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May 12, 2020 — What a pleasant surprise Blue Diamond Hill turned out to be. From Las Vegas, it looks like an ugly brown lump, but the views of Red Rock Canyon to the west, the general desert vibes, and the rare occurence of a trail system in the desert made this a nice outing.
I parked at the Fossil Canyon Parking Lot, where a No Trespassing sign was situated along the dirt road that seemed like the obvious route into the trail system. However, a trail led off the No Trespassing road on the right, and ultimately brought me into the trail system, only crossing over the prohibited road rather than following it. I left both routes in my attached map for reference.
I started up the Bomb Voyage Trail, which led to the northern rim of Blue Diamond Hill. Calico Hills and the taller peaks of Red Rock Canyon NCA were a really nice sight from this angle, and I took a few breaks despite this being an attempt at trail running. The trail had some switchbacks and was well-maintained. Once along the rim of Blue Diamond Hill, the trail did become slightly harder to follow, but it seemed like the spurs would ultimately lead back to the same trail. The trail ended at a dirt road a short way from the summit. I followed the dirt road to the summit.
From Blue Diamond Hill's summit, I took in the views for a minute before deciding on the route I woud take for my descent to make the hike a loop. I followed the dirt road and continued onto what's labeled the Radio Tower Trail. Indeed, I passed some manmade crap at the end of the dirt road, and then the trail merged with the Boneshaker Trail. This trail was really pretty, following a nice ridge with great views toward Red Rock Canyon. I think doing the loop clockwise was the right way to go since I got an uninhibited view as I descended. The trail took me back down and completed the loop.
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