Top of Rainbow Escarpment, NV

Overview: A popular trail to the top of the southern end of the Rainbow Escarpment. Multiple use trails in the area allow for more exploration.


Details: There is a dirt parking area on the north side of the highway, with room for about a dozen cars. There are a few dirt roads at this lot, make sure not to block any private drives.From the lot, you begin your hike on the dirt road heading straight north. There is a survey marker right at the beginning of the road. Ahead of you and to your right, you will see a communications tower, continue following the road that leads to this tower, making sure not to turn off on any of the other roads in the area. At the tower, the road ends at a gate, and turns into a trail, heading north-northeast, then turning east. At a mile into the hike, the trail turns sharply left, to the north, and the scenery starts to improve.

After another 0.5 miles, the trail forks at a cairn. You will take the right fork and head east again. The trail got a little faint in places through here, but it seemed like it always picked up again or a cairn was visible ahead, and generally headed east, slightly southeast. Every so often, the views opened up to the north, which provided great picture taking opportunities. Near the end of the trail, the rocks changed to a yellow & orange color, and the trail headed down to a saddle. The views to the east were incredible. There was plenty of room to scramble around on the rocks for various vantage points. This was the end of the easy trail, but if you to continue scrambling (Class 3 in places after that) to the southeast, you would end up at the summit of Windy Peak. It was wet and foggy the day I was here, so the saddle was my turnaround point.

Return to the trailhead the way you came up. There are several other trails that branch off this main trail, including one that heads north from that fork 1.5 miles in which seems to follow the ridgeline for a while.

2017-02-22 LindaAnn