We have lectric bikes and boy did we take em out for a Spin! We rode the entire 35mile loop. It took us about 5 hours with one of them Being breaks. Even with help this trail is a beautiful beast. Steep hills and a steady gradual I cline in the middle. It sure was beautiful though. Great views. Some nature. Just some chipmunks and lizards mostly. read more

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This is one of the few cycling trails in the extended Las Vegas Valley that allows you to ride for miles while separated from cars (another is on the west side of the 215 Beltway). It is a 34 mile loop including almost 3,000' of climbing--both long, slow grades (up to Boulder City) and very steep, short hills (The Three Sisters). Road cyclists regularly take advantage of the well-paved path. You will also see pedestrians walking along the way. The path passes the edge of Boulder City at Bootleg Canyon, goes behind Railroad Pass Casino, passes Lake Las Vegas, and enters Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It continues along the main road in the park, then starts the uphill slog just before the park's Visitor's Center. There, it crosses the park road and the path continues up to Boulder City. Accept on part of the climb to Boulder City where the path is in the flood channel, it is in pristine condition with nicely paved asphalt. There are not many water stops which is a problem for summer workouts. You can get water at Bootleg Canyon, the water district (just past Railroad Pass Casino), and two places in the park (including Boulder Beach). Except for the water district and one of the Lake Mead stops, there are bathrooms at each of the water stations. There is also a bathroom on the path by the Visitor's Center. Almost all riders go in a clockwise direction. I prefer this direction because it is really uncomfortable coming down the flood channel at speed. There are lines in the cement that cause little bumps that are both a problem in the nether-regions and they slow you down. A great workout is to do the loop clockwise and then counter-clockwise. If doing this, you may want to do the CCW-Boulder City-to-the-Lake section on the highway instead of in the storm drains. Other than the flood channel, what I don't like about the RMT is its curviness on the lake side. There are some excellent descents and ascents, but there are usually compact turns at the bottoms of the hills so you lose your speed before having to climb the next hill. And, you can't maintain your speed through the curves because many of them drop 100' to the desert floor below. The views are wonderful. You see the lake during a third of the trek and the Las Vegas skyline during another third. Caution: This is a HARD ride and water is not quickly accessible. Carry MUCH MORE water than you think you'll need. I experienced true thirst only once in my life and it was on this path. Also, I've had to stop on more than one occasion to give others desperately needed water. read more

River Mountain Trail - Loving Cacti on the Slog to Boulder City - Hiking Near Me - Boulder City, Nevada

An Earth Day 2016 Celebration Review The River Mountain Trail (not River Mountains Loop Trail) is one of my most cherished hiking trails near Las Vegas. Ever since I first stepped foot on it in 2006, I have adored this charming trail. It is an adoration that led to an annual Spring hike on it. It is a tradition that has cost zero and gives back uncomplicated joy. Yesterday, I celebrated Earth Day on the River Mountain Trail. River Mountain Trail with the unsigned Black Mountain Trail is a six-mile round trip adventure that starts from a parking lot off mile marker 29.5 of the River Mountains Loop Trail (https://www.yelp.com/biz/river-mountains-loop-trail-henderson) in Boulder City then climbs from an elevation of 2,415 to 3,600 feet up to Red and Black Mountain (https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-and-black-mountain-boulder-city). This is what I consider a Disney Trail. Just like a Disneyland ride, it is clean; adorable; picturesque ; and provides a thrill minus the intimidation. Deep into the trail as it climbs the switchbacks up the Red & Black Mountain canyon it even resembles the Big Thunder Railroad. The Civilian Corps that built it in the 1930s did it with the imagination of a Disney Imagineer. The trail is a work of art that follows a sinuous course through the rolling desert where it passes through a verdant canyon of vegetation. Graffiti is relatively nonexistent. From the trailhead near St. Jude Ranch, the first impression is misleading. Following the beginning leg of the trail it borders housing walls and a concrete wash. After a slight curve, it meets the colossal spaces of the desert with Red and Black Mountain Mountain in the distance. In April, with the blooming wildflowers, the desert resembles an Arboretum more than a desolate landscape. Gradually the trail aims toward the Red & Black Mountain canyon. When the trail reaches 2,960 elevation, the switchbacks along the face of Red Mountain start rolling the ribbon of sand up sinuous and gentle curves toward the stratosphere in a place up by the clouds called the Red & Black Mountain summit. The amazing thing is how smoothly it reaches 3,300 feet. Ethereal and beautiful describe the experience of this solitary climb to the stratosphere. I compare this stretch to driving on Utah bound I-15 through endless desert then experiencing the roller coaster dips and turns of the Virgin River Gap. Here there are more rest stops. On the way there are large boulders to pause. Overhead vultures and airplanes pass over the sky. Below is a view of part of Boulder City. At the top of the saddle the trail name ends. Gone are the green and white trail signs with the River Mountain Trail - Bicycles prohibited signs. Gone is any thought of the trail ending. A left leads up to Red Mountain and straight to the Black Mountain summit. Now physically near the clouds and mentally on cloud nine, I continue straight for a. 05 to climb up a gentle 180 elevation gain to the end. On this walk near the clouds, I pass a rock that looks like an alligator. The trail concludes at the Black Mountain summit. At 3,480 feet high I rise above it all (Red Mountain is higher). This is a breathtaking panoramic view of the Las Vegas valley and Mount Charleston, Lake Mead, Boulder City, River Mountains, and desert interspersed with mountains reaching across the Hoover Dam Bridge into Arizona. Adorning the summit is a bench and informative sign on the geology. Even better than the rewarding overlook is that up to now was the laborious part of the hike. Heading back, the hike is a fun downhill descent toward the trailhead. I highly recommend hiking up the River Mountain Trail in the cooler months. In my opinion this hike is priceless. Being that this is an Earth Day review, it is appropriate to write that this is advice written from a person that is down to Earth. read more

