Introduction:
What? :
The 21 mile long desert drive called Christmas Tree Pass will lead you from highway 95 to highway 163 cutting through an area called Spirit Mountain.
Along the dirt road you can find the Spirit Mountain top and also the imprecise Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs location.
The Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs offer a glimpse to the cultural history of the Spirit Mountain desert native ancestors. An easy and short walk to the canyon opening walls there you can see countless petroglyph's and rock drawings.
Why is the road called Christmas Tree Pass?
Over the years, visitors began decorating some of the desert trees (mostly junipers and pinyon pines) along the pass with ornaments, tinsel, and other holiday decorations — giving the pass a festive, Christmas-like atmosphere year-round.
Where? :
The dirt road passing within Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Spirit Mountain. Wilderness
The road entrances are:
North entrance on highway 95: 9.3 miles north of the junction with highway 163, 13.9 miles south of Searchlight, Nevada.
South entrance on highway 163: 13 miles east of the junction with highway 95, 6.2 mile west of Laughlin and the Colorado river.
Grapevine Canyon Trailhead is located on Christmas Tree Pass Road about 2 miles in from highway 163.
When? :
The road is open year-round.
Best Times to Visit is during fall, winter, and spring when the temperatures are low.
Summer can be excessively hot, even for a short hike.
Due note 1:
This is an easy and relatively well maintained road but in some places high clearance is recommended.
Due note 2:
For any walk, short or long hike bring water, sun protection, and wear sturdy shoes with good traction for safety.
Due note 3:
There are restrooms in the Grapevine Canyon Trailhead.
Due note 4:
It is not recommended to drive here when there are floods and runoff water in the washes.
Due note 5:
Grapevine Canyon is an easy and Family-friendly walk.
Respectful Conduct: Do not touch, climb on, or alter the petroglyphs.
My thoughts:
The road is fun to dive and provides an easy and safe way to explore the remote desert.
The Grapevine Canyon is among the easiest yet most outstanding petroglyph sites i ever visit, so many petroglyphs in such a small space.
The Visit:
From Grapevine Canyon parking a 0.3 miles walk up a flat, sandy wide wash leads to the canyon entrance, where you can see two impressive rock walls on both sides of the canyon opening, where the main collection of petroglyphs resides.
The number of petroglyphs estimated at over 700, spread across approximately hundred of individual panels. The petroglyphs are created by hammering the basalt surfaces' natural darker colored coating and revealing lighter rock beneath.
The petroglyphs designs include animals like bighorn sheep and lizards, hunting tools, spirals, and many abstract symbols and shapes.
Spirit Mountain hike trailhead is located on Christmas Tree Pass Road roadside , 8 miles east of highway 95, 6.6 mile north west of Grapevine Canyon Trailhead.
Spirit Mountain Hike:
This 4 miles out-and-back trail is considered to be a challenging route. It climbs 2300 ft to the mountain top (reaching 5,639 ft (1,720 m)) and it will take you at least 4 hours.
When we visited here we started the hike but it was more challenging than expected and our group hiking level so we turned around mid climbing up.
From the small road-side parking the hike is heading to the mountain direction.
Follow the path to the saddle and walk over to the other side.
The trail crosses the terrain down up to a point that after 0.8 miles it turns to the right and starts to climb in the direction of the mountain.
From here start the more challenging section of the hike.
You will need to do off-trail hiking with class 2 scrambling all the way to the ridgeline and with short class 3 sections near the summit; cairns help with navigation, but route-finding and GPS guiding is essential.
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