it from the State Route 159. I thought, “Hey I want to go to that peak !” but information was either seldom or incomplete. This was perfect, so I set out to seek this one (amazing) missing piece of this beautiful place which I now call home, in Red Rocks, Las Vegas. As a transplant from New York, contributing to this historical place means a lot to me as I am always looking for a new adventure, which I am guessing you are too. So, lets go!
Highlights & Geographical Info
this is your parking lot, right outside the blue diamond highway 159.
Trail distance: 4.0 miles total, out and back
Elevation gain: 684 ft
Max elevation: 4,403 ft
Lowest elevation: 3,716 ft
Season: Fall, winter and early spring; not in the summer as this trail is completely exposed to the elements without any shade. The best time of day is during the early morning as the cool air really helps keep you cool and alert.
Total hiking time: 2.5 hr depending on your walking speed.
Bathrooms: There are no restrooms available from this trail so bring a trash bag, pick a spot and carry out your waste as animals may ingest the rubbish left behind and become ill (always follow the leave no trace policy to keep our wilderness wild and clean).
Mindful things you’ll need to know: Bring water, in the desert transepidermal water loss (aka, the evaporation of water from the body) happens constantly even if you don’t sweat. Las Vegas is an arid place so as they say “drink up” — water that is. You might also want to consider wearing sneakers preferably or comfortable shoes as the trail is dusty and has its fair share of rocks. Bring a hat for those sunny days if you like and glasses if you can. The desert sun is strong no matter what time of year you decide to visit, especially summer. I would recommend wearing long pants, although the flora and fauna are beautiful and unique, if these suckers brush against you (mostly at the peak ) it’s bothersome, so just be mindful. Oh yeah, and bring your camera .
From Wilson’s Pimple Peak, you can see the whole trail you will walk. As you can see, it’s well traversed and has a clear dirt and pebble path you can walk on. You can even see the parking lot.
This is some of the trail terrain you will encounter along the way, hence the comfy shoes.
In this gallery, you can see some of the things you will encounter on your trail. As an avid climber, I have climbed countless peaks here at Red Rock Canyon, which is one of the country’s premier rock climbing meccas. In other words, don’t be surprised to see huge vans at the parking lot and once in a while hearing people yelling commands such as: “take”or “on belay” or “nooo, can’t duuu itttt”. Try to spot them from Wilson’s Pimple Peak. From this point, you can see Rainbow wall to the right of Mt. Wilson. One of the most famous climbs, Solar Slab, can be found at Rainbow Wall — and yes its friggen’ sunny all the way up hence the name. This is a 14 pitch slab climb. I love this climb and it has some of the most beautiful views all the way up. From the top (once you get there, it’s a long day this climb) it tops out at a whapping 1,760 ft. From Wilson’s Pimple Peak, look and see if you can spot Solar Slab, its almost unmistakable (p.s i’m double pointing at it in the last picture in the 1st gallery).
Flora and fauna
at the top of Wilson’s Pimple Peak
You’ll find yourself surrounded by a plethora of beauty. Here you will encounter Utah Juniper, Barrel Cactus, Creosote Bush, Mesquite Honey and Silver Cholla just to name a few. These plants where sacred to the native people who migrated seasonally to Red Rock Canyon.
OK guys, I’ve provided you with all the tools and information that you will need for a safe and fantastic hike here at my new home of Las Vegas. I wish you the best of hikes and lovely days forthcoming.
Also, feel free to email me and let me know about your adventures and other places you might wish to visit! Leave me comments below, as I always love answering and knowing about your adventures.
Till next time & stay Gorgeously Powerful!!