This is AKA River Mountain Loop Trail so check more reviews for that. The trail deserves the extra recognition! Be prepared to meet your highest challenge on the famous "Three Sisters" hill sequence as it is steep and long in rapid succession. Both the "Sisters" and the views are breathtaking! The loop is scenic and variable. Occasionally, Desert Big Horn Sheep can be seen from the trail. Start at sunrise in the summer and take plenty of water and an emergency tire repair kit. A flat on a remote section of this trail would not be fun without a spare. During cycling season the trail gets pretty busy on the weekends so I prefer the safety of weekday riding. Be in decent shape before you attempt the entire loop; I suggest training on sections until you have done each segment and know what to expect before you set out to do the entire challenge. read more

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Early last year my friend Paul W planted the seed of an idea to hike the 30 plus mile RMLT in one day. Soon after a date was set and logistics were mapped out. The day came and with gold bond and glide in hand, the journey began. We started in the evening at 7 ish planning on a graveyard shift grind. Our start point was railroad pass just behind the hotel casino. As we traveled northwest back towards the Las Vegas valley spirits were high and testosterone railed through the atmosphere symbolic of a junior high school boys locker room after an epic win. As we crested the highest point of the trail the jewel of the desert glowed radiantly in silent chaos. The trail shoots mostly straight along the east end of a henderson residential area with the mountains along the other side to keep the trail honest. The trail is nicely maintained and we'll marked. It continues for several miles to lake mead blvd right at the entrance to lake las vegas. There are covered benches and motion activated lights at this part of the trail. This is the area we preformed maintenance on some hot spots on our feet. We continued to our first cache by the park entrance. Once you enter lake mead recreational area the trail utilizes the old highway. It brought back many memories as I drove this stretch of road often in the 80s. As we walked along the old sunscortched and neglected highway, there were weeds and sagebrush growing out of every crack in the asphalt. With the full moon shinning bright and ancient desert silence resinating in the shadows, it was a post apocalyptic scene devoid of any life but our own. Through the LMRA the route goes up and down as it winds around washes and hills. Lake Mead was to our left and glowed in the light of the moon. There is a random large tree along the route that has been an unsanctioned camp site in the past. Large pipes protrude from the earth adding to the post apocalyptic aura as you get closer to the pump station. You then turn towards the lake and surpentine through the pump compound that acts as the heart pumping water to the Las Vegas valley. This adds a mile and if we had to do it over we would have skipped it and traveled 200 yards down the highway where the trail picks back up. By this point, I won't lie, I contemplated calling my wife to come get me several times. Feet and backs ached and blisters were imenant. Our second cache was along the highway just north of the marina. At this point we laid on the ground and gazed at the moon lit lake. No words were spoken at this point as we pushed past multiple pain limits. At that point if any one of us suggested to end the journey, it would've been welcomed by all. We begrudgingly continued on. Two thirds of the journey was complete when we stopped at the lake mead camp ground. Egos and testosterone were put aside and the trip was over when common sense prevailed at 4 in the morning. We called a friend to come pick us up. 20 plus miles in just under 11 hours including food breaks and physical maintainence. The remaining 13 miles haunted my friend Paul W and I for months. We decided to complete the journey on November 29th. With a truck parked at the finish line we took another to where we left off. We stayed true to the route and picked up exactly where we left off. With better shoes and provisions we were off. The trail parallels the highway to the visitor center then began uphill toward Boulder City. After the visitor center the trail heads away from the highway, then turns away from the city. This was a touch demoralizing as it added miles to the trek. We fought the urge to cut across the desert and remained true to the route. As we got closer to town, we fought another urge to detour to one of the many watering holes in Boulder City proper to partake in some libations. Like soldiers on a mission, we continued up the hill through town. Once at the top, the trail skirts bootleg canyon. As you pass that point you are back in the desert with a view of pure dryness and desolation to the south. This part of the trail has a lot of bicycle traffic so watch you six and stay to one side. As we walked the trail the BC tour train roled by. Like a horse headed to the barn our pace quickened as we knew the 13 mile journey was coming to a close. Finally we arrived to the finish line at railroad pass. Elation and a great feeling of accomplishment coarsed through my body. It was complete. If you want to walk this loop, I would suggest dry camping along the way or do it in sections. It would probably take 14 to 16 hours to walk the entire thing. It was a great experience with views that can only be seen by getting out there. read more

My favorite hike in the Vegas area. Big parking lot, well marked trail, nice elevation to the top of black mountain. Great views once you get to the top of black mountain. I have hiked this trail numerous times and enjoy it each and every time. read more