Hike Piper Peak Silver Peak Range BLM, NV

Apr 08, 2022 — Piper Peak is a high-prominence mountain with little to offer in terms of fun, so I was happy I bolstered myself with energy drinks to get through it faster. Most of the hike consists of a gradual ascent through trees, but portions are pretty open with expansive views. McAfee Canyon, the canyon used to access Piper Peak via what seems like the standard route, has an excellent road. Passenger cars can likely make it to the trailhead, and Google navigated me there without issue from Dyer, NV. After a few days of annoying dirt roads, I was happy my little trip would end with an easy drive to access the trailhead.

I started on foot along a less-good dirt road leading north and left it after passing some old mining remains, taking a spur ridge that initially ascended pretty steeply. Fortunately the terrain was mostly open and I wasn't too annnoyed by any sort of brush or foliage. This spur ridge merged with the wider south ridge of Piper Peak after a few hundred feet, and I just kept ascending. The remainder of this hike follows the south ridge to the summit. It's hard to get too lost, but since the ridge is quite wide most of the time it's unlikely you'll take the exact same route up as on the way back. Aside from a short cliff band farther down (Class 2) and a couple of short talus slopes, the first 1/3 of the hike was just a walk, and certainly the steepest section of the outing. I also encountered a couple of short cliff bands comprised of large boulders that required some light scrambling.

At around the 8400' contour, the terrain became much more flat and there were wide sections of scrubby meadows, where lightly brushy terrain replaced the tree-covered dirt slope. Although the brush isn't thick or tedious, I had to do a bit of zig-zagging to find the path of least resistance at times. I continued north on terrain, alternating between forest and meadow until just below the summit block. A Class 2 pile of boulders marked the high point of Piper Peak. I was impressed by these views, and it was a nice end to this short trip into the middle of nowhere Nevada.