Hike Fortification Hill Lake Mead National Recreation Area, AZ

Jan 15, 2023 — Fortification Hill is a hunk of volcanic mesa that overlooks Lake Mead. The summit is visible from all over Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and is notably very steep on all sides due to a formidable cliff band. It's a fairly popular hike since there's an official trail to the summit, though traffic is limited because the road to reach the trailhead might not be possible to hesitant passenger car drivers.

From the trailhead I started north using a minor spur ridge that undulated a bit as it gained a few hundred feet to the base of Fortification Hill's major cliff band. The trail got a bit steeper as it reached the volcanic band, then evened out for a short time as it traversed north at the band's base. A Class 2+ set of moves leads up an initial section of the cliff, then continues traversing north before making a hairpin turn to the left and ascending a Class 2 gully to gain the mesatop. The trail then leads west over to the high point, where I enjoyed the views toward Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam from high above. I hadn't been up Fortification Hill in about 7 years, so it was pretty cool to return and have a much better knowledge of the peaks and surrounding landscape.