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Fire Station Hill Loop Trail
Hiking Around Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Fire Station Hill Loop
Campground Fire Station Hill Loop
Trailhead (gate through fence; view W)

Overview

A number of nice use-trails have become established in the Red Rock Canyon Campground Area. The Fire Station Hill Loop (3.23 miles round trip) runs west from the public trailhead, then makes a big loop out behind the fire station, climbing onto the top of the peak beyond the fire station. This is the hardest of the Campground Area Loops, but the expansive views make it worth it, and there is a nice cactus garden atop Fire Station Hill. The trail continues down the other side of the mountain and returns to the paved road. Hikers can return over the pavement or continue across the road and use other trails to return to the trailhead.

After hiking this loop, consider hiking one of the other short or long loops in the campground area. This hike is nice because it is close to town and not on the Scenic Loop Drive. This makes it free, a quick little get away from town, and it minimizes time driving to and from the trailhead.

Link to map or elevation profile.

Fire Station Hill Loop
View from near the end of the loop (view SW)

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this hike is about as safe as hiking in the desert can be, but watch out for dog poop near the trailhead.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this hike is short and close to civilization, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials. Please pick up after your pet too.

Fire Station Hill Loop
Cliffs along Red Rock Wash (view W)

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 30 minutes from town, but not on the Scenic Loop Road. For non-campers, drive out West Charleston Blvd to the Moenkopi Road Trailhead, which is located along the Moenkopi Road. Park here; this is the trailhead.

For campers, continue into the campground, park at your campsite, then walk out into the desert and pick up the trails.

Fire Station HillTrail bends left towards Fire Station Hill (view S)

The Hike

From the public trailhead (Table 1, Wpt. 01), the use-trail runs west across a flat, sparsely vegetated area where the trail is braided and poorly defined. Continuing in that direction, however, shortly brings hikers to an old road (Wpt. 02) that cuts diagonally (SE-NW) across the area. Following the road northwest, the road quickly arrives at a trail junction where the old road cuts down the steep hillside into Red Rock Wash.

Staying atop the cliff overlooking the wash, the trail continues west and shortly becomes well defined as it follows an old road. Through here, the vegetation is typical Mojave Desert Scrub habitat type with lots of creosote bush and white bursage, plus Mojave yucca, Joshua trees, Nevada ephedra, spiny menodora, and galleta grass. Also watch for beavertail cactus and cottontop cactus.

Fire Station Hill
Trail forks, route stays straight (view S)

The old road becomes a two-track road, and eventually bends to the left to head more to the south. Shortly after the bend, the old road ends and a regular trail continues. The trail passes a junction (Wpt. 06) with the Campground Wash Loop Trail (on the right) and continues heading uphill to the south.

At about 1 mile out, the trail intersects an old road coming up from the Fire Station (Wpt. 07). The route turns right and heads west up the road. A minute or two west, the old road merges with another old road (Wpt. 08) also coming up from the Fire Station, and the route continues west and uphill.

The old road ends, but a constructed trail (edged with white rock; Wpt. 09) starts up the ridge and heads south towards the summit of Fire Station Hill. About 0.21 miles past the end of the road, there is an enormous cairn (Wpt. 10) along the trail. There is a bit of a hilltop here, but the meaning of the cairn remains mysterious. In the area, there are lots of California barrel cactus, cottontop cactus, and Mojave hedgehog cactus.

Fire Station Hill
Merging onto an old road (view S)

Beyond the cairn, the trail continues up the ridge, somewhat steeply now, and past some interesting paleozoic fossil outcrops, to the summit (Wpt. 11), which is on a short spur trail.

The peak is craggy limestone with lots of fossiliferous material. The vegetation is sparse, but diverse, and there are lots of cactus in the summit area, including California barrel cactus, cottontop cactus, Desert Spinystar Cactus, and Mojave hedgehog cactus. Interesting shrubs around the summit include Heermann's buckwheat, butterfly bush, and even Parry's Lipfern growing in cracks in the rocks.

From the summit, return over the spur trail to the main trail, which continues southeast across the summit areas. Hikers might want to hike off-trail east to another rocky knob that overlooks the campground. From there, the route returns off-trail to the main trail and continues southeast down the steep hillside.

The trail then runs down across the hillside, somewhat steeply at times, to connect with the end of another old road (Wpt. 13).

Fire Station Hill

The route follows the road to the northeast, staying to the right at a fork (Wpt. 14), until the old road is crossed by a barbed wire fence (Wpt. 15), which is to keep burros out of the campground. The trail passes through a gate in the barbed wire fence and continues down the dirt road, which shortly intersects the paved Moenkopi Road (Wpt. 16).

