Casino Peak Hike

Many of the best hiking routes do not have any official trail markings and require route-finding skills or going with someone who knows the route. Local hiking groups have hundreds of names of hiking routes. The 52 peak club, for example, names 52 summit hikes in Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, and Lake Mead- each nearby Las Vegas. This is a prime peak prime for climbing, either as a day hike or part of a multi-day backpacking loop. The most direct route to the summit is a 2.4-mile approach along an unofficial but volunteer-maintained trail accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway, just across the roadway from the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center. The best hikes in Red Rock Canyon. Black Velvet Peak Type of hike: Scrambling Difficulty: 5 out of 5 Elevation gain: 2,288 feet Distance: 8 miles - round trip Class: 3 Time: 6 to 8 hours. The typical climbing route up Baboquivari Peak is the Standard Route, a hike with a bit of Class 4 scrambling (a medium rating for climbing, though a fall from a Class 4 could be fatal) below the summit, on the peak's west flank. The other route usually climbed is the Forbes-Montoya Route up the opposite side of Babo.

Following the Connector Trail, the trail descends off the side of the ridge, then turns and drops across the slope into the wash below. The well defined trail winds among boulders, washes, and joshua trees as it runs south to a trail junction (Wpt. 08). Here, the Connector Trail ends at the Park Peak Loop Trail (BLM 403), which comes in from the right and continues straight ahead.

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Continuing south, the Park Peak Loop Trail crosses a wash and begins to climb the hillside ahead on the left. As the grade steepens, the trail makes seven long switchbacks, runs out to the southwest, makes two more switchbacks, and climbs towards a saddle on the ridgeline (Wpt. 09).

From the saddle, which functionally is the toe of Fracture Ridge, the Park Peak Loop Trail climbs west following the East Ridge of Park Peak. Running up the ridge, the well built trail suddenly ends (Wpt. 10) at the base of a rock pile. Using the plethora of cairns as a guide, hikers can pick their way up through the rocks (barely more than 2nd Class) for the last 25-or-so vertical feet to the summit (Wpt. 11).

Following the Connector Trail, the trail descends off the side of the ridge, then turns and drops across the slope into the wash below. The well defined trail winds among boulders, washes, and joshua trees as it runs south to a trail junction (Wpt. 08). Here, the Connector Trail ends at the Park Peak Loop Trail (BLM 403), which comes in from the right and continues straight ahead.

Casino Peak Hike Colorado Springs

Continuing south, the Park Peak Loop Trail crosses a wash and begins to climb the hillside ahead on the left. As the grade steepens, the trail makes seven long switchbacks, runs out to the southwest, makes two more switchbacks, and climbs towards a saddle on the ridgeline (Wpt. 09).

Casino Peak HikeColorado

Casino Peak Hike Grand Canyon

From the saddle, which functionally is the toe of Fracture Ridge, the Park Peak Loop Trail climbs west following the East Ridge of Park Peak. Running up the ridge, the well built trail suddenly ends (Wpt. 10) at the base of a rock pile. Using the plethora of cairns as a guide, hikers can pick their way up through the rocks (barely more than 2nd Class) for the last 25-or-so vertical feet to the summit (Wpt. 11).