Bonanza Trail

The Bonanza Trail (trail overview) runs 16 miles, north-south, along the crest of the Spring Mountain Range connecting Lee Canyon in the south with Cold Creek in the north. As described here, the trail runs from south to north and the description is broken into seven segments. For a description of the trail running the other direction (north to south), see Bonanza Trail Southbound.

The Hike -- Segment 2 -- Bristlecone Trail to Crest of the Range (0.76 miles)

From the Bristlecone Trail (Table 1, Wpt. 02), the Bonanza Trail runs northwest and climbs towards the skyline far above. Climbing through the Pine-Fir Forest thick with White Fir, Ponderosa Pine, and Bristlecone Pine, plus a carpet of Common Juniper in a few places, the trail winds upward passing four switchbacks. After turning the last switchback, the trail makes a long climb to a saddle on the crest of the Spring Mountain Range (Wpt. 03; 0.76 miles out).

On the crest, hikers get views down the west side into the Pahrump Valley and mountain ranges disappearing into the western haze. Look for the Kingston Range, Telescope Peak in Death Valley, and perhaps the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the far distance. Views east are mostly obscured by a thick forest of tall Bristlecone Pine.

This saddle is a nice destination, but it also provides access to a use-trail heading south on the crest of the ridge with connections to use-trails that loop down to the Bristlecone Trail or continue to other destinations.

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