On the paved road, hikers can return directly to the trailhead (Wpt. 01). Watch for cars, but hiking on the pavement is actually enjoyable after hiking down the steep hillsides. Be sure to wave at the Fire Boys as you pass the Station.

Otherwise, hikers can walk a few yards north on the pavement, then duck under the fence on the east side of the road and pick up Campground Area trails. By staying left at intersections, hikers can loop out into the desert before bending back west and retuning to the trailhead (Wpt. 01).

Fire Station Hill
Trail merges onto another old road (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Trail heads west for a short distance (view W)
Fire Station Hill
Interesting lighting on a stormy day (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Trail resumes heading south (view S)
Fire Station Hill Fire Station Hill
Fire Station Hill
Approaching the large cairn (view SW)
Fire Station Hill
Large cairn on ridge (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Looking back at the large cairn (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Easy walking for a bit (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Trail gets a bit steeper (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Trail gets a bit steeper (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Trail gets a bit steeper (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker coming up the ridge (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker at junction of spur trail to the summit (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Fossils in the rocks near the summit (view W)
Fire Station Hill
Fossils in the rocks near the summit (view W)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker among summit blocks (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker arriving on the summit (view N)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker and cactus atop summit block (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker atop summit block (view W)
Fire Station Hill
Summit scenery (view N)
Fire Station Hill
Summit scenery (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Summit scenery (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Summit scenery (view SE)
Fire Station Hill
Summit scenery (view S)
Fire Station Hill
Trail and false summit (view SE)
Fire Station Hill
Off-trail route to false summit (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Red Rock Campground as seen from the false summit (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Red Rock BLM Fire Station from above (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Trail continues onto south face of Fire Station Hill (view SE)
Fire Station Hill
Trail runs down and across the hillside (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Trail runs down and across the hillside (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Hikers arriving at the end of another old road (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Easy walking back on the desert flats (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Easy walking back on the desert flats (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker approaching the Fire Station (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Route stays left at faint old road intersection (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker near the Fire Station (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
More easy walking past the Fire Station (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Trail passes through gate in the barbed wire fence (view E)
Fire Station Hill
Trail continues along outside of the fence (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Hikers approaching the pavement (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Looking back, the trail ends at the pavement (view SW)

Alternate End: Hike in the desert rather than back down the pavement.

Fire Station Hill
Ducking under the east-side fence (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Hikers walking parallel to the fence (view N)
Fire Station Hill
Old road makes for a nice trail (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Old road continues (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Old road continues (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Old road continues (view NE)
Fire Station Hill
Another old road turns left (view N)
Fire Station Hill
Continuing on the old road (view N)
Fire Station Hill
Old road becomes a trail (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Continuing on the trail (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Trail merges with another trail from the right (view NW)
Fire Station Hill
Crossing final desert flats heading towards the trailhead (view W)
Fire Station Hill
Hiker returning to the trailhead (view W)
more to come
More to come ...

Table 1. Hiking Coordinates Based on GPS Data (NAD27; UTM Zone 11S). Download Hiking GPS Waypoints (*.gpx) file.

Wpt. Location Easting Northing Elevation Point-to-Point Distance (mi) Cumulative Distance (mi) Verified
01 Trailhead 644710 4000437 3,456 0.00 0.00 GPS
02 Trail Junction 644509 4000343 3,473 0.14 0.14 GPS
06 Trail Junction 643971 3999744 3,563 0.56 0.70 GPS
07 Old Road 644085 3999379 3,638 0.27 0.97 GPS
08 Fork in Old Road 644029 3999334 3,650 0.05 1.02 GPS
09 Trail leaves Old Road 644005 3999312 3,658 0.03 1.05 GPS
10 Large Cairn 644099 3999058 3,750 0.21 1.26 GPS
11 Summit 644332 3998824 3,892 0.25 1.51 GPS
12 Subsummit 644458 3998819 3,882 0.10 1.61 GPS
13 Old Road 644512 3998990 3,710 0.19 1.80 GPS
14 Fork in Old Road 644768 3999287 3,560 0.32 2.12 GPS
15 Barbed Wire Fence 645100 3999510 3,507 0.28 2.40 GPS
16 Paved Road 645245 3999771 3,470 0.21 2.61 GPS
01 Trailhead 644710 4000437 3,456 0.62 3.23 GPS

Happy Hiking! All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 190608

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