Overview

Fortification Hill Road (NPS Road 70C) is a sometimes-maintained backcountry road off Highway 93 east of Hoover Dam in Arizona. The road runs 2.8 miles east from Kingman Wash Road at the Paint Pots up Fortification Hill Wash through the wild backcountry of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The road is sandy with a firm base and usually is suitable for 2WD-HC vehicles.

This road provides access to the Fortification Hill Trailhead and hikes farther up Fortification Wash.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this road is pretty safe, but it can be bumpy and washboarded, and always be careful on blind corners. The road usually is passable in 2WD vehicles, but check with NPS rangers on road conditions before driving into the backcountry. Maps of approved backcountry roads are available online and at the Alan Bible Visitor Center.

While out, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, even though this road is short, be sure to bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

Getting to the Roadhead

This road is located in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, about 50 minutes southeast of Las Vegas. From town, drive out towards Hoover Dam, then continue south on Hwy 93 over the bridge into Arizona for about 2 miles to Exit 2, Kingman Wash Road.

Exit the highway, turn left, drive under the highway, and continue east and then north on Kingman Wash Road. At about 3.2 miles out, turn right at a pair of restrooms (no road sign) onto Fortification Hill Road.

The Road

From the restrooms on Kingman Wash Road (Table 1, Site 1423), the road runs east and up the wash. The road is sandy and washboarded in places, but the roadbed is firm. The road winds about, but there are no turnoffs or forks in the road.

At about 2.6 miles out, the road passes the Fortification Hill Trailhead (Site 0510) for the hike up Fortification Hill. The trailhead parking merely is a wide spot in the road with a trail sign.

Beyond the trailhead, the road continues up the canyon for another 0.2 miles and ends at a cable fence (Site 1424) spanning the canyon. Hikers can park here and walk up the canyon, but otherwise, this is the end of the road.

The National Park Service recommends using a 4WD vehicle on this road. The first time I drove the road, I ignored the warning in my 2WD-HC pickup, but I turned around out after about a mile because the gravel kept getting softer and deeper. The next time I was out, in a 4WD, the road would have been fine in a carefully driven sedan. In January 2006, the road was not suitable for a sedan.

The moral to the story: conditions change, inquire locally, and use your own good judgment. Hikers don't have to drive all the way to the trailhead to enjoy the hike up Fortification Hill.