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View Full Version : Help! going to Vegas tomorrow. Need some weekend hike ideas!



flemdawg1
03-05-2012, 14:47
Just found out I have to goto Vegas tomorrow for business and I normally stay the over the weekend and do some hiking whenever I head out west. I did a weekend loop in Death Valley 2 years ago whenever I last went to Vegas. And there's an abundance of options (DV again, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon...). So give me your reccomendations for a 2.5-3 day hike in the vicinity of LV. Plan is to leave Thursday afternoon and be back in LV Sunday for 1 pm flight.

HiKen2011
03-05-2012, 14:51
Never hiked there but been there more times than I care to remember. My advise? Stay away from the casino's!:eek::mad::):o

flemdawg1
03-05-2012, 14:57
Never hiked there but been there more times than I care to remember. My advise? Stay away from the casino's!:eek::mad::):o

Not a problem for me, I'm incredibly cheap. Last time I simply put a $20 in the bar's video poker machine and play 25cent games for free beer.

flemdawg1
03-05-2012, 14:58
Drank at least a dozen beers that week all for the grand sum of $2.

tdoczi
03-05-2012, 15:00
if youve never done it and can get a permit for bright angel camp or a reservation for phantom ranch (ive had luck with getting into phantom as a standby, it can be done) a couple of days at the bottom of the grand canyon is a no brainer.

or supai/havasu canyon. it might be easier to get a reservation there last minute.

HiKen2011
03-05-2012, 15:01
Drank at least a dozen beers that week all for the grand sum of $2.

Me wifes friend just got back, won $60,000 and turned around and lost it all. She's wealthy though, must be nice.

turtle fast
03-05-2012, 15:09
Mount Charleston is a nice area, I have hiked it...just bring water and not 1 liter! Will be on the cold side too...not a hot desert this time of year. Red Rock Canyon area is good too for exploring natural water cashes... If I remember, their is a guy Branch Witney who has a site on Vegas area hikes...may be worth to check his site out.

Juice
03-05-2012, 15:47
Joshua Tree Natl Park in California!

max patch
03-05-2012, 16:56
Put everything on red. One spin of the wheel. Done.

Spend the rest of your time being active and away from the cigarette smokers.

Cookerhiker
03-05-2012, 17:04
At virtually the same time of year on a work trip to Vegas, I went to the Grand Canyon South Rim and hiked down. I was lucky that a cancellation had opened up space at Phantom Ranch - I didn't have full backpacking gear nor did I have as much time as you. I suspect campsite permits are easier to come by in early March so give it a try. It's a beautiful hike - like walking from winter down into Spring.

I've done Death Valley several times also.

I've been to Bryce in the winter and it's beautiful with the snow on the hoodoos but I imagine the nights are pretty cold for camping and I believe your backpacking options there are limited.

Six-Six
03-05-2012, 18:14
Visited family in Vegas a few weeks ago - we hiked at Red Rock park - beautiful, difficult to moderate to easy trails.

Six-Six
03-05-2012, 18:15
Red Rock Canyon near Vegas.

http://www.vegas.com/attractions/outside_lasvegas/redrock.html (http://www.vegas.com/attractions/outside_lasvegas/redrock.html)

Spokes
03-05-2012, 18:40
The Red Rock Canyon Marathon is this Saturday so it prolly won't be too serene out there. I love Zion so that would be my suggestion.

James GAME2009
03-05-2012, 22:35
The perfect option is the Zion Grand Traverse. Take in all the beauty and grandeur of Zion in one trip, from one side of the park to the other. You will need to spot a car or figure out a shuttle (or be really good at hitching).

48.5 miles, very extensive elevation change, but a varied, well marked, and interesting trail.

flemdawg1
03-12-2012, 11:04
Well I just got back last night. I ended up w/ a 2 days to hike. Since I've never been to Grand Canyon before I thought I'd try that. Left LV around 7AM and arrived at GCNP around 2PM (there's a +1 hour time zone change there too). Went to the Backcountry office and the ranger suggested an overnight on the Grandview Trail. That would work except I had to go buy some Yak Traxx on the way to the trailhead. Even then I busted my butt about 4 times. For a short little 8 mile overnighter, I'm sure feeling sore the last 2 days.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Grandview_Trail.pdf

ezNomad
03-12-2012, 11:25
If you have any interest in petroglyphs, Valley of Fire state park has a bunch of them, about an hour outside of Vegas. Not sure about 2-3 day though

tdoczi
03-12-2012, 13:04
ive yet to go down grandview myself, but from the pictures ive seen and things ive read the ranger must have been feeling pranksterish to send someone unsuspectingly down it in icy conditions. was indian gardens really booked up? that would seem like the most obvious easy last minute suggestion.

flemdawg1
03-12-2012, 14:24
Yes Phantom Ranch, Indian Garden and all the small campsites on the Tonto trl west of Bright Angel were all full.

Even though it was a bit tough, it was absolutely beautiful there. No regrets whatsoever (except I wish I'd been there for a 2nd night (or up to 7) maybe).

tdoczi
03-12-2012, 16:07
Yes Phantom Ranch, Indian Garden and all the small campsites on the Tonto trl west of Bright Angel were all full.

Even though it was a bit tough, it was absolutely beautiful there. No regrets whatsoever (except I wish I'd been there for a 2nd night (or up to 7) maybe).

is this spot- http://www.jasonroland.net/images/pictures/GrandCanyon_GrandViewTrail_110.jpg as scary as it looks? i've seen pictures of people going past that in the snow... the fact that people arent regularly dying there leads me to believe its probably not as bad as the pictures (and it seems everyone who hikes the trail takes a picture of themselves at that spot!) make it seem.

i was going to hike it once, but fresh snow made me think better of it. one of these days.

flemdawg1
03-12-2012, 16:31
Yes that pic is the worst spot of the whole trail. No it wasn't all that bad footing wise. However there were 3 spots of near washouts going down to the spring, I slipped in 2 of them (due to exhaustion). Most of the trail was either dry, muddy (but walkable) or with crunchy snow. There were only 6 short spots that were very slippery. Yaktrax and attentiveness helped alot. Honestly the trail to the Chimney Tops in the Smokies was 3x worse as far as icyness.

elmotoots
03-12-2012, 16:54
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire-state-park/