Overview

Pine Creek Loop Trail a fairly easy 0.9-mile loop up into the depths Pine Creek Canyon. The trail runs up the north side of Pine Creek to the first fork in Pine Creek Canyon. The trail then crosses the seasonal stream and runs back down the south side of the canyon until rejoining the original route near the remains of the Wilson homestead.

This area is interesting because it harbors a great botanical diversity of Mojave Desert Scrub vegetation with a relict population of ponderosa pines that normally are found at higher elevations. The canyon gets some full sun, especially early in the day, but generally it is a nice cool place to hike. The round-trip is about 2.5 miles, but from the top of the loop, hikers can scramble and boulder hop up the canyons into the Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area for as far as they want.

Note that new signs and info at the Pine Creek Kiosk for the Arnight Trail and Knoll Trail is incorrect. The error will be corrected but probably not until after fire season (Autumn, 2018).

Link to map. Link to BLM Georeference PDF map file.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ... this is a rocky trail where hikers have to keep watching their feet, but other than that, it is pretty safe on the trail. Up the canyons past the end of the loop, the route requires 2nd-class scrambling over and around boulders and up slick-rock terraces. Be careful when high enough to fall and hurt yourself, and watch for wet or icy rocks in the canyon and around the stream. Treat or filter the water before drinking (there are a lots of bighorn sheep in the canyon).

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

Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located along the Scenic Loop Road in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 1 hour west of Las Vegas. Drive out to Red Rocks, pay the fee, and then drive about 2/3rds of the way around the Scenic Loop Road to the Pine Creek Canyon Trailhead. Park here; this is the trailhead.

The Hike

From the Pine Creek trailhead (Table 1, Waypoint 01), which sits atop a bench overlooking Pine Creek Wash, the well-worn trail runs south, cutting down and across a steep sidehill. Near the trailhead, the vegetation is fairly sparse and dominated by only a few species, including blackbrush, Mojave yucca, banana yucca, and Utah juniper.

After dropping across the hillside, the trail turns right (Wpt. 02) onto the broad flats along Pine Creek Wash. Here, the soil moisture is higher, and the vegetation abruptly changes to include shrub live oak, big sagebrush, Utah juniper, desert willow, and buckhorn cholla.

The trail runs west and shortly intersects the start of the Fire Ecology Trail (Wpt. 03). After only 45 yards, the main trail intersects the end of the Fire Ecology Trail (Wpt. 04). The Fire Ecology Trail makes a figure-8 loop over to Pine Creek where signs discuss efforts to control wildfire risk in the canyon.

Continuing, the trail passes historic concrete and stone structures that used to mark the entrance to the Wilson Ranch. This is also the junction with Dales Trail (Wpt. 05). The vegetation here is much thicker and diverse; manzanita and yerba santa join the species mix, and ponderosa pines are nearby, however, a fire burned the north side of the trail a few years ago.

The trail continues west towards a grove of ponderosa pine, a seasonal stream, and the remains of Horace Wilson's old homestead (Wpt. 06), which is just off the left side of the main trail. Old-man Wilson built his home in the early 1920s. He lived here for about 10 years and planted a big garden and orchard. Only the foundation of the house and some fruit trees remain. He left the canyon in 1933 and moved to Las Vegas where life was easier.

Continuing, the main trail forks (Wpt. 07) just past old-man Wilson's home, a total of 0.80 miles out. The fork is the start and end of a loop that runs up into the mouth of Pine Creek Canyon. In here, singleleaf pinyon pine, ashy silktassel, and many other species of shrubs join the species mix.

Continuing up the right fork of the trail (heading west, not south), the trail starts into Pine Creek Canyon, proper. The trail runs along the north side of the canyon, beneath towering sandstone cliffs, nearly to the head of the canyon. Here, atop a high bench, the trail descends steeply onto sandy flats where rocks outline a large, triangular trail intersection (Wpt. 08). Here, the Pine Creek Trail turns left, while a use-trail goes right and up into Fern Canyon. A connector trail links these two to form the triangle.

Hikers can continue up Fern Canyon on the north side of Mescalito Wall, the tall buttress that seems to block the head of the canyon. Following use-trails and scrambling over and around boulders, hikers can go as far as is desired. Higher up, the canyon is deep and narrow.

Staying left at the triangle-intersection (Wpt. 08), Pine Creek Trail turns south to cross the canyon just downstream from Mescalito Wall. The trail becomes somewhat difficult to follow in the bottom of the wash because of the many use-trails, dense shrubs and tree, and flashflood damage to the main trail.

In this area, hikers can turn upstream and hike into the canyon on the south side of Mescalito (Pine Creek Canyon). Following use-trails and scrambling over and around boulders, hikers can go as far as is desired. Higher up, the canyon is deep and narrow, and it forks a couple of times. Given that hikers are boulder hopping up the canyon, they can go anywhere they want, but staying to the south (left) at the first fork and staying to the north (right) at the second fork is said to make for a good hike.

Meanwhile, the Pine Creek Trail crosses the wash (Wpt. 09) and continues south and up the far hillside to a hard left turn (Wpt. 10) where the trail turns east and starts heading back down the canyon.

The trail runs back down along the south side of the canyon through some very pretty country (e.g., Overlook; Wpt. 11) with lots of ponderosa pines. Erosion forces some rerouting of the trail, but it is fairly easy to follow. The trail eventually passes an intersection with the Arnight Trail (Wpt. 12). The Arnight trail forks off to the right (almost straight) and starts up the hillside, while the Pine Creek Trail turns left and descends towards Pine Creek. The trail crosses the creek (Wpt. 13), which usually has running water, and is full of cattail, desert willow, and rabbitbrush in addition to the ponderosa pine and shrub live oak overhead.

The trail climbs out the other side of the creek and into the site of Mr. Wilson's old garden, then heads towards the homesite. Except for yerba santa, the garden is still mostly clear of shrubs after all these years. In the "meadow" area, the trail forks. The main fork runs across the meadow to reconnect directly with the Pine Creek Trail (Wpt. 07) to close the loop. The other trail runs directly towards the old homestead (Wpt. 06). On either trail, notice the old fruit trees along the trail to the homestead.

When ready to head back, pick up the main trail by the homesite and walk 0.80 miles back to the trailhead (Wpt. 01).