Rainbow Canyon Loop - 12/4/23

Rainbow Canyon

Arroyos below Rainbow Ridge

Callville Wash Redstone

Lovell Wash

Rainbow Canyon is another uber splash of color in our vast southern Nevada desert. These colors are made with the many minerals found in the soil and rock. Don't get me started! At any rate, don't let anyone tell you that the desert is just brown! These minerals are the reason that so much mining has been done in the west over many years.

     However, the Rainbow Canyon Loop covers a much larger area than just the colorful canyon, itself. The loop travels all the way around Rainbow Ridge that is found just west of Anniversary Narrows and just north of Ejection Seat Ridge. We can begin this hike at Northshore Road MM 13, 14, 14.5 or, like today, 15.

Rainbow Canyon Entrance

Freda and Mike in Rainbow Canyon

Interesting Stuff in First half of Hike

Small Peak near the Large Cairn Junction

The hike drops into the next door wash then climbs up and over Northshore Road to drop down into a wash running next to the road. Not far down, we climbed out to the left and crossed over a plateau to drop down into a deeper wash that spills out into the very large Lovell Wash. A left turn takes you down to Rainbow Canyon where we turned to the left again. We passed through the colorful walls and by the old mine shaft up on the right. The canyon continues and, slowly, you realize you are following an old road through the wash. The road leads you to a plateau with a large cairn on it. This bypasses a washed out crevice. Soon, you hit the high point of the hike. You will pass by a grouping of rusted cans, leftover from a mining camp that was populated ages ago. Finally, you junction with the Anniversary Mine Road and turn left.

Large Cairn Junction

Anniversary Mine Road

HCV 4WD Wash Road

Taking a Break at the bottom of the Scramble Slot

Soon, we turned left down a wash road that can be travelled either on foot or by 4WD HCVs. About 0.4 miles down this road, there is a wash on the left side that can be climbed out to the plateau above. Sometimes there is a cairn here, but not on this hike. On the plateau, we headed across the desert pavement to a small ridge to climb over. An option here is  to scramble down the slot through the rock on the right end of this ridge. After a break at the bottom of the other side, we hiked down to the perspective point in the distance and crossed over the slab. We found that it is pretty important to start up the next wash on the left from the bottom. 

A nearby peak with Half Moon

Rainbow Ridge Overlook

Narrow Descent Slot

Near end of Descent Slot

At the top of this small wash, there is a great overlook of the base of Rainbow Ridge. The wash below the overlook is a narrow descent wash that is clear all the way down to the main wash, Callville Wash. Follow the main wash down and through a large culvert under the road and down to a wide junction wash on the left side. Finally, follow this main wash up until you are somewhere below your car. This is a fun hike with lots to look at! Another great December day at Lake Mead NRA.

Stats: 6.3 miles; 800' gain; 3.75 hours

Callville Wash

Interesting Stuff in Second Half of Hike

Redstone in Callville Wash