Hike Spirit Mountain North and Newberry Mountains Loop Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV

Mar 14, 2021 — The Newberry Mountains are a small range at the southern end of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, an area mostly known for Spirit Mountain. This route takes the higher ground surrounding Pipe Spring Canyon, which I hiked a couple of years ago. Head to that trip report instead if you prefer canyons of obscure desert peaks. To access the trailhead, turn here (35.26335, -114.68546), accessible by any car.

I started northwest through a very wide wash which slowly narrowed as it neared the base of Spirit Mountain North. I reached a junction, where each option would lead to the saddle on either side of my first peak. I chose to stay right, but I don't have a good reason why. This drainage to the saddle was steep and a bit loose, but not unpleasant. I recommend staying just below the ridgeline after reaching the saddle above since the ridge crest is riddled with difficult rock outcroppings, and you can keep this section Class 2 if you avoid them. The summit of Spirit Mountain North is rarely visited and the view toward Spirit Mountain is unique from this angle. Side note about the naming of this peak: locals say this peak is mislabeled as "Devils Thumb" on some maps, but that peak is actually farther north, so it's more accurate to call this one the uninspired "Spirit Mountain North".

I headed back down to the saddle and intended to follow the ridge all the way to Peak 4391, but had to side-hill past a rock outcrop since I wasn't sure if there was just a cliff on its opposite side. I located an easy Class 3 through a small notch to get back onto the ridgeline, which I followed all the way to the base of Peak 4391 on mellow terrain. You can access the peak directly using a Class 3 series of fun bouldery moves, but it's easier to just stay beneath the summit and wrap around to its east side, ascending on Class 2.

The slope leading down from Peak 4391 was pretty long since I descended to roughly the same elevation as the trailhead. The ridge began with some easy Class 2, followed by a long section of mostly rock-free terrain, and slowly introduced more and more granite boulders as I reached the saddle (Class 2). The ridge to Mount Newberry was mostly uneventful, save for a cliff band with a Class 2+ option just to the right of the ridge crest, and a false summit you can avoid by side-hilling on the left. Mount Newberry had some minor Class 2 toward its summit. I dropped back down to the base of Mount Newberry and descended a pleasant spur ridge into a drainage below, which ultimately brought me to Pipe Spring Canyon. I only crossed over the canyon though since I'd already checked it out in the past, and began a Class 2 and slightly brushy ascent to Peak 3153 to the south. You can reduce the elevation by just ascending Pipe Spring Canyon and heading back to the trailhead, of course, but I wanted to add this extra peak to the hike. Following the ridgeline was straightforward enough, and after passing over the summit, I descended on the peak's southern side on a sandy slope, where I saw my car below.