Lone Mountain Las Vegas

One of the most fantastic things about my life currently, is that I live by a bunch of mountains. I truly do my best to get out there every weekend to enjoy, and with this, I’ve noticed myself start to become a more positive person. Nature is extremely healing. That being said, I don’t always have time make the 30+ minute drive, do the hike, then take the 30+ minute drive back home. Fortunately there is a mountain that stands alone just around the edge of my community. It is very convenient for me, especially since it is not a long hike. This allows me to get my fix in when I have busier weekends. Lone Mountain is a gem in my opinion, surrounded by a trail loop, with a park that lies on the outskirts It is very easily accessible, but still gives you those thrilling outdoor feels and a good workout. 

Parking

If you plug Lone Mountain into your GPS it will take you to the park’s parking lot, which is totally fine. You can still access the trail loop from here, and this will lead you to the trail head to hike up the mountain. I usually go to the back parking spaces that are directly in front of the mountain trail access. Coming from Lone Mountain Park’s parking lot, you want to take Jensen St up until you hit the first set of lights, this will be Alexander Rd and you will turn right. Follow Alexander Rd until you come to Vegas Vista Trail, turn right and the parking is at the very end of the street. Access to the main trail is slightly off to the left when you’re facing the mountain from here.

The trail loop. 

The loop around the mountain is super accessible and pretty well maintained. It’s made up of mostly gravel and is great for walking, running, biking and it’s also horse-back riding friendly! Dogs on leashes are also welcome. There are signs posted to let you know who yields to who. Obviously some times are busier than others, but no matter when you go, you are more than likely to see people there. 

One full loop is 1.8 miles, there are distance markers every quarter mile (0.0 mile sign starts from the park side). Starting from the parking lot, regardless of which direction you choose to start, you’ll begin at a slight decline, which is going to feel great! But, about half way through you’ll start to feel the slight incline as you make your way back up. I personally like this, because for half of the lap I feel challenged and then the other half I can pick up my pace and feel unstoppable. 

When trail running, this is a great place to do speed work. I never even knew about speed work until recently and now the Lone Mountain loop trail is my go-to spot for it. It also gives you the option to run a of couple of laps, do some incline training up the mountain and then finish with 1 or 2 more loops. I found this to immensely help my endurance while training for a trail marathon.

Lone Mountain Peak

As I mentioned earlier, if you are parked in on of the back spaces, the trail head will be slightly off to the left in front of you. If you parked in one of the park’s spots you’ll take the loop counter clockwise for about half a mile. It’s not marked, but you can see the paved path in contrast to the shrubs, rocks and other earth surrounding it. To the peak and back is 1.2 miles with a 521 ft elevation gain, with the highest elevation being at 3,257 ft. There and back usually takes me anywhere from 35-50 minutes depending if I’m trail running or leisurely hiking. 

Although I would consider this a moderate hike, you do have to watch where you step. There are a lot of loose rocks and uneven ground. Certain parts can also get a bit steep so you’ll want to be cautious, especially if someone is coming from the other way, so be ready to find a spot to pull off to the side. Note: Remember, proper trail etiquette is to yield to whomever is going up!

There will be three separate landings you come across as you work your way up . The first is pretty spacious and you’ll see a bench to the left of the saddle. Going right continues up towards the summit. 

The second will look like the summit as you’re climbing it, but once you get to the top, you’ll see the actual summit. So make sure you conserve energy for the extra push because it will get a bit steep from here. You can stay on the gravel path, which is probably the “easiest” route, or you can choose to scramble off trail. You’ll more than likely see people doing both. 

I am actually a big fan of the view from the Lone Mountain Summit. On one side you get a skyline view, and from the other’s it’s mountains. There is some space to sit and chill for a bit to just enjoy and spend some time with yourself or a friend. Be mindful that it does get quite narrow in some spots and it can get pretty windy at the top. I have heard there are various ways to get up and down, but I have only ever taken the main trail. I would imagine if you choose to go up or down from an alternative route you would want to use a bit more cautious since it is a lot steeper and there will be more obstacles. More scrambling is probably required.

From the Summit, can you see neighborhoods? Yes. Can you see the freeway? Yes. These seem to be the two big things a lot of people have qualms with. If you’re looking for a getting-lost-in-the-widerness kind of hike, this probably isn’t the first place you’d want to check out. For it being so easily accessible, the modern world is going to be prevalent. I know what I’m getting when I come here, and I can see the beauty in Lone Mountain for what it is. It’s a fun and quick hike that get’s the heart pumping, I would still pick here over a walk around my neighborhood any day.

Quick Glance”

Distance: 1.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 521ft

Level: Moderate 

Time: 35 minutes – 1 hour

Traffic: Popular

What you’ll need: 

• Proper Footwear (shoes with good traction)
• Sun screen
• Weather appropriate attire (typically pretty windy at the top I usually bring a light sweatshirt)
• Water
• I wouldn’t say you need snacks for this one, but when was it ever a bad idea to bring snacks?
• Trekking pole can be helpful! If you’re an avid hiker I don’t believe they are totally necessary.